×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

How much to charge - seismic restraint

How much to charge - seismic restraint

How much to charge - seismic restraint

(OP)
Hi all,

I'm hoping I could get a straw poll of how much I should charge for a seismic restraint project.
(I don't do many of these but have the opportunity to gain a new client by taking this on)

It involves 4 pieces of electrical equipment being anchored to a slab on grade. I was thinking $600 per piece of equipment, plus $200 for the letter of assurance.
I'm located in British Columbia. Project is in a rural location. Mounting instructions would be markups of the vendor drawings.

Does that seem about right?

RE: How much to charge - seismic restraint

I'd probably just estimate my hours and multiply by a very high rate then tack on a few hundred more.

RE: How much to charge - seismic restraint

Does the equipment supplier provide seismic anchor loads? Is the SOG sufficiently strong to accept the loading? If so, and you want to attract a new client, I'd figgure 4 hours for a letter, plus 8 hours total if a sketch is required and the supplier can supply you with the loading. I'd include for one site visit to review the work at whatever per diem rates you have.

Dik

RE: How much to charge - seismic restraint

Wow- not sure if the companies ive worked for have been severely undercharging for this service, or you are way out to lunch.

Our rates were the standard site visit rate (1 required), plus an hour to give the GC the general idea (strap the damn thing down so it ain't going anywhere, and pin it all to concrete with epoxy anchors), plus an hour to write up the letters (taking care to clearly define only what it is you're taking liability for)

Typically the entire bill would run about 600-800 bucks, more if there is an exceptional quantity of items that justifies a liability multiplier.

RE: How much to charge - seismic restraint

NorthCivil:
That's what the 4 hours for the letter is... about $600-$800... it's only if it gets more complicated that the fee goes up... If the supplier provides the loading... liability is minimal and the project can be considered as a 'loss leader' for other work.

Dik

RE: How much to charge - seismic restraint

(OP)
Dik/NorthCivil,

Anchor loads are not provided, so there is some calculation required.
SOG seems strong enough.

The equipment itself probably ran about $200k so my feeling was that 2000 bucks +/- was not entirely out to lunch.
Could be wrong though! I definitely don't know what the going rates are...

RE: How much to charge - seismic restraint

Without seeing how large these pieces of equipment are, hard to comment further.

If short & squat, relatively light, I'll stick to my number.

If large & requiring some engineering design, rather than just some "common sense engineering" (is it all that common?) Then a couple grand might be more appropriate.

RE: How much to charge - seismic restraint

(OP)
These things are over 6' tall and weigh as much as 4000 lbs.

I'm starting to get some confidence in my number. Thanks, all, for the input.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources