Structural engineering quotes per beam

[ey143]

Is a quote for £90 per beam (no vat charges) from a structural engineer about right or expensive for the North London area in anyone's opinion?

We have major works to do for an extension and other areas in the house when removing walls but some people quote by the hour, others on the project and this guy who will also do my drawings for planning permission (extra charge) is quoting per beam prices.

 

[jeds]

Expensive! Let me have his number. I've got half a dozen jobs he can do for me.

 

[cw018666]

for my clients i use a firm who i found online to do my calcs and whatever else is needed to satisfy the building control officer. They normally take my drawings and or photographs

i think his charge is around £60 per beam fully insured structural engineer

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

for my clients i use a firm who i found online to do my calcs and whatever else is needed to satisfy the building control officer. They normally take my drawings and or photographs

i think his charge is around £60 per beam fully insured structural engineer

But then you have to send him existing and proposed plan layouts, photos and brief him and liaise with him etc. So that work has a cost to it so his fee to you may be £60 per beam but the client will be paying more won’t he? Or do you not charge for your work to set the SE going?

 

[cw018666]

thats a fair point i suppose, but if the customer has plans in hand and is looking for a structural engineer, it may be worth the customer finding one as opposed to the Architect/technicnian who may charge slightly more

 

[ey143]

Would you there is any disadvantage if the guy can do both the plans and the structural calculations? My proposed replacement draftsman qualified as a structural engineer but started doing drawings too after leaving the ropes some 25 years ago. I'm finding him a little arrogant though and have been dithering about whether to go with him. Looking to charge me £4k for plans to the council (1 PD and 2 separate planning apps required at different stages of the build).

 

[jeds]

Ninety quid structural calcs = cheap. Four grand building regs drawings = expensive.

 

[ey143]

To clarify, £4k is for the plans for the extension, house renovation internal, front elevation changes. One PD application and two planning apps AND dealing with building regs submission. The £90 per beam is on top of this.

Total project cost with be circa £200k

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

A fee of 2% of project value £200K is peanuts. Stop squabbling about paying £90/beam.

 

[ey143]

It was a valid question because if this guy is going to do the drawings he was wrong on one of the previous interpretations about having eaves over 3m high until you/others on this forum provided sufficient guidance that he was wrong.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Well I never understand why posters come on here, ask for clarity on, often simple, aspects of permitted development only to reveal that it's their 'designer' who doesn't understand and then they go on to employ them. So I've given up (largely) telling posters they should find someone else. To top it you find him arrogant which can never be a good way forward. When I talk to possible professionals I may have to employ, the arrogant ones don't even get beyond the first phone call but maybe that's just me

 

[ey143]

Because its difficult for someone who is not a developer to know whose good and whose not. I'm sure if you spoke to this guy he might tell you another side of the story OR you find that he's actually very good and nobody is perfect at getting things right all the time.

Out of interest, what so you, tony and jeds do - are you architects / technicians / draftsmen? Don't suppose you would undertake work in the London area?!

 

[cjard]

It always amuses and bewilders me, how people expect something they need to be so dirt cheap it practically has to be free before they stop complaining about it, yet it's OK for something they want to cost a ridiculous price

I used to work with a guy who ran a motorcycle repair business. One of his customers was ranting on about what a rip off charging £150 for repairing a seized engine (replace piston, re-bore barrel, press and align crankshaft, reassemble engine) was, and then before he left the shop he bought a sticker kit for his bike to make it look like the current year's models, at a price of £70 and didn't bat an eyelid

Needs vs wants. Utility vs leisure.

You say you find your man arrogant and difficult to work with - maybe I'd have a few choice words to describe a man who'd query a £90 charge for something that is an absolute necessity on a £200,000 project

 

[ey143]

It's difficult to explain my whole 12 month nightmare of a project - you're only reading a few lines of various posts and making a judgement.

I've lost a few thousand in fees with an architect (RIBA) which I have accepted but more annoyed at the loss of nearly 9 months after his one PD application and 2 pre-apps were rejected. His total fees would have been circa £10k.

The point I'm trying to make here is that I have no issues with paying for quality. Does that make it wrong for me to ask whether a quote for £90 a beam is market rate (total structural calculation costs will be around £3,500). Others have commented that design fees of £4000 is a lot. It's all relative.

You have the privlidge of knowing what is priced correctly and what might be "out of line". Regardless of the build cost, doesn't mean I shouldn't ask the question especially if he was wrong on a technical point that you and others had point out and he refused to accept until a third email to me (initially telling me not to questions his 25 years experience!).

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

I have a good idea on the others but they can answer for themselves if they wish, personally I'm a technician and only domestic stuff as PJ's these days, I have done the odd distant project but its not really practical.

It is difficult to remain impartial when we only get a tiny snapshot of some saga or other.

Unfortunately it can be difficult to find a goody. I recall a conversation I was overheard between two colleagues, an architect and another techy as to why their newly fitted windows in their respective homes had to have trickle vents. Because their fitter had told they must have (they don't). When I pointed out that their fitter was wrong they both agreed that because the window supplier was 'in the know' they took it for granted. Even when I said would they care for me to find the appropriate legislation (it is no more than few clicks away in our office) they ignored me. So not only are there 'professionals' who won't listen there are other 'professional' window suppliers who are ripping people off or don't know either. The point is to this rather boring monologue is that its a minefield. I just rolled my eyes and had a little chuckle to myself.