Structural Engineering Services – Wellington, Kāpiti, Palmerston North & Wairarapa
Smart, buildable design from a one-man-band you can trust
Residential and commercial structural design is our bread and butter
Whether you’re planning a new build, opening up your layout, or just found out that wall is load-bearing, we’ve got you. At Kotare Designs, we offer practical, consent-ready structural engineering services across Wellington, Kāpiti, Palmerston North and the Wairarapa.
James works directly with homeowners, builders and architects to turn good ideas into safe, smart, buildable plans. Keep scrolling to see how we can help with your project.
Residential design.
Residential structural engineering design is our bread and butter. We love working on home renovations, extensions, new builds and the outdoor spaces that tie them all together. From retaining walls and patios to pergolas and decks, making sure the structural side is solid means your home — inside and out — is built to last.
There’s nothing better than the buzz of watching people move into the home of their dreams, knowing every part of it is designed to stand the test of time.
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We’ve got extensive experience in the structural design of multi-unit housing developments. From townhouses to standalone properties on new housing estates, we produce forward-thinking, cost-effective designs tailored to your project. Whether it’s foundations, retaining walls, beams, or any other structural element, we can design it. Our expertise ensures that your multi-unit residential project meets all regulatory requirements and is built to last.
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However big or small, most new houses need some sort of structural design, especially if they’ve got eye-catching architectural features. We specialise in providing comprehensive structural engineering services for new builds, ensuring your new home is both beautiful and structurally sound. Whether it’s foundations, a steel portal frame, or beam design, our forward-thinking and cost-effective solutions are tailored to your project.
We’ll make your new build home in Wellington, Palmerston North, Kapiti, and Wairarapa stand up to the test of time. From the initial concept to final construction, our expertise ensures that all structural elements are designed to meet regulatory requirements and environmental conditions, providing a safe and stable structure for your dream home.
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Taking out a load-bearing wall? Adding in bi-fold doors? It’s surprising how many simple changes to a home can affect its structural integrity. The last thing you want to do is reduce the strength of the structure and leave it susceptible to earthquake damage and more. We specialise in assessing your property in its current state and determining whether you’ll need extra beams or bracing to ensure that it retains its strength once the alterations have been made.
Our comprehensive structural engineering services for home alterations in Wellington, Palmerston North, Kapiti, and Wairarapa ensure that any modifications to your home are safe and compliant with all building regulations. If additional structural elements are needed, we can design these for you, providing innovative and cost-effective solutions to maintain the stability and safety of your home.
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If you’re building a new garage for your home in Kapiti, Palmerston North, Wellington, and beyond, we can help with designing its foundations, walls, roof, and more. Our expertise in structural engineering ensures that your new garage is not only functional but also safe and durable. We provide comprehensive design services tailored to your specific needs, ensuring that all structural elements are optimised for stability and compliance with local building regulations.
Whether it’s a standalone garage or an addition to your existing property, we ensure that every aspect of the design is meticulously planned and executed, from the foundations and walls to the roofing structure. Our innovative and cost-effective solutions guarantee that your new garage will stand the test of time.
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Wellington is a city of many hills, so simply choosing to build somewhere flat isn’t an option for many. Strong and reliable retaining walls need to be specifically engineered to withstand the weight of the earth they’re retaining, along with the ground conditions they’re built in. Timber or steel pole, block wall, crib wall, and in-situ concrete retaining walls are a speciality of ours.
Our structurally designed retaining walls will hold the ground back so your building project can go forward. We provide comprehensive design services for retaining walls in Wellington, Palmerston North, Kapiti, and Wairarapa, ensuring they are safe, durable, and tailored to the unique conditions of your site. Whether you need a timber retaining wall for a residential project or a robust in-situ concrete wall for a commercial development, our innovative and cost-effective solutions ensure your retaining walls meet all regulatory standards and environmental requirements.
