How We Help
What We Do — and Who We’re Best Set Up to Help
Cornell Engineers has been doing structural engineering since 2003.
Our work has changed over that time. We’ve done residential design, commercial work, school halls, council depots, house renovations, and mining structures. We’ve done a lot of things.
These days, we’re more focused.
We do our best work — and our clients get the best outcomes — when the job involves finding out what’s actually going on with a building. Investigating. Reporting. Giving a clear, honest engineering opinion that someone can act on. That’s what we spend most of our time doing, and it’s where 30 years of structural engineering experience make the most difference.
We are based in Brisbane. For forensic reporting, damage assessment, insurance, drainage, and expert structural advice, we can consider work across Queensland and New South Wales.
What We’re Currently Best Set Up to Help With
Cracking and Movement Investigations
Your house is cracking. Or moving. Or the doors are sticking and gaps are appearing under walls. You want to know why — not a guess, not a form letter, a proper engineering assessment based on what’s actually happening at your building.
We inspect the building, record the damage, review the evidence, and give you a written report explaining what’s causing it and what to do about it.
This is the most common reason people contact us. It’s also where we’re most useful.
Who this is for: Homeowners, property investors, body corporates, strata managers, anyone who needs to know why a building is moving or cracking.
Get in touch — or request a quote.
Forensic Structural Engineering
Forensic engineering is what we do when the evidence needs to hold up — in a dispute, in a warranty claim, in an insurance process, in a tribunal.
We inspect. We document. We analyse. We form an honest opinion based on the evidence, not on who is paying for the report. We write it up in plain English with photographs, measurements, and our RPEQ signature.
We also review other engineers’ forensic reports. If you’ve received a report you don’t agree with, or you want an independent second opinion on what it actually says, we can help.
Who this is for: Homeowners in warranty or insurance disputes, legal teams and solicitors, insurers and loss adjusters, builders contesting a defect allegation.
More about forensic engineering →
Insurance and Damage Reports
When a storm, flood, fire, or impact damages a building, the question that decides the claim is causation — was the damage caused by the insured event, or was it pre-existing?
We provide independent engineering reports that answer that question clearly. Our reports are written for insurance contexts: specific, evidence-based, and structured for use with insurers, loss adjusters, AFCA, and tribunals if needed.
We also attend on behalf of homeowners when the insurer’s engineer has already visited and reached a conclusion the homeowner wants independently reviewed.
Who this is for: Homeowners with disputed or denied insurance claims, loss adjusters, insurers requiring independent causation opinions.
More about causation and insurance reports →
Overland Flow and Site Drainage Assessments
Water getting into your basement. Water coming through your retaining wall. Water pooling around your house after rain. Water that’s been getting worse every year and no one has been able to tell you where it’s coming from.
We investigate drainage problems systematically — starting with the water source furthest from your building and working inward. We identify what’s causing the problem, where the water is coming from, and what needs to be done to fix it in the right order.
We provide written drainage assessments for homeowners, builders, and councils. We also provide overland flow assessments for planning and insurance purposes.
Who this is for: Homeowners on sloping blocks, property owners with basement or retaining wall water ingress, builders dealing with drainage complaints, councils requiring overland flow reports.
Structural Inspections and Reports
Sometimes you just need an engineer to look at something and tell you what they think.
Before you start a renovation. Before you accept a builder’s handover. Before you sign off on a repair quote. Before you decide whether to worry or not.
We attend the property, inspect what’s relevant to your question, and give you a written report. We will tell you what we found, what we think it means, and what we’d suggest you do about it.
Who this is for: Homeowners wanting peace of mind, property investors, anyone who needs a professional engineering view of a specific structural question.
Builder Support
Builders sometimes need an engineer who can turn around quickly, give practical advice on site, and actually understand the difference between a design problem and a construction problem.
We provide stage inspections, Form 15 and Form 16 certifications for selected projects, advice on site problems, and structural engineering support during construction. We are straightforward to deal with, and we will tell you what we think.
Note: our design work is currently limited. We are selective about new home design and prefer to focus on the inspection and reporting work where our experience is most useful. If you’re looking for a designer for a standard-volume home job, we’re probably not the right fit. If you have something more complex, or an existing structure that needs engineering attention, contact us, and we’ll let you know whether we can help.
Who this is for: Builders and building designers who need practical engineering support, certifiers who need a structural opinion, owner-builders managing their own construction.
Expert Witness
If a structural engineering matter has reached a tribunal, court, or formal dispute process, we can provide expert witness evidence.
We prepare reports suitable for use in legal proceedings, attend conferences or hearings as required, and give evidence in QCAT, AFCA, and court proceedings. We are straightforward in the witness box — we say what the evidence shows, including when it doesn’t fully support the party that engaged us.
Who this is for: Solicitors and legal teams, homeowners with matters before QCAT or the courts, parties to AFCA proceedings where expert engineering evidence is needed.
Where We Work
We are based in Brisbane, Queensland.
For forensic reporting, damage assessment, insurance matters, overland flow, drainage assessment, cracking and movement investigations, and expert structural advice — we can consider work across Queensland and New South Wales. If the matter is right and the location is workable, contact us, and we will let you know.
For local design work, inspections, and certifications, our service area is more focused on South-East Queensland.
When you contact us, we will review your enquiry, ask for any additional information we need, and confirm whether we can help. We may ask for photos and documents before providing a fee proposal. We will be straight with you if the work isn’t a good fit for what we currently do.
A Note on What We Don’t Do
We don’t design waffle slabs. We are happy to help you with problems caused by a waffle slab that has already been built, but we won’t design a new one.
We are not the cheapest engineers for every small job, and we’re not trying to be. We focus on work where experience and independent judgement make a real difference to the outcome.
If your job is outside what we currently do, we’ll tell you — and where we can, we’ll point you toward someone who can help.
Talk to Us
If you think Cornell Engineers might be able to help, the easiest thing to do is get in touch.
Send us a message describing the problem — include photos if you have them — and we’ll review your enquiry and get back to you.
Phone: 07 3102 2835 — Brisbane office, business hours
Email documents to: quote1@cornellengineers.com.au
What People Say
“You were the only one prepared to talk to me about the issue rather than just jumping straight into panic mode.” — Sophie, first home buyer, Brisbane