Most new homes in Kansas do not need a structural engineer for house plans from start to finish. State law lets a residential designer prepare plans for one and two family homes, and the building code has ready-made tables for ordinary foundations, walls, floors and roofs. An engineer is needed for the parts of a house that fall outside those tables or outside the local standards: unusual foundations, problem soil, long spans, tall walls, large decks and anything in a floodplain.
This guide explains where that line sits in the Wichita area, who does what, and how MidWest Plan Design brings an engineer in when a design calls for it.
What Kansas law says
Kansas licenses engineers through the State Board of Technical Professions. The licensing law has an exemption for houses. K.S.A. 74-7033 says the engineering license requirement does not apply to people who prepare plans for buildings with no more than two dwelling units. A matching statute, K.S.A. 74-7031, does the same for architecture.
So a homeowner does not have to hire an architect or a structural engineer for house plans simply because a house is being built. The Metropolitan Area Building and Construction Department (MABCD) follows the same split. Its permit page requires a Kansas licensed design professional for commercial plans and states no such rule for one and two family homes. For more on the designer’s role, see home designer vs architect in Kansas.
Prescriptive design vs engineered design
The 2018 International Residential Code (IRC), which MABCD enforces with local amendments, works two ways.
| Approach | What it means | Who can do it |
|---|---|---|
| Prescriptive | The design follows the code’s own tables for footing sizes, stud spacing, joist and rafter spans, headers and wall bracing | A designer or builder |
| Engineered | An element is outside the tables, so it is designed with calculations under accepted engineering practice | A licensed engineer |
Section R301.1.3 of the IRC covers the second case. A house can be conventional overall and still contain a few engineered elements. Section R106.1 also lets the building official ask for documents prepared by a registered design professional when the work calls for it.
Locally, MABCD accepts two City of Wichita standards as prescriptive alternatives: the Wichita Foundation, Basement and Slab-on-Grade Standards and the Wichita standard for residential wood decks. A typical basement foundation or deck drawn to those standards does not need its own engineering.
When a structural engineer for house plans is needed
These are the situations where a structural engineer for house plans is usually brought in around Wichita. The first five come straight from local codes and forms.
1. Expansive soil
The local amendment to IRC Section R403.1.8 says foundations on expansive soils must be designed under Section 1808.6 of the International Building Code or follow the Wichita foundation standards. Clay soils with high shrink-swell potential are mapped in parts of Sedgwick County. If a site falls outside what the standards assume, the foundation gets an engineered design.
2. Floodplain lots
In a mapped flood hazard area, the elevation of the lowest floor has to be certified by a licensed land surveyor or professional engineer. Work in a floodway needs an engineer’s no-rise certification.
3. Decks beyond the Wichita deck standard
The deck standard assumes joist and beam spans up to 16 feet and a height up to 12 feet to the bottom of the beams. It does not allow a ledger to be attached to brick or stone veneer or to a cantilevered floor. In those cases the deck must be free-standing or designed and sealed by a Kansas licensed professional.
4. Retaining walls
The local code exempts retaining walls from a permit only when they are no more than 4 feet tall, measured from the bottom of the footing, and do not support a surcharge such as a driveway. Taller walls need a permit and, in practice, a design.
5. Trusses
Roof and floor trusses are engineered by the truss manufacturer. Sedgwick County’s amendments require floor truss design drawings to be given to the building official at the framing inspection.
6. Long spans and heavy loads
Steel beams, long clear spans over a great room or a wide garage door, and point loads from an upper floor often go past the span tables. A tall basement wall holding back soil on a walkout lot is another common case.
7. Tall walls and large openings
Two-story great rooms and walls of glass leave less solid wall to resist wind. When the code’s wall bracing rules cannot be met with standard framing, an engineer designs the bracing or a frame.
Who does what
The table shows where a structural engineer for house plans fits among the other professionals on a build.
| Professional | Role on a house |
|---|---|
| Residential designer | Floor plans, elevations, sections, site plan and overall coordination |
| Structural engineer | Beams, foundations, walls or frames that fall outside the prescriptive code |
| Truss manufacturer’s engineer | Roof and floor truss design |
| Geotechnical engineer | Soil testing and foundation recommendations |
| Land surveyor | Boundary, topography, elevation certificates and lot grading certification |
| Builder | Construction methods and field questions |
The designer’s job is to know which of these the project needs and when. Engineering coordination is part of the design process at MidWest Plan Design. When a plan has an element that needs calculations, the engineer’s sheets and seal become part of the set described in what is included in a set of house plans.
How to keep engineering costs down
Hiring a structural engineer for house plans does not have to mean engineering every sheet.
- Decide the big structural features early. A two-story wall of windows or a 20-foot opening is easier to engineer before the rest of the plan is drawn around it.
- Stay inside the standards where you can. A deck with posts and its own beam avoids the ledger problem.
- Get soil information before foundation design. Our article on how site conditions can affect your residential site plan explains why.
- Engineer the element, not the whole house. Most homes need only a few items reviewed.
- Check the license. MABCD’s permit page links to the State of Kansas professional verification lookup.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an architect or just a structural engineer?
For a house in Kansas, the law requires neither by default. A residential designer can draw the plans, and a structural engineer handles specific elements when the design or the site calls for it.
What type of engineer draws house plans?
Engineers usually do not draw the house. A designer or architect draws it. A structural engineer designs beams, foundations and frames, a geotechnical engineer reports on soil, and a civil engineer may design grading and drainage.
How much does a structural engineer usually cost?
Fees depend on the scope. As a national reference, Angi lists structural engineers at $150 to $250 per hour in its 2026 blueprint cost guide. Ask for a written quote for your specific items.
Is hiring a structural engineer worth it?
When a design goes beyond the code tables, a structural engineer for house plans is required. For borderline cases, a short review costs far less than fixing a sagging beam or a cracked wall after the house is built.
Does a storm shelter need engineering?
A safe room has to meet FEMA or ICC 500 criteria, through a tested prescriptive design or an engineer’s design. See storm shelter house plans in Wichita.
Sources
- K.S.A. 74-7033, Kansas Legislature
- MABCD permits, Sedgwick County
- Sedgwick County amendments to the 2018 International Residential Code
- City of Wichita standard for residential wood framed decks
- How much do blueprints cost, Angi
Find out early if your plan needs engineering
Gary Wilbert has more than 30 years of residential design experience and is not an engineer. MidWest Plan Design coordinates with licensed engineers when a house needs one. Call 316-806-2492 or request a consultation and bring your lot information.