Cost of raft design

N

noodle

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Finally got started on site last week. However after a few days digging our engineer decided that based on the ground conditions we need a raft and not strip foundations. This is fine as we want the right foundation put in.
However he wants €850 for this design! On top of what we're already paying him!

Does this sound a bit steep?
 
No.

But if in doubt it always good to get a second and third quote. Just phone up a structural engineers office, give the ground floor area and building typr (dormer, two storey etc) and the should be able to give you an approx figure over the phone.

But to me that figure sounds about right.
 
I paid €780 for a raft design recently, 2500 sq ft., Co. Galway
 
Ask what the charge was for the strip foundation design he original designed in error , if he had done test dig he would have known raft was the way to go in first place, and pay the difference. or even get a refund!

Did you look around and see what other local builds where using? A Civil engineer shouldn’t make such a basic error.
 
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Kerak said:
Ask what the charge was for the strip foundation design he original designed in error , if he had done test dig he would have know raft was the way to go in first place, and pay the difference.
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Thats not the way it works.

The soil conditions are not known until the strip foundations are opened up. The engineer is then called in (for his first site visit) and he decides at that stage whether the strip founds will do or not. Obviously here they dont, so he recommends a raft foundation.

I assume the engineer wasnt asked to 'design' strip foundations, nor was he asked to do initial soil condition tests.

If the OP is not happy with his engineers recommendations, then by all means he is open to having second opinion. But foundations are not something either the client or the certifier should take for granted.
 
We've had this guy since the design phase and plan to have him until the end. So he did the percolation test, site survey - but to be honest I don't know whether it included or was supposed to include a soil survey.....
In other words I don't know if he has made an error, and we're paying for it.

We really want to get it started so don't want to annoy him - however we don't want to seem like complete mugs either.
 
noodle, he hasnt made an error.

the only true way to see all the ground conditions is to open strip foundations. even if you had engaged him to do soil tests, theres no guarantee that all soil conditions would have been discovered.

the engineer has absolutely no control over the soil conditions!!!

if, in his opinion, strip foundations are not suitable then you either take his professional opinion, or you seek a second one. He should have no problem with this. Sometimes some engineers are quick to advise a raft when a deep strip or wider strip will do. But in areas of intermittent rock a raft is probably the best option. A raft will probably put an extra 10K onto your build costs.

get a second opinion to ease your own minds.
 
I don’t agree, the engineer should have foreseen reasonable predictable conditions.

A site survey should have added to the evidence.

Experience and local information would have added to the decision making process.

To add 800 fees and 10k building costs because he hadn’t investigated sufficiently is scandalous.

Used be a saying in the building profession "come in cheap and make it up on the extras”

A 2nd opinion is best option, and if it proves substantially different consider changing engineers.
 
Kerak said:
I don’t agree, the engineer should have foreseen reasonable predictable conditions.

A site survey should have added to the evidence.

Experience and local information would have added to the decision making process.

To add 800 fees and 10k building costs because he hadn’t investigated sufficiently is scandalous.

Used be a saying in the building profession "come in cheap and make it up on the extras”

A 2nd opinion is best option, and if it proves substantially different consider changing engineers.
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Again, the engineer can only do what he is engaged to do. By my reading he was not asked to do initial soil compaction test. And i also reiterate that the only true way of seeing the foundation as a whole is to open the strip foundation. Which was done, and the engineer advises on the visual and physical inspection of these open foundations.

Was the engineer engaged to produce working construction drawings??

If he was you would clearly see a note saying that the foundation type is subject to site and soil conditions. The majority of one off houses in this country are build from planning drawings, not construction drawings... a situation that drives me mad!

Experience and local information would not have changed the soil conditions. Are you saying the engineer should have designed the raft foundation before opening the strips?? and charged accordingly without knowing if it was required or not??

also, i would be fairy positive here and say that the engineer is engaged at this stage to periodically inspect the work with a view to certifying stage payments and producing an opinion on compliance at the end. If so his first inspection is at the 'open foundation' stage. Clients invariably confuse this to be some kind of 'supervision' engagement, which it isnt.

The OP needs to know that there is absolutely nothing strange or unusual about this situation.

But as Kerak states, get a second opion.... but as i stated above also, foundations are not something either the client or the certifier should skimp on.
 
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