Wood Roof Truss (2 story slope) 4

[Ben29]

I am the EOR for this single-family home. The roof wants to be pre-engineered wood roof trusses, but I do not know exactly how to lay them out. The problem is that the walls on the 2nd floor to not align with the walls below.

It seems to me that everything above (and including) the 2nd floor wants to be part of a roof-truss system. But I am not sure if that is the best thing to do.

I thought about doing an attic truss design to encompass the 2nd floor, but the clear span of the truss would be 48ft. Alternatively, I thought about doing a 3-piece, raised center bay truss. But I have never specified that before and I have only seen it online.

I have been staring at this for too long and I would appreciate any advice!

 

[Ben29]

@NorthCivil, sick burn.

 

[Ben29]

Seriously, though. How much should I have charged for this? I am in the mid-atlantic region. I struggle coming up with fees sometimes. And I originally proposed a higher fee, but the owner negotiated down.

 

[KootK]

Knowing what I know about the project, maybe:

$8,500 with drawings.

$2,750 without drawings.

...and I originally proposed a higher fee, but the owner negotiated down.

The cynic in me can't help asking: did the owner negotiate down with you directly or through the architect? I struggle to imagine a homeowner en route to an $800,000 house screwing his structural engineer out of $1000. I do, however, have experience with architects giving out combined fees and grossly underestimating mine.

 

[KootK]

I'll add that I do not like the "no structural drawings" option much and my pricing reflects that. I feel that both liability and the likelihood of KootK time sucking field issues spike markedly under that arrangement.

 

[Ben29]

@KootK, man you are good. The owner negotiated with the architect. I actually have no communication with the owner.

The fee that I originally gave them was $1200- for redlines.

 

[Ben29]

@KootK,
I agree 1000%. I guess I am wrongly under the assumption that my liability is less if I don't actually sign/seal drawings. I asked my lawyer this specifically, but she did not give me a definitive answer.

 

[JLNJ]

In many jurisdictions, you are ethically and legally OBLIGATED to sign and seal your work if you are the EOR.

Trying to pretend that you are not in responsible charge would not help if I were the judge, and any good lawyer would tear you limb from limb if something goes wrong.

 

[NorthCivil]

In my jurisdiction, you are liable for anything you touch whether or not you sign & seal it.

There is no being half in, or not in, when you actually are in there as the structural engineer for the project.

Not having drawings makes the risk of the thing not being built as you imagine it in your head go way up, and as such, the liability increases. additional to what kootk said. way more time on re-work and field issue resolving.

It doesnt really matter who beat you down to your new low price, the client directly, or the architect. Your price is your price.

which is what I tell prospective clients who question my price. "My price is my price. If its too high, I guess its too high for you. unfortunately I cant afford to reduce it."

Your time is better spent on improving the professional image of your company and practice, improving your marketing, so when the lucrative work comes along, you are ready to impress the client and win it.

doing work for nothing isnt helping you, your bottom line, or the industry.

do yourself a favor and keep track of the hours you spend on this job

 

[Ron247]

Being "kind of the structural engineer" is like being "kind of pregnant". You need to be all in or all out. I am slowly learning this lesson. I routinely had architects ask me some basic question about something structural and later I find out I am being referred to as the structural engineer for the project. I make sure my drawings and documents always outline my involvement and even more outline what I am not involved in. I also always assume my phone calls are being recorded. Where I live, architects can do structural work without challenge. But everyone likes a scapegoat if something goes wrong.

My fees for house framing are cheaper than most but I would never do that roof for $1,000. It would be $2,500 minimum and probably more. I used to be a carpenter, and I see numerous headaches with that many attic rooms combined with lack lack of continuity between floor levels. And you better hope they get a "custom house" quality truss supplier, not a "shade and shelter" quality.

Check out the shade and shelter quality I looked at last week. Both bottom diagonals pulled loose with just dead load and some light attic load. Looks like maybe 4 teeth in each one but at the edge:

 

[EZBuilding]

Where I live, architects can do structural work without challenge.

That is a big issue with Residential work. I have been asked to provide calculations for truss anchorage, and I anticipate that was the extent of the anticipated structural engineering scope. Makes you wonder if anyone is looking at foundations, exterior cladding walls, headers and sills let alone the lateral system of the house.

 

[Ron247]

I have had seen the architects "do the walls" on a 3 story building. All they did was call out the stud size and spacing. And they got that from a chart in the building code that is actually a "minimum required".

 

[RWW0002]

Around here, even Architect involvement for a house would be a rarity, let alone any engineering (unless you consider Joe over at the lumber yard running a few floor layouts through Boise Cascade or Forte design software "engineering - as many builders around here do).

Residential is built solely by the prescriptive requirement of the IRC and policed by the local code jurisdiction and inspectors. If it is a "custom" set of plans, you can be sure it has had very little no, design consultant oversight and has likely been drawn by the general contractor.

While this seems to have worked out fairly well over time, as residences stretch the prescriptive requirements of the code and inspectors/reviewers ignore or are unaware of IRC limitations, it may lead to more problems down the road..

 

[KootK]

I just bought a titanium bike frame imported from Tennessee so my fingers crossed hoping that local craftsmanship is impeccable.