FAQ.29

Question:

We specify that shop drawing for special railings and stairs are to be sealed by an Ontario registered Professional Engineer. The Contractor says that they will have the shop drawings stamped after our final review of the shop drawings. Is that right?

Answer:

The provisions in the Engineers Act for sealing drawings are different than those in the Architects Act. The Engineers Act uses the words – “final” drawing and “checked by” so that miscellaneous shops prepare the shop drawings and then send to an engineer they may use on a regular basis to check and stamp the drawing. They would normally pay for each such review and check, so the trade is trying to avoid extra costs.

This may or may not be acceptable depending on the circumstances. One way to alleviate the concern is to specify more particularly that each submission shall bear the seal of the engineer. Alternatively, do not give “Reviewed” status until there are no more annotations or mark ups, and the shop drawings are sealed by an engineer. The process should be established in the specifications.

References:

The Engineers Act - R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 941, s. 53; O. Reg. 13/03, s. 16.