About
We engineer visions that help support our clients, our people, and our structures.
We've been drawing, calculating, and consulting on all types of projects in our 30 years of business, from commercial and industrial developments, to backyard builds.
Let us help consult with any structural or geotechnical designs or reporting you may need. We also work closely with territorial authorities (councils) so we know exactly what they're after when it comes to building consents.
Abby
Floor 1/11 Broderick RoadJohnsonville
Wellington 6037
Credentials
SiteWise NZ
Steel Construction New Zealand
Projects
Timber Pole - Retaining Wall
Our client engaged us to address multiple issues related to their property. Their primary concern was to provide support for an unretained bank that ran parallel to their house. At the top of this bank, the neighbor's house potentially faced support issues during seismic events or heavy rainfall. Additionally, the bank's aesthetics were in need of improvement. Serving as the sole consultants, we were responsible for designing both the retaining wall and a fall-from-height barrier/fence. Collaborating closely with the client and contractor, we presented various retaining options and collectively evaluated their merits and drawbacks to select the most suitable solution.
Bee keepers workshop - Abel Tasman
We were engaged to design and monitor the construction of a new boat shed and bee-keeping workshop at a remote location on the outskirts of the Abel Tasman National Park. The project required various specific engineer-designed items. This included timber-pile and concrete-pile foundations with concrete ground beams. Ecoply and Multibraces were used for the suspended slabs, bracing, and a ply ceiling diaphragm. The project's remote location (only accessible via boat) meant we had to design the structure with material access in mind, minimising the amount of material that needed to be brought in. We worked closely with the architect to meet the client's unique architectural requirements.
Workmanship reviews
Google reviews
Rating for DTCE Structural Engineers
Tess Bullen
DTC were sub-contacted by Wellington City Council as the consulting engineers to review of structural designs of a small reno to replace an existing deck and windows at our home. The estimated amount of work was 8-10hours, or$1k within a total $4k WCC's consent estimate. DTC charged us, via WCC, over 44 hours to review the deck design. Their stated rate for a Senior Engineer is $210 per hour, yet we were charged $375 ph, which contravenes the ACENZ regulations. Which is several times what took to do the actual design work. The total cost was over $22K, more than 600% the estimate - for a very small project - At no point did WCC contact us or seek our agreement about the the extraordinary high costs or time that DTC were accumulating. Both apparently just kept billing us without our agreement. There appeared to be a total lack of oversight, responsibility or communication between DTC as a sub contractor and WCC. They never advised it would take such a substantial time and cost beyond the estimate and we simply don't understand how it can take a qualified senior engineer 44 hours and 59 questions to the design engineer, to review a drawing for replacement deck and windows. At the end of their process they simply demanded an additional payment of $17k for DTC's time, without our agreement on the work, and are threatening to withhold our consent if we don't pay. We are seeking legal assistance. Reply: Hi Tess, While we realise it can be very frustrating when project costs are more than expected, there are a few issues in your review we want to respond to and clarify with you. Firstly, we are not responsible for how Wellington City Council (WCC) invoices time for their subcontractors. Secondly, we review work for WCC, and if a submission for building consent does not comply with the Building Code, we ask for further information (RFI) from you and your consultant. We are contractually and ethically responsible for ensuring a building consent submission complies with the Building Code. Thirdly, the time it took us to guide your consultant through RFIs was substantially longer than usual due to the poor submission from the said consultant. Ultimately, this means your review should be targeted at your own consultant/design engineer and not us. In the future, we recommend selecting a consultant/designer that produces clear and concise documentation which complies with the Building Code. In this regard, feel free to contact us (www.dtce.co.nz) as we would be happy to help!
Jerard Bailie
I run my own architectural practice and work with engineers on a daily basis. It's hard finding companies that are reliable. I was very impressed in DTCE's quality of workmanship. Their ability to stick to schedule. The team was friendly and professional. They communicated well with both myself and our client. Reply: Hi Jerard, thanks for the great review, it's always fantastic to hear from architects such as yourself!
张瑞
Richard Niven
Understandable and practical advice tailored to our needs but still highly professional
Jacqui Bisley
I just wanted to say how satisfied we have been with the professional services of your company and Henry in particular. What a great job he did on the structural reinforcement of the kitchen extension. I imagine it is not and easy task calculating what needs to be done to safely strengthen a very old house such as ours. The beam was certainly a wonder to behold. Ted the builder and I found Henry very competent and congenial to work with. We will certainly recommend your firm to anyone who requires services on the engineering front. Ngaa mihi, Jacqui Bisley Reply: Thank Jacqui, it's always a pleasure to help make projects run smoothly!
Leo Panko
Great team of hard working professionals! Highly recommend!
