Proposal for engineering services to other than owner
Proposal for engineering services to other than owner
(OP)
I am a one man shop, and within the past year have been on my own working out of my house doing Residential Structural. So far everything has went well, but now I have been contacted by a solar contractor to provide engineering for a site retaining wall behind a family owned business. Yesterday I met the Business owner and contractor at the site and reviewed the project scope. After the meeting the contractor and I went over a few issues and I told him that I will provide a proposal directly to the owner of the property. He pauses and says that he was already hired by the owner and part of his contract was to pay for the Engineering services and that I should provide a proposal for engineering services directly to the contractor and not the owner.
This is something that I have not done before since I like to have the contract directly with the owner. This is because if I do not get paid I can always file a lien on his property until I get paid, but if I have the contract directly between myself and the contractor I have less leverage.
Have any of you guys experienced something like this, or whom do you typically make the contract with, owner or contractor or does it matter?
Thanks
This is something that I have not done before since I like to have the contract directly with the owner. This is because if I do not get paid I can always file a lien on his property until I get paid, but if I have the contract directly between myself and the contractor I have less leverage.
Have any of you guys experienced something like this, or whom do you typically make the contract with, owner or contractor or does it matter?
Thanks





RE: Proposal for engineering services to other than owner
Make sure your contract is absolutely explicit about what your duties are/aren't, and make sure your drawings say that a qualified contractor has to build the wall, or you'll have the solar guys thinking they can do it and it will be bad. Be sure your contract has a timeframe for getting paid based off when you send your work/invoice, and not based off when the contractor (your client) gets paid.
You could always check with the owner if you think anything is fishy about this.
good luck!
Please remember: we're not all guys!
RE: Proposal for engineering services to other than owner
RE: Proposal for engineering services to other than owner
Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)
RE: Proposal for engineering services to other than owner
RE: Proposal for engineering services to other than owner
Thanks again
RE: Proposal for engineering services to other than owner
RE: Proposal for engineering services to other than owner
I don't know where you are but you can't do this in NYS; see frequently asked questions http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/pels/pefaq.htm
Can an entity not authorized to provide professional engineering or land surveying services in New York, such as a general contractor, subcontract with a licensed professional engineer or land surveyor in order to provide such services?
No. An entity not authorized to provide professional engineering and/or land surveying services, such as a general contractor, can not subcontract with a licensed professional engineer or land surveyor in order to provide professional services to a third party client. The basis for professional regulation is that the service of the professional must be provided directly from the professional to the client without any unlicensed third party between the client and the professional. This unlicensed third party may have other interests (such as financial) that could jeopardize the level and/or quality of the professional service received by the client.