How many engineers does a custom home build need?

8 years ago

We are finishing up plans on a 4900 sq ft home (on two floors-plus 4 car garage and unfinished walkout basement). Our architects estimate their fees at 12% of construction costs. This does NOT include separate structural engineering costs and Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing engineering costs (at another estimated 3% of total). Is it typical for these engineering costs to be separate? Would these costs be unreasonable on a >$1 million project? I would appreciate any advice, comments, etc.

We are building in relatively high cost of living area of Midwest.

Thanks in advance.

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User
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
In Western Washington structural engineering was separate. Though it was just over 1%. Maybe it depends on the project. Our architect provided electrical. There was no plumbing engineering. If mechanical means hvac, I wish I would have had done that.

Good luck!
mushcreek
8 years ago
Only your local building authority (and maybe the bank) can tell you what's required. Our engineering fees came to $50, for an HVAC program to select the right size heat pumps. We had no other engineering, except that which was included with the roof trusses and floor system. The ICF materials were already engineered, and everything else was prescriptive, following the current local code requirements. That being said, our house is small and basic, and there were no site-related challenges requiring engineering.
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User
8 years ago
The answer is: as many as needed. Complex homes on difficult or regulated sites often need soils engineers, environmental impact engineers, structural engineers, mechanical engineers, and possibly an electrical engineer if you are interested in alternative power sources.
User
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Architects are not structural engineers and cannot provide those services except when the scope is minor enough to be considered "incidental" to their architectural practice. You should think of their work as collaborative rather than redundant.

Structural elements that comply with the provisions of a prescriptive building code can be designed by anyone. For a house, any structural element that is not prescribed in that building code usually must be designed by a structural engineer rather than an architect.

In a few states anyone can design these elements if they provide the building official with sufficient evidence that the design conforms to "accepted engineering practice" or is equivalent to what is prescribed in the code (often provided by a manufacturer). This is rare because these states must allow the practice of engineering by unlicensed individuals for a single family house. Maine modified their professional practice laws to allow this to happen.

How these fees are calculated has nothing to do with the services. As you said, you are in a high cost of living area.

The engineer's fee and that of any other professional design consultant should be included in the architect's billing as a reimbursable cost with no mark-up.
chispa
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
So. CA area. Our structural engineering costs were separate from the architect and quite important due to having a 10 ft basement in earthquake country!

No separate mechanical/electrical/plumbing engineering costs ... isn't this what you are paying the builder/GC to do? Unless you are paying for a "consultant" to place those items in the best place in your floorplan, and that complete document, will then be submitted for bidding. Problem is that once the real electrician and plumber show up, they will probably just put stuff where they want to or is easiest for them!!

How many engineers does a custom home build need?

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mushcreek

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