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Parking in cities like Wellington can be challenging, especially on narrow, winding roads. Car decks are a great way to increase the parking capacity of a property, but they require specialized design to ensure a safe, strong platform for vehicles and people. Our expertise in structural engineering ensures that your new car deck meets all safety and regulatory standards.
We design robust and durable car decks for properties in Wellington, Palmerston North, Kapiti, and Wairarapa. Whether it's a residential or commercial project, our structural plans are tailored to your specific needs, ensuring compliance with strict council regulations. Our designs include considerations for load-bearing capacity, environmental conditions, and material selection to provide a stable and long-lasting parking solution.
By integrating innovative and cost-effective solutions, we ensure that your car deck is not only functional but also enhances the overall value of your property. From initial site assessment to final construction, we're committed to delivering high-quality structural engineering services that stand the test of time.
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Adding a deck to your home in a hilly city like Wellington can be no mean feat! Often, decks cantilever away from buildings or need to be built on steep slopes next to homes. We specialise in designing all the structural elements you need to construct a strong and durable deck that can withstand the unique challenges of hilly terrain and seismic activity.
Our expertise includes designing foundations, support structures, and load-bearing elements to ensure your deck is safe, stable, and compliant with local building regulations. Whether you're looking to build a composite deck, a wooden deck, or a pool deck, our innovative and cost-effective solutions are tailored to your specific needs.
We focus on safety and durability, ensuring your deck can support the weight of people, furniture, and other loads. Our structural calculations determine the size and placement of beams, joists, and other elements to ensure your deck is built to the highest standards. While we design the critical structural components, we work closely with your builder to ensure a seamless construction process, resulting in a safe and enjoyable outdoor space for years to come.
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Landscaping projects often involve more structural engineering than most people realise. Retaining walls, covered patios, pergolas and garden decks all need to handle weight, weather and movement over time.
James started his career as a landscape gardener before becoming a structural engineer, so he knows the difference between a wall that looks good and a wall that won’t budge. Whether you need a consented retaining wall or simply want the peace of mind that your structure won’t lean or fail, he’ll design smart, durable solutions.
Learn more about landscaping walls and outdoor structures.
Commercial and fit out design.
Breathing new life into commercial buildings with our expert structural engineering services. We specialise in designing the structural elements required for commercial fit-outs, ensuring your space is not only aesthetically pleasing but also safe and compliant with all building regulations. Our services cover everything from structural modifications and load-bearing assessments to the design of beams, columns, and foundations, making sure your commercial space in Wellington, Palmerston North, Kapiti, and Wairarapa meets all safety and structural standards.
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We’ll seamlessly work with your design team to design the structural elements of your new commercial building. Breathing new life into commercial buildings with our expert structural engineering services, we specialise in creating robust and innovative structural designs. Our comprehensive services ensure that your project is both aesthetically pleasing and compliant with all regulatory standards. From the development of structural frameworks and load-bearing assessments to detailed plans for foundations, columns, and beams, we ensure your new commercial building in Wellington, Palmerston North, Kapiti, and Wairarapa is safe, durable, and meets all modern building requirements.
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Whether you’re looking to extend your commercial premises, take out walls to make it more open-plan, or internally reconfigure the entire layout, it’s more than likely you’ll need the help of a structural engineer. We can work with you and your architect or builder to design the structural elements you need to ensure your building retains its strength.
Our expertise in commercial building alterations covers everything from structural modifications and load-bearing assessments to designing new support structures. We ensure your alterations are not only functional but also compliant with local building regulations and safety standards. Specialising in creating innovative and cost-effective solutions tailored to your specific needs, we focus on reinforcing existing structures, adding new load-bearing elements, and optimising space utilisation.
With years of experience in structural design for commercial buildings, we focus on delivering projects that enhance the functionality and aesthetic appeal of your property while maintaining its structural integrity. From initial assessments to final implementation, we provide comprehensive structural engineering services to support your commercial building alterations in Wellington, Palmerston North, Kapiti, and Wairarapa.
