When it comes to seeking out the right structural engineering firm for your project, you’ll want to make sure that you’re working with somebody who’s operating on the same wave-length as you.
A structural engineer might, at times, approach a project in a way that differs from the client’s expectations. This is why it’s important that you understand what goes into a structural engineer quote, so you can know just what to expect.
Ultimately, the process of receiving your structural engineer quote is an incredibly important first step towards the end-goal of getting your project completed properly, both on-time and on-budget.
Our blog aims to detail the ins and outs of structural engineering quotes, with a primary focus on what might be included, as well as how to best go about getting one.
What are Structural Engineering Quotes?
A structural engineering quote is the official communication between the client and the structural engineering firm regarding the price for a proposed project. The primary purpose of structural engineer quotes is to provide a rough idea of what they can expect from an upcoming project. This can include estimates of the cost of the project, its time frame, and more.
General practice in the industry is to avoid hidden fees. You can expect that any possible extras or ‘unknowns’ in the future that may need to be factored into the quote will be communicated clearly — and as early in the process as possible.
What Does a Structural Engineer Quote Cost?
Generally, obtaining a structural engineers quote will come without any cost and without any commitment. While it is not unheard of, a firm is unlikely to charge for a quote in any field. A quote should be seen as a commitment to a future job, and therefore there should not be any costs attached until the job is completed.
What Do Structural Engineer Quotes Typically Cover
Typical quotes will cover the calculations/specifications for the following aspects of a project:
- Timber beams/trimmers and posts
- Rafters, floor joists, and roof joists
- Steel beams and columns
- Steel beam and column connection
- Masonry pillars
- Pad foundations or strip foundations — not covered under the building regulations — in areas of high loading
There are some common elements that we generally won’t provide calculations on. This is usually because they’re not structurally important and so are best dealt with by the contractor, or because they are ‘off-the-shelf’ items specified by the manufacturer or supplier. This includes:
- Engineered joints
- Prefabricated roof trusses
- Beam and block flooring
- Timber-to-timber connections
- Balcony balustrades
What Does a Structural Engineer Quote at PorthouseDean Typically Include?
A structural engineer quote will generally cover any structural calculations that your project’s Building Control Officer (BCO) will need in order to ultimately support your building regulations application. Whether your project entails masonry pillars, an extension to your property, rafters, etc. your quote should cover all of the necessary calculation work.
Unless specifically stated in the terms and conditions — or during the process— any and all calculations, specifications, or work will be considered and covered by the quote. There will be no nasty hidden fees.
Something we include as standard in our price is a ‘virtual site visit’. This entails conducting a face-to-face video meeting with yourself and your Project Coordinator where we can cover any necessary topics, confirm any site-specific information/details, as well as answer any questions or address any potential doubts you may have.
We can do in-person site visits should you wish. However, due to the additional manpower required, we don’t offer them as standard in our quotes. At PorthouseDean we believe that as much can be gained from a virtual site visit as a physical one — for a significantly reduced fee. Our lack of physical site visits in our quotes allows us to keep the price down.
If you would like us to include a physical site visit onto our structural engineer quote, or add one separate, don’t hesitate to get in touch. For more information regarding whether or not your particular project requires an in-person site visit by a member of our team, read our blog on the subject.
How Can I Get a Structural Engineer Quote?
The process of obtaining a structural engineer quote is relatively simple. All you need to do is forward us any planning documents you have in a PDF format, or send your planning portal reference so that we can download the drawings ourselves. Our contact details are (info@porthousedean.co.uk). Alternatively, enquire for a quote on our website.
Once this is done, you will immediately receive an acknowledgement receipt to confirm that we have received your request. After this, our team will always aim to respond to and acknowledge your correspondence within 24 hours of receiving it, and issue a quote within two working days.
Another option that we offer at PorthouseDean is the opportunity to get an instant quote estimate via our auto-quote system. All you need to do is enter a few general features of your proposed project, and you will receive a non-binding price estimate straight away. This is excellent to give you an idea of pricing.
Get a Free Structural Engineer Quote at PorthouseDean
If you’re entering into a project, you’ll know by now that you need a structural engineer onboard to ensure that every aspect of the strategy is able to go ahead without a hitch. Finding the perfect, high-quality structural engineering firm can help you to ensure that your job is in the safest of hands.
At PorthouseDean, we are passionate about providing an honest and transparent service from top to bottom. We vow to never throw any unadvertised charges in your lap. If unforeseen changes do need to be made during the process, we always aim to keep you in the loop throughout on what this will do to the eventual price. We do what we say — and we do it well — that’s the PorthouseDean promise.
If you need a structural engineering service to aid in your project, contact us today and find out what our team of experts can do to help you. With over 1,000 happy customers each year, we know exactly what is expected of us and always aim to go above and beyond.
Alternatively, feel free to request a quote today and get your project started on the right foot.
