Question "Do I need to have an engineer design my ICF walls?" We will be using Build Block forms. I thought that the engineering for the actual wall construction was standardized and I wasn't going to be paying an engineer to spec out rebar etc. Am I wrong, or does an engineer really need spec out an 8 inch basement wall with a 6 inch main floor wall? I will be paying the local Build Block distributor to erect the forms and do the pours. Any insight would be appreciated.

ICF is in most code books now so you don't need an engineer as long as you stay within the parameters of the code book.

In the front section of the code book is usually the parameters that must be followed to be able to use the standard code book. These are like: length of walls, number of stories, and square footage of building.....

There is also old document that many use called PCA100, this can be found online. It is a good read.

It is usually an argument with the local code official when you build something out of the norm, so good luck.

I got forced to getting an engineer to sign off. The engineer made no changes to my plans but in the code book it says something like longest section can not be over 100'. All my walls were around 30 feet long but diagonally the house from far corner to far corner was just over 100'. The statement in the code book was very vague and could be interpreted in many ways. I got stuck paying out $1000 for a signature.

I swear I only clicked once.....hahaha

Yes, it could be location-specific. Here in SC, they didn't need engineering for anything except the septic system. They didn't even want drawings of the structural details. Makes it easy, but a little scary!

Yeah.  There's the whole "somebody trusts something *I* am doing?

And then remembering a lifetime of "Moments of Supreme Stupid" and shuddering.

It's like finding out your architectural and engineering team are these guys...