Industrial Equipment PE Stamp and Anchorage Certification
An equipment PE stamp on anchorage, supports, frames and platforms, calculated for wind and seismic forces at your installation site.
- Stamped by a PE licensed in your state
- Built to IBC, IRC and local amendments
- Plan-check comments answered
Sealed anchorage and support design for industrial equipment
Building departments, fire marshals, insurers and facility owners often require an equipment PE stamp before a generator, transformer, rooftop unit, tank, compressor, conveyor or process skid can be installed. What they want to see is that a licensed engineer has checked how the equipment is held in place and supported, so it does not slide, overturn or fall during an earthquake, a windstorm or normal operation.
PE Engineer prepares and seals anchorage calculations, seismic and wind anchorage certifications, equipment support frames, skid structural frames, and access platforms for manufacturers, contractors and facility owners. Every package is sealed by a Professional Engineer licensed in the state where the equipment is installed, using the design loads for that site and the structure the equipment sits on.
We are clear about scope. The seal covers the structural support and attachment of the equipment. It does not cover the internal design of the equipment itself, pressure-retaining components, or product certifications that belong to the manufacturer.
What you receive
- Equipment anchorage calculations
- Anchor bolt and weld details
- Seismic and wind force derivation
- Support frame or skid frame design
- Sealed calculation package and letter
- Installation detail sheets
Equipment and supports we engineer and seal
The common thread is structural: how the equipment is supported, how it is attached, and how loads travel into the building or foundation.
Floor and pad mounted equipment
Generators, transformers, switchgear, compressors, pumps and machinery anchored to slabs and housekeeping pads, with anchor design checked for concrete breakout and edge distance.
Rooftop equipment
Rooftop units, condensers, exhaust fans and solar inverters anchored through curbs, rails or dunnage frames for wind uplift and seismic forces, with load paths into the roof structure.
Tank and vessel supports
Legs, saddles, skirts and anchor bolts for storage tanks and vessels, designed for overturning and sliding, with the pressure-retaining shell excluded from our scope.
Process skids
Structural steel skid frames checked for equipment weight and operating loads, with anchorage to the foundation and the connection details your fabricator needs.
Support frames and dunnage
Steel stands, pipe supports, cable tray supports and dunnage platforms designed to AISC 360 for gravity, wind, seismic and vibration loads.
Access platforms
Equipment access platforms, catwalks, stairs and guardrails designed to the building code and OSHA walking-working surface requirements for maintenance access.
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What an equipment PE stamp covers and what it does not
An equipment PE stamp is a structural seal. It certifies that the supports, frames and attachments holding the equipment in place have been designed for the forces they will see, and that those forces can be carried into the building or foundation. Typical sealed items include:
- Anchorage calculations for bolts, welds and post-installed anchors.
- Seismic and wind anchorage certification letters for specific equipment at a specific site.
- Structural frames, stands, skids and dunnage supporting the equipment.
- Equipment access platforms, ladders, stairs and guardrails.
- Checks of the supporting roof, floor or slab for the added equipment load.
Several items are outside this scope, and we say so plainly. We do not design or certify pressure vessels, boilers or pressure piping, which are governed by separate standards and inspection programs. ASME certification marks are held by manufacturers accredited by ASME and are not something a PE seal provides. We also do not certify the internal mechanical or electrical function of the equipment, product listings such as UL, or the shake-table testing a manufacturer may need to show a component keeps working after an earthquake.
Keeping that line clear protects everyone. The building official gets a seal that means exactly what it says, and you are not paying for a certification that will not satisfy the requirement in front of you.
Equipment anchorage and seismic certification of anchorage
Anchorage design starts with the forces. For seismic design, ASCE 7 treats mechanical and electrical equipment as nonstructural components and sets the lateral force based on the site’s seismic hazard, the component’s weight, its height in the building, and factors for the type of equipment and its importance. Rooftop and exposed equipment is also checked for wind, including uplift, using the wind speed and exposure at the site.
Those forces are then resolved into shear and tension at each anchor, with overturning calculated from the equipment’s center of gravity. Anchors into concrete are checked to ACI 318 for steel strength, concrete breakout, pullout and pryout, with edge distances and spacing that suit the actual pad or slab. Post-installed anchors are specified from products with a current evaluation report for the conditions of use, and welded attachments to steel are designed to AISC 360.
A seismic certification of anchorage is the sealed letter and calculation many jurisdictions ask for when equipment is installed in a higher seismic design category, or when it serves an essential facility. It confirms that the attachment of that equipment, at that location, meets the code. It is not the same as a manufacturer’s special seismic certification of the equipment itself, which some designated systems also require. We prepare the first, and coordinate with the manufacturer on the second when it applies. Our equipment anchorage design page covers the full design service.
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- Reviewed by a licensed PE
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Skids, support frames and access platforms
A lot of industrial equipment does not sit directly on a slab. It rides on a fabricated skid, sits on a steel stand above a roof, or is reached from a platform that maintenance crews climb every week. Each of those structures needs to be engineered, and each one is a common reason a building department asks for a seal.
For skids, we design or check the structural steel frame for the equipment weight, operating loads and vibration, along with the connections between equipment and frame and the anchorage of the frame to its foundation. Where a new foundation is required, our tank and skid foundations service designs the pad or mat below it.
