Submittal Log Updated
8:15 AMLogged 12 material submittals into Procore. Assigned concrete mix designs to the structural PE for review.
Permit Status Checked
10:30 AMNavigated the city portal. Grading permit is approved. Downloaded the stamped PDF plan set and saved to the central server.
RFI Drafted & Sent
1:45 PMDrafted RFI #042 regarding the storm drain conflict. Attached the marked-up Bluebeam snip and emailed the architect.
Stop Chasing RFIs.
Start Engineering.
You didn't get your PE license to spend hours formatting submittal logs, managing drawing sets, or navigating city permit portals. Hire a dedicated virtual assistant to manage your document control and project administration.
Zero
Lost Addenda
100%
Log Accuracy
Saved
20+ Hrs/Week
Familiar with Engineering & Construction Tools
The Engineering Bottleneck
If your senior engineers are spending their billing hours renaming PDF files and trying to log into the city's permitting portal, you are bleeding firm profitability.
| The Admin Task | The Overwhelmed PE | Supported by a VA |
|---|---|---|
| Document Control | Spending Friday afternoon manually slip-sheeting revised drawing sets and updating file names. | Perfectly Organized. VA manages server folders, organizes CAD xref files, and maintains clean, slip-sheeted PDF plan sets. |
| RFIs & Submittals | Losing track of which sub-contractor owes you a revised cut sheet, delaying the project schedule. | Actively Tracked. VA logs every RFI and submittal, follows up on overdue items, and routes them to the correct engineer. |
| Permit Administration | Sitting on hold with the municipality for 40 minutes trying to figure out why the grading plan was rejected. | Relentless Follow-Up. VA handles application uploads, pays fees, monitors review statuses daily, and downloads stamped plans. |
What Can an Engineering Admin VA Handle?
Your VA works behind the scenes to maintain strict document control and project administration, allowing your PEs to focus purely on design and consulting.
Document Control
Organizing CAD reference files, managing file naming conventions, slip-sheeting revisions in Bluebeam, and maintaining central project servers.
RFI & Submittal Logs
Logging incoming submittals in Procore, routing them to the correct structural or civil engineer, tracking deadlines, and returning marked-up copies.
Permit Coordination
Filling out municipality applications, uploading plan sets to city portals, tracking review comments, and coordinating responses with the design team.
Bid Prep & Specs
Compiling specification books, checking for addenda, formatting bid tabulations, and distributing plans to General Contractors for bidding.
Schedule Updates
Assisting project managers by updating MS Project or Smartsheet timelines based on meeting notes, ensuring design milestones are actively tracked.
Project Accounting Admin
Drafting AIA progress billings, matching consultant invoices to purchase orders, and tracking reimbursable expenses (like printing and courier fees).
What Firm Principals Are Saying
"We have 4 PEs on staff, and they were spending half their week managing Procore logs and sorting out misnamed CAD files. Bringing on an admin VA dedicated to document control has easily increased our billable capacity by 20%."
David R., PE
Principal, Site Civil Consultants
"The municipality permit portals were a massive time sink. Our VA now handles all the application uploads, fee payments, and daily status checks. I simply get an email when the stamped plans are ready to download."
Sarah M., PE
Owner, Structural Design Group
"We have 4 PEs on staff, and they were spending half their week managing Procore logs and sorting out misnamed CAD files. Bringing on an admin VA dedicated to document control has easily increased our billable capacity by 20%."
David R., PE
Principal, Site Civil Consultants
Scale Your Firm Profitably
Hire a dedicated administrative specialist to manage the logistics, so your engineering team can focus on billable design hours.
Part-Time Admin
Ideal for boutique engineering firms needing help with basic file management and weekly permit follow-ups.
Est. $800 USD / Month
- 20 Hours Per Week
- Permit Application Tracking
- Basic Document Control
Full-Time Admin
For busy civil firms requiring deep administrative support across Procore, Bluebeam, and multiple city jurisdictions.
Est. $1,440 USD / Month
- 40 Hours Per Week
- Full RFI & Submittal Log Mgt.
- Complex Bid & Spec Prep
Engineering FAQ
Common questions about delegating your civil engineering administration.
Do your Virtual Assistants know how to use AutoCAD?
We provide Administrative VAs, not structural drafters. However, they are highly capable of managing AutoCAD *files*—organizing xrefs, maintaining standard naming conventions, converting DWGs to PDFs, and managing the server folder structure so your drafters and engineers can work efficiently.
Can they learn our specific municipality permitting portals?
Absolutely. Every city has a different portal (ePermit, Accela, etc.). Your VA is highly adaptable and can be trained via Loom videos or standard operating procedures to navigate your specific local municipality websites, upload plans, and track review statuses daily.
How do they handle communications with architects and GCs?
Your VA can operate out of a generic email address (e.g., admin@yourengineeringfirm.com). They will handle the logistical back-and-forth—chasing missing RFIs, sending finalized submittals, and distributing plan sets—while escalating technical design questions directly to your PEs.
Get Back to the Design.
Stop letting Procore logs and permit applications distract you from complex engineering problems. Get matched with a dedicated administrative VA who understands the construction and design workflow.
Direct Contact
Request a VA Match
Tell us about your firm's software stack (Procore, Bluebeam, etc.) and primary administrative bottlenecks to get matched.