Engineers tend to be conservative. Ask your engineer to explain why the contractors he recommended have differing opinions.

Tell those 4 contractors they're NOT getting your biz until THEIR engineer puts eyeballs on your house. Seems fair. Three stories and 1.3 Centuries old is nothing to be cavalier about, especially if bulge is facing a street/sidewalk or other public area.

OTOH, 1/2 inch sounds minor compared to many similar aged homes... are you sure it isn't star-bolted already? LOL... seriously, check this existing thread, sounds very much like your house:

Here is a link that might be useful: A Bulging Brick Wall & Star Bolts... baby!

thanks for your advice. yes, i had already been reading all of the questions and inputs of others on this site about their bulging walls and was surprised at how common the problem is with older homes. i will follow up to have their engineers check it out eye to eye. i am sure my home does not already have a star bolt. i was actually the one who saw the change in my walls at the interior of the foyer as the wood door frame had separated from the tile within the past year. that is how i got a structural engineer involved. i was just confused with the vast difference in contractors opinions regarding the number of star bolts to use. i will get another engineer to confirm any work. thanks again. i'll keep you's posted.
shirley

well, it's been awhile. regarding the issue with my bulging walls. i decided to get a second opinion from a new engineer. (ironically i found out the first one was an engineer in training, which he never informed me of when he came to my home) the second engineer believes my problem can be rectified with 3 star bolts or tie backs. the cost of this is significantly less than the first engineer's diagnosis. of course i am very happy. so putting out a little extra money for the second opinion is saving me thousands of dollars in the long run. the work will get started in 2 weeks. yahoo

If the first person said anything that made you think he was an engineer he should be reported to the state registration board. If he used the title "engineer" in writing you might be able to get any fee back. Such behavior is considered consumer fraud in many states.

Wait a minute. There are engineers, graduate engineers and licensed professional engineers. One can be an engineer without taking their PE licensure. Many don't. It depends on what type of engineering they do, where they do it, and what they do it on. It may have been perfectly legal for a person who graduated with an engineering degree to perform an evaluation on a residential structure and sign it as such. He/she may have just as much talent and training as a PE, or may not. That's the main reason people go on to get their PE. It just depends on where you reside and that state's laws.