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Engineer-stamped plans

Engineer-Stamped Plans for Permits

When your county asks for a Professional Engineer’s seal, our licensed PE partner reviews the design, checks it, and seals the plans they can stand behind. We draft, they engineer.

  • Licensed PE partner
  • Calculations if needed
  • Sealed PDF for upload
  • One point of contact
Get Price Quote See an Example Sheet
EXISTING HOUSE 16'-0"11'-6" 2×10 JOISTS@ 16" O.C.(2) 2×10 BEAM6×6 POST ON18" Ø FOOTINGSTAIR, 36" MIN.LEDGER, LAG SCREWS @ 16" O.C. DECK FRAMING PLANSCALE: 1/2" = 1'-0"
EXISTING HOUSE 16'-0"11'-6" 2×10 JOISTS@ 16" O.C.(2) 2×10 BEAM6×6 POST ON18" Ø FOOTINGSTAIR, 36" MIN.LEDGER, LAG SCREWS @ 16" O.C. DECK FRAMING PLANSCALE: 1/2" = 1'-0" PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER SAMPLESEALNO. 00000
Example: a deck framing plan, then the same sheet after engineer review. The seal shown is a sample.

Example sheet

What a Sealed Sheet Shows

A deck framing plan after engineer review. Hover or tap a number to see what each part is and why the plan reviewer checks it.

Example sheet
EXISTING HOUSE 16'-0"11'-6" 2×10 JOISTS@ 16" O.C.(2) 2×10 BEAM6×6 POST ON18" Ø FOOTINGSTAIR, 36" MIN.LEDGER, LAG SCREWS @ 16" O.C. DECK FRAMING PLANSCALE: 1/2" = 1'-0" PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER SAMPLESEALNO. 00000 12345678
  1. 1

    Connection to the house

    How the ledger attaches, one of the most-checked details on a deck.

  2. 2

    Member sizes and spacing

    Joist size and spacing, reviewed against the span and load.

  3. 3

    Beam

    The member that carries the joists, sized by the engineer.

  4. 4

    Posts and footings

    Post size, footing size and depth for the soil and frost line.

  5. 5

    Stairs

    Width, rise and run, and how the stairs are supported.

  6. 6

    Dimensions

    Overall sizes the calculations are based on.

  7. 7

    Engineer’s seal

    Applied by a PE licensed in the project’s state, after review.

  8. 8

    Signature and date

    Required with the seal; digital seals carry a verifiable signature.

  9. 9

    Title block

    Project, address, scale and the engineer of record.

Seals are applied only by a Professional Engineer licensed in your project’s state, to work they’ve reviewed. The seal above is a sample.

Quick answer

What Does an Engineer’s Stamp Mean?

An engineer’s stamp (or seal) is a Professional Engineer’s signed confirmation that they designed or reviewed the plans and that the work meets the codes and loads it’s meant to carry. Only an engineer licensed in the project’s state can seal plans there. Counties usually ask for it on structural work: retaining walls, beams, large decks and foundations.

Reviewed by the MakeSitePlan drafting team · Updated October 2026

Also called
PE stamp, engineer’s seal, sealed or signed drawings
Often needed for
Retaining walls, load-bearing wall removal, large decks, foundations, roof-mounted solar
Who asks for it
The building department, sometimes a lender or HOA
Who seals it
Our partner, a PE licensed in your project’s state
What you get
Sealed drawings, with calculations when the county asks
Not a guarantee of
Permit approval or construction quality. It covers the design

What’s included

What Engineer Review Covers

A seal is only as good as the review behind it. The left column comes with every stamped project; the right is added when your design or county calls for it.

AlwaysWith every stamped project

  • Review of the designBy a PE licensed in your project’s state
  • Changes the engineer requiresSizes or details corrected before sealing
  • Sealed and signed drawingsSeal, signature and date on each sheet
  • Engineer of record namedOn the title block, for the county
  • One point of contactYou deal with us; we coordinate the engineer
  • County-ready filesDigital seal PDF, or wet-signed sets if needed
  • Scope in writingExactly what the seal covers, in your quote

If askedAdded when required

  • Structural calculationsLoad and member calculations, sealed
  • Drafting the drawingsIf you don’t have plans yet
  • Foundation or footing designFor the soil and frost depth on site
  • Retaining wall designWall section, drainage and reinforcement
  • Response to plan reviewAnswers to the reviewer’s structural comments
  • Inspection notes on the plansWhere your county lists required inspections
  • Wet-signed paper setsFor counties that still require paper

By project

When Your Project Needs a Stamp

Not every project does. These are the ones where counties most often ask for an engineer’s seal. Pick yours to see what the engineer reviews.

Stone retaining wall in a sloped garden

Stamped plans for a retaining wall

  • Wall height and soil it holds back
  • Footing size and reinforcement
  • Drainage behind the wall
  • Loads from driveways or buildings above

Usually required: above a height set by your county, often around 4 feet.

Price My Wall Stamp Retaining wall guide

Also: foundations, pools, additions, second storeys and plans someone else drew. Ask about yours

Is this the right drawing?

Stamped vs Unstamped Plans

Many permits don’t need a seal at all, so don’t pay for one you don’t need. Here’s the difference.

