I dont know if I need an architect or civil engineer or both? -

[DongHui Patel]

Trying to move a wall - and I dont even know if its structural. 

I was quoted some ungodly number of $18k for drawings etc for a single wall. 

What exactly do I need here? How do I know whats involved? 

[Matthew Kirkwold]

Full time structural engineer and beginner investor here, I would recommend starting with your local government building services department. Perhaps they have floorplans from when the building was built and are able to help guide you to the right option that is permitted to be done within IRC/IBC (International Residential Code/International Building Code). If there are quality plans on file, it would be fairly easy to tell if it is load bearing or not and they will be able to tell you if you need an engineer's opinion or not in order for you to obtain a permit for the work and pass an inspection. If the work being done is outside of the scope of the IRC/IBC code that the local government follows, then they won't permit the work without drawings/plans stamped by a professional engineer (PE). As far as needing an architect or civil engineer, you would need a structural engineer (which is a sub-category emphasis in civil engineering). An architect may be able to help out depending on their experience but in order to obtain a permit for work that is outside of the scope of the IRC/IBC, I imagine the building services department would need to see drawings stamped by a structural engineer, PE.

I am not familiar with California engineering pricing but with a smaller job like this, it could be fairly costly especially since significant site investigation could be needed for the engineer to feel confident enough to stamp drawings to remove a wall if it turns out to be load bearing. I am not surprised by the $18K estimate you received. If you want to share more specifics about the property (age, room sizes, floor on top of wall or just roof, plans if any, etc.), I might be able to give a more tailored response on what you can consider for options. Best of luck!