For rooftop dunnage and support frames, we check that the frame can carry the equipment and that the roof structure below can carry the frame. Older roofs may need reinforcement at the support points, and we detail that reinforcement when the check shows it is needed.
For access platforms, catwalks and the stairs and ladders that serve them, we design to the building code and to OSHA 1910 requirements for walking-working surfaces, guardrails and fall protection. See platforms and mezzanines for larger elevated structures that need their own permit set.
Equipment PE stamp packages for manufacturers and contractors
Manufacturers who ship the same unit to many sites face a recurring problem: each installation may need a seal from an engineer licensed in that state, using that site’s wind and seismic values. We help by developing anchorage designs that cover a defined range of site conditions, then sealing project-specific packages for each state where the equipment is installed. The engineering stays consistent, and each package carries a seal that is valid where it is used.
Mechanical and electrical contractors usually need a single sealed package quickly, often because an inspector or plan reviewer flagged missing anchorage on a rooftop unit, generator or switchboard. We treat those requests as time-sensitive, and rush service is available when an inspection is already scheduled.
To quote an equipment PE stamp, we need:
- The installation address and the building’s use, so we can determine risk category and site loads.
- Equipment drawings or cut sheets showing weight, dimensions, center of gravity and mounting points.
- What the equipment sits on: slab, pad, roof, steel frame or existing structure, with photos if it is existing.
- Any anchor or curb product the installer plans to use, and the reviewer’s comments if there are any.
You likely need an equipment stamp if
- The permit requires anchorage calculations
- Equipment is going on a roof or mezzanine
- Your site is in a higher seismic design category
- A generator or transformer serves an essential facility
- A skid or support frame needs engineering
- An inspector flagged missing anchorage
How it works, start to finish
From your first message to stamped drawings, you work directly with the engineering team.
- 1Share your projectSend the address, scope and any drawings, photos or plan-check comments. Two minutes is enough.
- 2Receive a fixed-fee proposalAn engineer reviews the scope and replies with a firm price and delivery date for your industrial equipment pe stamp drawings.
- 3Engineering and draftingWe run the calculations and prepare drawings to the codes your jurisdiction enforces, checked before sealing.
- 4Stamped set deliveredYou receive a sealed PDF set ready to submit, and we answer any plan-check comments within scope.
Codes and standards for equipment anchorage
Equipment anchorage and supports are designed to the edition of each code your jurisdiction has adopted, including local amendments:
- International Building Code (IBC)
- ASCE 7, including its provisions for nonstructural components and rooftop wind loads
- ACI 318 for anchoring to concrete
- AISC 360 for structural steel frames, skids and welded connections
- OSHA 1910 for walking-working surfaces, ladders, stairs and guardrails
- State codes such as the California Building Code where they apply
How licensing works. Engineering drawings must be sealed by a Professional Engineer licensed in the state where your project is located. PE Engineer works with a network of state-licensed PEs, so every set is reviewed and stamped by an engineer with an active license in the state where your project is located. Their name and license number appear on the seal, exactly as your building department requires.
Related services
Industrial EngineeringEquipment anchorage, platforms, mezzanines, storage racks, tank foundations, OSHA stairs and crane runways, engineered and sealed by a licensed PE for permit.Explore More
Storage Rack EngineeringPallet rack, cantilever rack and shelving calculations to ANSI MH16.1 and ASCE 7, with anchorage, slab checks and stamped drawings for rack permits.Explore More
OSHA Stairs, Ladders & GuardrailsStairs, ship stairs, fixed ladders, guardrails and handrails designed to OSHA 1910 Subpart D and the IBC, with stamped drawings and load calculations.Explore MoreFrequently asked questions
What is an equipment PE stamp?
It is a Professional Engineer’s seal on the calculations and drawings that show how a piece of equipment is supported and attached to the structure. It certifies the anchorage, frames and supports for the site’s wind and seismic forces. It does not certify the internal design or function of the equipment.
Can you provide ASME certification for pressure vessels?
No. ASME certification marks are issued to manufacturers accredited by ASME and are a different certification from a PE seal. We design and seal the supports and anchorage of tanks and vessels, but not the pressure-retaining shell, boilers or pressure piping.
What is a seismic certification of anchorage?
It is a sealed letter and calculation confirming that the attachment of specific equipment at a specific location meets the seismic requirements of the code. Building departments often request one for equipment in higher seismic design categories or serving essential facilities, such as emergency generators.
Can you stamp anchorage for equipment installed in several states?
Yes. Each installation needs a seal from an engineer licensed in that state, using that site’s loads. We develop a consistent anchorage design and seal a project-specific package for each state through our network of state-licensed PEs.
Do you check the roof or slab the equipment sits on?
Yes. Anchorage is only as good as what it attaches to. We check that the slab, pad, roof framing or steel can carry the equipment load and the anchor forces, and we design reinforcement or a new support when the existing structure falls short.
What information do you need to start?
The installation address, the building’s use, equipment cut sheets with weight, dimensions and mounting points, and a description or photos of the supporting structure. If an inspector or plan reviewer issued comments, send those too so we can address each item.
Get your free industrial equipment pe stamp proposal
Tell us where the project is and what you need. Attach any drawings, photos or plan-check comments. A licensed engineer reviews every request.
- Upload your filesPlans, sketches, photos or comments
- Get a fixed-fee proposalUsually the same day
- Receive stamped drawingsSealed by a PE licensed in your state