Stamped plans Stamped + calculations Drafted (unstamped) Prescriptive tables
What it isDrawings reviewed and sealed by a PESealed drawings plus sealed calculationsScaled drawings without engineeringUsing the code’s standard span tables
Who signsA licensed PEA licensed PENobodyNobody
Structural reviewYesYesNoNo
When counties accept itWhen a stamp is requiredWhen calculations are required tooMost simple permitsSimple projects that fit the tables
Typical projectsWalls, beams, large decksRetaining walls, foundationsFences, sheds, small decksStandard decks and sheds
We provide itYesYesYesWe draw to them

You likely need a stamp if…

  • the county checklist or reviewer comment asks for “sealed” or “engineered” drawings
  • a retaining wall is taller than your county’s limit
  • you’re removing or changing a load-bearing wall
  • your deck, porch or carport is outside the code’s standard span tables

Not sure? Send your county’s checklist or the reviewer’s comment with your quote request. We’ll tell you if a stamp is needed before you pay anything.

Plan review

What Reviewers Check on Sealed Plans

Counties reject stamped plans for the seal as often as for the structure. We check every sealed set against this list.

  1. 01

    “Is the engineer licensed in this state?”

    Sealed only by a PE licensed in your project’s state, with their licence number on the seal.

  2. 02

    “Is the seal valid?”

    Seal, signature and date applied the way your state’s board requires, digital or wet.

  3. 03

    “Are the calculations attached?”

    Sealed calculations included whenever the county asks for them.

  4. 04

    “Do the drawings match the calculations?”

    Member sizes on the plans identical to the ones the engineer checked.

  5. 05

    “Is every sheet that needs a seal sealed?”

    Seal placed on each structural sheet, not just the cover.

  6. 06

    “Will the portal accept the file?”

    Digital signatures that stay valid when uploaded, in the format your portal takes.

Got structural comments back? Send them. We coordinate answers with the engineer and revise the drawings.

Permit Corrections

What to send us

Drawings, or Just the Facts. We’ll Take It From There.

  • Required
    Property addressSo we confirm an engineer licensed in your state
  • Required
    What needs the stampThe project, and what the county asked for
  • Helpful
    Existing drawingsOurs, yours or your contractor’s
  • Helpful
    County comments or checklistThe exact wording of what they want sealed
  • Helpful
    Photos of the existing structureFor walls, beams or framing being changed
  • Helpful
    Soil reportIf you have one; often needed for walls and foundations

Don’t have drawings yet? We draft them and coordinate the engineer’s review, so you get one sealed set from one team.

How it works

  1. 1

    Send the basics

    Use the quote form or WhatsApp. Two minutes.

  2. 2

    Approve your price

    We confirm an engineer licensed in your state and what the seal will cover, then send the price and turnaround.

  3. 3

    Get sealed plans

    The engineer reviews, requests any changes, then seals the final set.

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Deliverables & pricing

What You Receive, and What Sets the Price

Engineering is quoted per project because loads and sites differ. Here’s what you get, and what moves the price.

File
Digitally sealed PDF. Wet-signed sets confirmed in your quote
Seal
From a PE licensed in your project’s state
Sheet size
Matched to your permit office, usually 11 × 17 or 24 × 36
Calculations
Included when your county requires them
Revisions
Revision terms are written in your quote
Turnaround
Stated in your quote. Engineer review adds time

What affects the price

  • Type of structureA wall section differs from a framing plan
  • Calculations requiredSealed calcs add engineering time
  • Drawings to start fromComplete plans save drafting
  • Soil and site conditionsSlopes, poor soil, high wind or snow
  • Number of sealed sheetsEach structural sheet is reviewed
  • Wet-signed setsPrinting and shipping paper sets
Get My Exact Price

Free quote. You see the price before we start.

Where we work

Stamps in the States Our Partner Covers

An engineer can only seal plans in states where they’re licensed. We confirm coverage for your project’s state before you pay.

Coverage is confirmed per project. If our partner isn’t licensed in your state, we tell you in the quote, and we can still draft the plans for a local engineer to review.

Good to know

What a Stamp Doesn’t Do

A seal covers the design the engineer reviewed. It doesn’t guarantee permit approval, and it isn’t an inspection of the finished work unless that’s ordered separately.

An engineer may ask for changes, or decline to seal a design they can’t verify. That protects you as much as them.

Ask About Your Project

Engineer stamp FAQ

Engineer Stamp Questions

Short answers to what people ask before ordering. Ask anything else in your quote request.

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Reviewed by the MakeSitePlan drafting team
Updated October 2026

Which projects need an engineer’s stamp?

It depends on your county, but the usual ones are retaining walls above a set height, removing load-bearing walls, large or raised decks, foundations, and roof-mounted solar. Your county checklist or reviewer comment will say “sealed” or “engineered”.

Can you stamp plans someone else drew?

The engineer can review drawings from anyone. They’ll seal them only after checking them, and may require changes first.

Which states do you cover?

Our engineer partner is licensed in a set of states. We confirm your project’s state before you pay; if it isn’t covered, we’ll tell you.

Is a digital stamp accepted?

Most counties now accept digitally sealed PDFs. Some still ask for wet-signed paper sets; we confirm that option in your quote.

Do I need structural calculations?

Only if your county asks for them, which is common for retaining walls and foundations. The quote lists exactly what’s included.

Does stamping take longer?

Yes, engineer review adds time to drafting. Your quote states the full turnaround.

Will the engineer visit the site?

Usually not; the review is based on drawings, photos and site information. If your project needs a site visit, we’ll say so in the quote.

Does a stamp guarantee my permit is approved?

No. It confirms the design was reviewed by a licensed engineer. The county may still comment, and we help answer those comments.

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