AGO 1991-027.

Case DateAugust 02, 1991
CourtConnecticut
Connecticut Attorney General Opinions 1991. AGO 1991-027. August 2, 1991Opinion No. 1991-027Hon. Joseph Cermola, ChairmanBoard of Examiners for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors165 Capitol AvenueHartford, CT 06106 Dear Chairman Cermola: In your letter, dated February 5, 1991, you requested our opinion concerning whether there are any limitations on a licensed professional engineer's authority to design buildings. You have noted the overlap of practices between architecture1 and professional engineering2 with regard to design of buildings and have asked us to review this matter. The answer to your inquiry is that state regulations and statutes limit an engineer's authority to design buildings. Under the State's licensing mechanism, the issuance by the Board of examiners of a professional engineer's license does not automatically limit the use of that license to a particular discipline within professional engineering. At present, the Board offers examinations in fourteen such disciplines. The Board's Code of Ethics restricts the nature of projects a licensee may undertake. The professional engineer may undertake assignments "only when qualified by education or experience in the specific technical field of professional engineering" involved. Reg. Conn. Agencies, D.C.P., § 20-300-12(a)(2). Whereas a structural engineer may be familiar with many aspects of building design and construction, this may not be true of an electrical engineer. Licensees have an ethical responsibility to limit their practice to those professional services for which they are qualified by education or experience. While we recognize the overlap in the practice of architecture and engineering, we also recognize the limitations on engineers set forth in the architect's chapter. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-298 of the architectural chapter exempts "the practice of engineering by a professional engineer licensed under the provisions of chapter 391, and the performance by such professional engineer of architectural work for which he is qualified by education and experience and which is incidental to his engineering work." (Emphasis added). This exemption section specifically limits such cross practice to situations where the practice of architecture is "incidental" to work being performed by the engineer. Therefore, for example, to be permitted to perform...

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