What does a Certificate of Acceptance mean & how can I get one?
I’ll explain in detail what a Certificate of Acceptance (COA) is, who can apply, what the process is, what you need & what happens if you don’t get one
How Much do Structural Engineers Charge in NZ?
Engineering fees for small projects are usually charged on the number of hours the structural engineer works on your project. The costs will be individual to your project.
Not many engineers will give you a free quote for a small residential job, and it’s also hard for anyone to predict what the costs will be, given the amount of uncertainty.
For example, if talking about a renovation, no-one knows what they are dealing with until a building is opened up to reveal the “bones”.
There are surprises around every corner, including:
- plans you supply not being true to the site or the building
- the “changed-my-mind” factor
- geotechnical reports showing something unexpected
- council questions
- boundary surprises
- neighbour interferences
Structural engineering costs vary depending on the size of the project and the scope, and any or all of the above factors being present.
One of the ways to save re-working (and associated additional costs) is to include the architect and engineer from the beginning of the design process.
Proconsult can provide all these processes in-house, and having engineering input from the start can mean everyone is on the same page, designs are buildable and there is not the same need for redesigning an idea that’s too “blue sky”.
How Much Does a Structural Engineer Cost NZ??
This is the cost schedule we apply for different situations. Please note these costs are excluding GST.
- Approximate structural engineering costs for a simple, uncomplicated new dwelling design (primarily to NZS3604:2011) - $2,000 - $7,500
- Approximate costs for a new dwelling design (hillside or architectural non-standard layout) - $5,000 - $20,000.
- Add 25% to the above for anything custom or bespoke.
Hourly rates:
- Principal/Professional Engineer - $320/hour
- Senior Structural Engineer - $230/hour
- Intermediate Structural Engineer - $180/hour
- Junior Structural Engineer - $150/hour
- Senior Architectural Designer - $150/hour
- Drafting Technician - $120/hour
It is important to note that different engineering companies have different levels of efficiency depending on the type of job.
Structural Engineering Project Types and Costs
All projects differ in terms of individual needs. We provide services on an individualised basis depending on a number of factors.
Client knowledge, nature of the project, location or use of unique materials can impact on the job.
Proconsult has repeat clients, and for these situations there are some economies to be found.
To give you an idea for budgeting, here’s a rough estimate of the different engineering costs that may be required for your project. These prices are estimates only.
The estimated timescale for completion of these works is also given (this being dependent on the time of year), and at present, we cannot start a new job for around 3 weeks.
- Initial phone call with an engineer
- 15 minutes Free
- Initial site consultation with engineer
- Priced per hour plus travel
- Project scope meeting
- Priced per hour
- Timeframe - 2-3 days’ notice
- Site wind speed calculation or sun study
- Approx $500
- Timeframe - 2 days
- Site visit and Report
- Price depends upon the nature of the investigation but allow $500 - $1,500
- Timeframe - 2 weeks
- Simple deck or retaining wall design including drawings
- Price - $2000 - $3,500
- Timeframe - 3-4 weeks
- Simple house alteration design (renovation) calculations and sketches
- Price - $2,500 - $3,000
- Timeframe - 3-4 weeks
- Earthquake or landslide damage assessment full forensic report and consent documentation including geotechnical assessment
- Price - $6,000 - $12,000
- Timeframe - 4-6 weeks
- Earthquake damage assessment brief report - Technical memorandum
- Price - $2,000 - $7,000
- Timeframe - 3 weeks
- Complex or new house design
- Price - $3,000 - $20,000
- Timeframe - 4-8 weeks
- Retaining wall consenting documents
- Price - $3,000 - $5,000
- Timeframe - 3-6 weeks
- Geotechnical assessment shallow (this would be out-sourced and paid by you to the company)
- Price - allow $3,000 - $6,000
- Timeframe - 3-6 weeks
- Geotechnical assessment deep (this will be out-sourced and paid by you direct to the company)
- Price - allow $5,000 - $10,000
- Timeframe - 4-6 weeks
- Expert witness services
- Price - Hourly rates for Principal engineer
- Site visit Auckland
- Price - $420 including travel of up to 30 mins (and up to 30 mins on site)
- Timeframe - 48 hours’ notice
- Site Monitoring upper North Island
- Price - $650 - $1,500 + travel @ km rate
- Timeframe - 48 hours’ notice
- Producer statement (PS4) for code of compliance
- Price - $400 - $1,200 (Generally $500)
- Timeframe - 2 weeks
We can also provide specialist services such as brief seismic assessment Initial Evaluation Procedure (IEP)/Initial Seismic Assessment (ISA) or a more detailed seismic report. We can give your insurance company a report, and we often provide specialist/forensic engineering advice for various clients.
Each short form agreement (SFA) is developed specifically to suit your project scope and will include a detailed breakdown of our cost estimates based on our considerable in-house experience.
All those who work on your job will record their hours to the ¼ hour, so our process is transparent, and you are always able to request the details. You will be required to sign the SFA before we commence work on your project. Billing is monthly in arrears, apart from payments required by Council (e.g. lodgement fees) which are passed on to you at cost and need to be paid in advance.
If you have any issues with invoices, then feel free to discuss them. Feedback from our clients allows us to improve our service, keep channels of communication open and avoid unnecessary delays.
Author: Stewart Hobbs - Practice Consultant at Proconsult
Stewart is the journal editor for SESOC (Structural Engineering Society New Zealand (Inc.)
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