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If you’re planning on changing the use of your commercial building, it’s likely you’ll need to make major or minor changes to the structure to accommodate the new business that will be moving in. We’ll work with your team to ensure that your changes don’t impact the integrity of the building.
Our expertise in structural engineering for change-of-use projects includes comprehensive structural assessments, design modifications, and ensuring compliance with all local building regulations and safety standards. We specialise in creating innovative and cost-effective solutions that reinforce existing structures and accommodate new load-bearing requirements. Whether you need to reconfigure internal layouts, add new support structures, or adapt the building for different uses, we ensure your project is both functional and compliant.
With extensive experience in change-of-use projects for commercial buildings, we focus on delivering solutions that enhance the functionality and aesthetic appeal of your property while maintaining its structural integrity. Our services cover everything from initial feasibility studies to detailed structural design and implementation, ensuring a seamless transition for your building’s new purpose in Wellington, Palmerston North, Kapiti, and Wairarapa.
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Many buildings across the Wellington region are at earthquake risk. We can conduct an Initial Seismic Assessment (ISA) to provide a broad indication of the likely level of seismic performance of your commercial building. If required, a more detailed assessment (Detailed Seismic Assessment - DSA) can also be conducted. Our findings can help formulate a plan to seismically strengthen your structure.
Our seismic assessment services include both initial and detailed evaluations to determine the structural resilience of your building. The Initial Seismic Assessment (ISA) offers a preliminary view of the building’s seismic performance, highlighting potential weaknesses. For a more thorough analysis, our Detailed Seismic Assessment (DSA) provides in-depth insights into the building’s structural integrity, identifying specific areas that require strengthening.
We specialise in creating cost-effective and compliant seismic strengthening plans that enhance the safety and durability of your property. By using advanced tools and techniques, we deliver accurate and reliable assessments that inform strategic strengthening solutions tailored to your building’s needs in Wellington, Palmerston North, Kapiti, and Wairarapa.
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When building and refitting a commercial building, a whole range of building services need permanent seismic restraints to ensure they can withstand the movement of an earthquake. We work with your design team to ensure that adequate seismic restraints are in place to comply with building codes and standards.
Our seismic restraint services include designing and implementing restraint systems for non-structural elements such as HVAC systems, plumbing, electrical components, and suspended ceilings. We ensure these systems are anchored and braced according to the New Zealand Building Code, specifically following NZS 4219:2009 and other relevant standards.
We provide detailed seismic restraint layout drawings, technical specifications, and structural calculations to ensure all building services are securely restrained. Our solutions not only enhance safety but also improve the resilience and functionality of your building during and after an earthquake. From initial design to final inspection, we ensure your building’s services are compliant and ready to handle seismic activity.
Contract & Freelance Structural Engineering.
Available to support other engineering firms, architects and builders with overflow projects or work outside their usual area. I provide local, on-the-ground expertise across Wellington, Kāpiti, Wairarapa, Hutt Valley and Palmerston North, offering site inspections, structural design, and consent-ready documentation.
Structural Engineering for Design-Build Projects.
I work closely with design–build companies to deliver structural solutions that are practical, buildable, and cost-effective — because you’re the ones building them. By getting involved early in the design stage, I can help make sure your plans are structurally sound, consent-ready, and won’t create headaches on site.
I’m used to working with both turnkey and bespoke home designs, providing advice from the concept phase right through to consent drawings and on-site inspections. My experience means you can pick up the phone at the start of a project to sense-check ideas before they go too far down the track.
Based in Wellington, I cover the Hutt Valley, Kāpiti Coast, Wairarapa, and Palmerston North, offering:
Residential new builds and extensions
Light commercial builds and alterations
Foundation and retaining wall design
Steel beam design for open-plan layouts
Decks, pergolas, and outdoor structures
On-site inspections and reports
Whether you need one-off structural input or an ongoing partner for your design–build projects, I can provide reliable local expertise to keep your projects moving smoothly.