Structural Engineering

Structural engineering includes engineering and design activities surrounding building superstructure design, foundations, and the HVAC, electrical, and piping systems. Structural engineering firms often use innovative solutions to solve complex technical challenges, and many of their activities qualify as research and development (R&D). Some of the costs incurred in the process of fulfilling client specifications can be recouped with the R&D Tax Credit.

Employee wages, raw materials and supplies, and third-party contractor costs associated with R&D activities are considered qualified research expenses (QREs). Companies can receive refunds of up to 22% of total QREs through federal and state tax credits, depending on the state in which your business operates. 

Example activities that qualify:

• Designing novel supports for unique structures
• Developing unique energy-efficient features 
• Implementing solutions to correct water infiltration or other building deficiencies
• Testing new material combinations and conducting performance analyses
• Applying new technologies (e.g. mobile 3D mapping, drones, LiDAR) to improve surveying capabilities
• Using advanced non-destructive testing methods to assess project-specific materials
  

Do you have these job titles on your payroll, or do you hire third-party contractors to do these jobs? 

• Building Information Modeling (BIM) Engineers
• C-Suite
• Environmental Engineers
• Geologists
• Project Managers
• Soil Scientists
• Structural Engineers
• Surveyors

Use our R&D Tax Calculator to estimate your potential benefit, and partner with Strike to claim your tax benefits with no up-front costs. Contact one of our experts today.