Assignment
What we need
to open a file.
Five items are usually enough for us to confirm scope, fee and attendance date. If a file is urgent, call first and send the paperwork after.
- Site address and access contact
- Date of loss and a short description of what occurred
- The specific question you need answered
- Any prior reports, photographs or estimates already on file
- Claim or file number and billing contact
Where a structure may be unsafe, we prioritize attendance and can issue a preliminary make-safe direction in the field, followed by the written report. Target attendance window: confirm
Deliverables
What you get.
Scoped to the decision in front of you. We would rather issue a short letter that answers the question than a long report that does not.
| Deliverable | Contents | Typically used for |
|---|---|---|
| Site attendance letter | Observations, immediate safety concerns, preliminary opinion on cause where it can be stated, and recommended next steps. | Setting an initial reserve; deciding whether further investigation is warranted. |
| Forensic report | Background, methodology, observations, testing and analysis, opinion on cause, limitations. Sealed. | Coverage determination; subrogation; supporting a denial or payment. |
| Scope of repair | Damage-related repair scope with the engineering basis for each item, separated from pre-existing conditions and betterment. | Estimating, tendering and settling scope disputes with contractors. |
| Repair design package | Drawings and specifications for the remediation, sealed, with field review during construction. | Permit, tender and construction of the repair. |
| Peer review | Independent review of another consultant’s report, methodology and conclusions. | Testing an opposing expert’s position; second opinion before committing. |
| Expert report & testimony | Report prepared to the applicable rules of court, with the author available for questioning, mediation and trial. | Litigation, arbitration and appraisal. |
Loss types
What we are
usually called for.
Across single-family dwellings, multi-residential portfolios, commercial and institutional buildings and industrial facilities.
Water & escape of water
Ingress through the envelope, plumbing and mechanical failures, below-grade and drainage sources. Extent of affected assemblies and category of the loss.
Fire, smoke & heat
Structural capacity of heat-exposed framing, concrete and steel; smoke and corrosion effects on electrical and mechanical systems; repair-versus-replace.
Wind, hail & snow load
Roof and cladding damage attribution, hail impact assessment, snow and ice accumulation, and distinguishing storm damage from age-related deterioration.
Settlement & movement
Foundation settlement, heave, slope movement and adjacent-construction effects, supported by geotechnical investigation.
Construction defect
Workmanship, design and material defect claims — envelope, structure and systems — including delay and deficiency disputes.
Impact & collapse
Vehicle impact, equipment failure and partial or full collapse, including immediate structural stability advice.
Litigation support
Written to be
tested.
An expert report is only as useful as it is defensible. Ours state the scope of the retainer, the information relied on, the methodology applied and the limits of the opinion — and keep observation separate from inference throughout.
- Reports prepared for use in court, arbitration and appraisal
- Responding and reply reports to opposing experts
- Site examinations attended jointly with other parties’ experts
- Evidence preservation and documentation protocols
Questions
Before you
assign.
How quickly can you attend site?
Confirm standard and emergency attendance windows. Attendance is scheduled against the urgency of the file, with unsafe-structure and active-loss situations prioritized.
What does a forensic investigation cost?
Fees are quoted per assignment once scope is confirmed, and we will tell you before we start if the question you are asking will require destructive testing, laboratory work or repeat attendance. Confirm whether hourly rates or fixed-fee ranges should be published.
Can you design the repair you recommend?
Yes. Where there is no conflict with the retainer, the same team prepares the sealed repair drawings and specifications and carries out field review during construction. Where independence must be preserved, we limit the retainer to investigation and say so in writing.
Do you work outside Alberta?
Our engineers hold licensure in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Multi-province portfolios can be handled under a single retainer.
Will the author of the report be the person who attended site?
Yes. The engineer who inspects the building writes the opinion and stands behind it, including at examination.
Ready to assign?
Send the address, date of loss and the question. We will come back with scope, fee and a date.