Career

MEP Engineer

Technology & Design

Designs the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems that make a building livable, work behind three of the site's most concept-dense trades with no design-side career representing any of them until now.

What is a MEP Engineer?

An MEP Engineer designs the mechanical (HVAC), electrical, and plumbing systems inside a building, sizing equipment, laying out distribution, and producing the drawings that HVAC Technicians, Electricians, Plumbers, Sheet Metal Workers, and Pipefitters actually build from. Some MEP engineers specialize in just one discipline (mechanical, electrical, or plumbing), while others work across all three, especially at smaller firms. Like civil and structural engineering, it's a licensed profession, and coordinating three interdependent systems in the same limited ceiling space is a big part of the job.

What they do

Design HVAC systems, sizing equipment and laying out ductwork and piping
Design electrical distribution systems, from service entrance to branch circuits
Design plumbing systems, from domestic water supply to sanitary and storm drainage
Produce MEP drawings and specifications, and coordinate them against each other and the structural and architectural drawings
Review shop drawings and submittals from mechanical, electrical, and plumbing subcontractors
Respond to RFIs and field coordination issues during construction

A typical day

8:00 AMReview a clash detection report flagging a conflict between ductwork and a structural beam
9:30 AMSize HVAC equipment for a building addition based on updated load calculations
11:30 AMReview electrical panel schedules and circuit submittals from the electrical subcontractor
1:30 PMCoordinate plumbing riser locations with the structural engineer's floor plan
3:00 PMRespond to an RFI about a mechanical room clearance issue discovered in the field

Skills

Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing system designLoad calculations and equipment sizingReading and producing MEP drawingsCoordination across disciplines (clash detection, shared space conflicts)Understanding of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing codes

Software

Building information modeling software (e.g. Revit)Load calculation and energy modeling software

Education

Required:: A bachelor's degree in mechanical or electrical engineering (or a related field) from an ABET-accredited program, then passing the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, then typically four years of progressive experience under a licensed PE before sitting for a discipline-specific Professional Engineer (PE) exam (mechanical or electrical). A PE license is legally required to stamp MEP design drawings.
Not necessary:: A background in the HVAC, electrical, or plumbing trades; most MEP engineers come directly from an engineering degree program, though some do cross over from a trade background

Career progression

1.Engineer in Training (EIT)
2.MEP Engineer
3.Senior MEP Engineer or Project Engineer (design firm side)
4.Principal Engineer or Engineering Manager

Who hires for this role

MEP and Multidisciplinary Engineering FirmsGeneral Contractors (design-build firms keep in-house MEP engineers)Developers and Owners (for system feasibility and energy analysis)