Can A Structural Engineer Respond To Hamilton Permit Review Comments?

Yes. A structural engineer can respond to Hamilton permit review comments that concern structural analysis, drawings, connections, foundations, existing conditions, or professional responsibility. The best response answers each comment directly and updates every affected document. It should not attempt to answer zoning, fire, architectural, or servicing questions outside the engineer’s scope.

Read the comment in the context of the whole submission

A plan examiner’s sentence may refer to a mark on a specific sheet, an omitted calculation, a conflict between disciplines, or uncertainty about existing construction. Send the engineer the complete comment letter and the exact drawing set reviewed by the City. A cropped screenshot can hide related comments or the revision date.

Determine who coordinates the response. On a renovation, that may be the architectural designer or permit applicant. The engineer should provide structural revisions to that coordinator so the resubmission remains one consistent package.

Classify structural comments before answering

Common categories include:

• Missing information: member size, connection, footing, material, or design criterion is not shown.
• Unsupported assumption: existing framing, bearing, soil, or foundation capacity has not been established.
• Calculation request: the reviewer needs analysis supporting a member, wall, guard, or foundation.
• Coordination conflict: structural and architectural sheets show different openings, posts, or elevations.
• Scope and seal: professional responsibility for an engineering element is unclear.
• Supplier interface: reactions, bearings, bracing, or connections to a proprietary component are unresolved.

Different comment types need different evidence. Adding a general note will not resolve a foundation assumption, while producing pages of calculations may not fix two contradictory plans.

A response matrix keeps revisions traceable

Prepare a point-by-point document that repeats or references each comment, gives the response, and lists revised sheets, details, and calculations. Use revision clouds and dates where appropriate. If a comment is outside structural scope, identify the responsible discipline instead of leaving it unanswered.

Municipal review support should include the response and coordinated document changes agreed in the proposal. Clarify whether additional rounds, meetings, or major owner-driven redesign are included.

Some comments require site investigation

A reviewer may ask what supports a new post, whether an existing wall is load bearing, or how a beam bears in old masonry. Drawings and photos may not establish the answer. A site inspection, selective opening, record search, or geotechnical information may be necessary.

Do not answer an evidence request with an unverified statement. If confirmation must occur during construction, explain why it cannot be completed earlier, define what must be exposed, and provide a procedure for differences. Hamilton decides whether that approach is acceptable.

Revise calculations and drawings together

If a beam size changes, check its reactions, posts, connections, bearings, and foundations. If a wall becomes structural, update framing plans and lateral design. If a footing grows, coordinate excavation, property constraints, and architectural sections. A response is incomplete when the calculation and drawing describe different systems.

Revised structural drawings should carry the current issue date and proper professional authentication. Superseded files should be removed from the active construction set so the contractor does not choose between versions.

Do not ask an engineer to solve non-structural approvals

Hamilton may comment on zoning, grading, fire separation, energy, plumbing, heritage, conservation, or application completeness alongside structural items. The structural engineer can coordinate interfaces but should not present an opinion as approval outside their retained service and competence.

The City’s permit guidance explains that applications are reviewed for the Ontario Building Code, zoning, and other regulations. Its applicable-law process may require outside approvals before a permit can be issued.

Timing depends on the real response, not the email length

A request for one missing connector may be answered quickly if the design is otherwise complete. A short comment about foundation capacity can trigger records review, a site visit, soil information, and redesign. Ask the engineer for a response plan after the comment and files are reviewed rather than relying on a standard turnaround claim.

Ontario’s building permit guide explains statutory review timing for complete applications, but that is not a promise that an incomplete or revised project will receive a permit on a fixed date.

A clean resubmission checklist

1. Confirm the reviewed drawing version and permit number.
2. Assign every comment to the correct discipline.
3. Gather missing records or site evidence.
4. Complete analysis and revise affected documents.
5. Cross-check architecture, structure, grading, and supplier files.
6. Prepare the response matrix and revision list.
7. Submit through the current Hamilton process.
8. Keep the final accepted set for construction and inspections.

Related Hamilton permit articles

• Why Hamilton Building asked for structural drawings
• When an engineer’s letter may answer a comment
• How long structural permit drawings take

Permit comment FAQs

Does a comment mean the first design was wrong?

Not necessarily. The reviewer may need clarification, added evidence, coordination, or information from another discipline. Some comments do identify a design issue that must be corrected.

Can a new engineer answer comments on another engineer’s drawings?

Possibly, but responsibility, reliance, records, and scope must be resolved. The new engineer cannot simply add a seal without appropriate review and professional responsibility.

Can construction start while the response is reviewed?

Do not start permit-required work without the permit. A resubmission or engineer’s response is not authorization to build.

Should the contractor answer structural comments?

The contractor can supply product and constructability information, but engineering questions should be answered by the responsible professional and coordinated through the permit applicant.

For a point-by-point structural response, request a structural engineering quote and attach the complete comment letter, reviewed drawings, calculations, permit number, and relevant site photos.