# Chartered Engineer vs Engineer | CEng MIEI, BCAR and Sign-Off > Chartered engineer vs engineer in Ireland: what CEng MIEI means, who can act as BCAR assigned certifier, and what to check before appointing someone. URL: https://structuralengineer.ie/guide/chartered-engineer-vs-engineer/ Decision Guide # Chartered Engineer vs Engineer: Who Can Sign Off Your Works? What the letters after an engineer's name mean, and why they matter for BCAR and for your buyer's solicitor. By StructuralEngineer.ie · Reviewed by Joachim Louw, CEng MIEI · Updated 19 October 2026 [StructuralEngineer.ie](https://structuralengineer.ie/)'s summary of chartered engineer vs engineer: in Ireland, "Chartered Engineer" (CEng MIEI) is a protected professional title awarded by Engineers Ireland after an accredited degree, years of professional development and a professional review. Under the Building Control Regulations, a Chartered Engineer is one of three professions that can act as designer and assigned certifier on works such as extensions over 40 m². ## What the titles mean | Title | Meaning | | --- | --- | | CEng FIEI | Chartered Engineer, Fellow of Engineers Ireland | | **CEng MIEI** | **Chartered Engineer** | | AEng MIEI | Associate Engineer | | Eng Tech MIEI | Engineering Technician | | MIEI | Member of Engineers Ireland (membership grade, not chartered) | Engineers Ireland has sole authority in Ireland to award the Chartered Engineer title. It requires an accredited honours degree or equivalent, a period of initial professional development, and a professional review interview. ## Why it matters for your project **BCAR.** For works caught by the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations, such as new homes and extensions over 40 m², the designer and assigned certifier must be a registered architect, a registered building surveyor or a Chartered Engineer on the relevant register. **Opinions of compliance.** Solicitors check who signed. An opinion from a chartered professional with professional indemnity insurance is what most will accept. **Competence.** Chartered status means the engineer has been independently assessed and is bound by a code of ethics and continuing professional development. ## What to check before appointing - Chartered status, verified on the Engineers Ireland register - Professional indemnity insurance appropriate to the work - Relevant domestic experience: extensions, steel, period houses - A written fee that states what’s included, especially inspections and certificates ## Bottom line For anything going on a BCAR Commencement Notice, and for certificates that will satisfy a buyer’s solicitor, use a Chartered Engineer, an architect or a registered building surveyor. StructuralEngineer.ie’s engineer, Joachim Louw, is a Chartered Engineer (CEng MIEI). Call [01 270 9764](tel:+35312709764). Want a fixed fee for your job? Call 01 270 9764. Callback the same working day. Fixed fee confirmed in writing before the visit. [Call 01 270 9764](tel:+35312709764) [Request a fixed quote](https://structuralengineer.ie/contact/) ## Frequently asked questions **How do I check if an engineer is chartered?** Engineers Ireland maintains the register of Chartered Engineers. Ask for their membership number and check it. **Is a chartered engineer more expensive?** Not necessarily for domestic work. Fees depend more on the job and what's included than on the title. **What does 'MIEI' alone mean?** Member of Engineers Ireland. It's a membership grade, not the Chartered Engineer title. CEng MIEI means Chartered Engineer. Sources - [Institution of Engineers of Ireland (Wikipedia)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institution_of_Engineers_of_Ireland) - [Engineers Ireland](https://www.engineersireland.ie/) - [gov.ie: Commencement Notices (assigned certifier)](https://www.gov.ie/en/service/ebb3b-commencement-notices) Get a fixed engineering fee Two short steps. We call back the same working day. Prefer to talk? [Call 01 270 9764](tel:+35312709764). A live person answers during office hours. [Related service Opinions of Compliance Engineer's certificate for past works when you sell, remortgage or regularise an extension. See the service](https://structuralengineer.ie/opinion-of-compliance/) Talk it through 01 270 9764 Mon–Fri 8:00–18:00 [Call now](tel:+35312709764) ### More guides - [BCAR Extension Rules: Assigned Certifier or Opt-Out Over 40m2? When the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations apply to your extension, what the certified route involves, and what opting out really means.](https://structuralengineer.ie/guide/bcar-extension-over-40m2/) - [Opinion of Compliance vs Certificate of Compliance: The Difference One is a professional opinion, the other a statutory certificate. Which one your works have, and what your buyer's solicitor will accept.](https://structuralengineer.ie/guide/opinion-of-compliance-vs-certificate-of-compliance/) - [How Much Does a Structural Engineer Cost in Dublin? (2026) Typical 2026 fees by job type, the three ways engineers charge, and what a complete quote should include, with sources for every figure.](https://structuralengineer.ie/guide/structural-engineer-cost-dublin/) - [What Happens on a Structural Engineer Visit? What the engineer looks at, how long it takes, what to have ready, and what arrives afterwards.](https://structuralengineer.ie/guide/what-happens-structural-engineer-visit/)