As we have a wealth of experience on here in all fields just wondered what people thought of this price....

Basically we're pulling a wall down in our new house, supporting wall and therefore needs the usual steel RSJ. I've just had the invoice through from the structural engineer who was employed to size said beam (someone the architect used so I wasnt involved in finding this service). Price £180.

Does this sound normal to anyone who's had experience in this? I'm a mechanical engineer myself, and can therefore say with reasonable assurance (having skimmed the calc sheet myself) that it cant have taken more than an hour all in. I'd go as far as to say it may even have been a case of banging a couple of inputs into a standard spreadsheet.

I appreciate the level of responsibility, liability etc so perhaps it is the norm? Just seems a lot regardless.

I paid £225 6 years ago - this was for 2 RSJ and included a site vist, so £180 doesnt seem over the odds

I agree with your statement though - probably takes him 10 mins in a pre setup spreadsheet, your paying for his qualifications/experience too

quote:

---

Originally posted by MikeFellows
...your paying for his qualifications/experience too

---

We had a structural engineer simply look at our subtaranean garage and make some very simple drawings of the structure and how best to strengthen it.... cost nearly £400... and the resulting suggestions were nothing that I had not already considered myself....

So yes... that sounds about right :-s

quote:

---

Originally posted by mcerd1

quote:

---

Originally posted by MikeFellows
...your paying for his qualifications/experience too

---

...and his insurance



[Edited on 17/10/2011 by mcerd1]

---

hmmm, not a million miles out, but just to note that mine wasn't for any site visits. So your guy did twice the calc work and visited your property, albeit 6 years ago....

Up here you don't need to get an engineer to sign off anything for you, but if you don't then the building control lot will want to see calcs for everything (...well depending on how much of a tool the guy is - round here they are all nighmares)

I design steelwork for a living but don't have the right bits of paperwork to sign these things off, so by the time I'd spent the time on all the detailed calc's I'd have to charge 5x as much as that for the time alone

so I assume it works in a similar way down your way (south of the border)



[Edited on 17/10/2011 by mcerd1]

i paid £336 for calcs in 2010

Always good to see you've got something cheaper than others......

I've just paid £75 for building control calcs for 3 x Steel beams to support an opening in a rubble wall 2.4m wide.
Although to be fair I know the guy and I think the going rate is more like £150.

Was it 178 x 102 x 19kg by chance, that's all I've ever seen for domestic stuff but I'm sure there are others!

quote:

---

Originally posted by fishywick
Always good to see you've got something cheaper than others......

I've just paid £75 for building control calcs for 3 x Steel beams to support an opening in a rubble wall 2.4m wide.
Although to be fair I know the guy and I think the going rate is more like £150.

Was it 178 x 102 x 19kg by chance, that's all I've ever seen for domestic stuff but I'm sure there are others!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by FASTdan
No its 203x133x (whatever the kg/m is, cant remember off top of my head). Span of approx 3.2m, downstairs load bearing internal wall.

---

Sounds reasonable.

He's had to pay for a degree, plus all the drinking. Now he's got a car, office, wife, secretary to support as well as paying his insurance.

Theres a nice lady on here that did all my calculations for my garage extension and first floor extension.... Much cheaper than any of said prices... Although they were simple calculations for her.

A mate of mine did the plans for mine and a mate of his did the calcs for £30 in the hand. It's a piece of paper to show the building inspector when all's said and done.