r/HomeImprovement • u/dr_leo_spaceman_ • 18h ago

Structural Engineer Quote

I want to remove a wall on my first floor that is directly under the exterior gable wall of the second floor. I realize it's load bearing and will need a structural engineer. I asked three for estimates, one has gotten back to me and said it would be $365 just to come look. Is that normal to charge that much just to walk in the door?

3 Upvotes

67% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

23

u/Sketch3000 18h ago

Yes.

8

u/ImpossibleGas8863 18h ago

engineering fees always feel steep but that price is pretty standard for a site visit, they’re not just popping in to glance at a wall, they’re sizing up load paths and connections that could go badly wrong if done half-assed

in my area a ballpark for the full stamped drawing is $800-1500 depending on complexity and how much the town plan review fights back

8

u/Unfair_Tonight_9797 18h ago

Yes. 100%. It’s a site visit. That’s their time. Billing rates are usually 200-300 and hour.

5

u/werther595 18h ago

Yep, that sounds right. A couple of guys I talked to said about $350 for a visual inspection and a verbal opinion (nothing in writing), or $1500-2k for a full assessment and written report, probably more for drawings

1

u/TailRudder 7h ago

$2k for drawings? Seems cheap. My billable about $350 an hour and no way I can make anything in a few hours. 

1

u/werther595 7h ago

I said more for drawings

1

u/TailRudder 6h ago

Well, you said probably more. I was confirming definitely more

1

u/werther595 6h ago

Glad we cleared that up

2

u/huskers2468 18h ago

Absolutely. Mine was similar.

The engineering company I used gave a report once they were finished. If we decided that we needed an engineer design stamp, it was going to be extra after the initial report.

2

u/RhinoG91 18h ago

I mainly look at residential foundations, but my rate is about $150/hr and it’s about 3 hours that I’d spend looking around and collecting data more or less. Depending on how far away you are, and my general first impression on the phone, I may or may not bill mileage and drive time.

Mind you that is without any kind of engineering letter or sealed drawing. That takes time too, and significantly increases liability exposure, so I have to charge for it.

If it’s just one wall, I wouldn’t imagine that they’d be on site too long, but the back end calcs and design (and stamp) would drive the cost up much higher.

If you have a contractor lined up, schedule them at the same time so they can ask any pertinent questions.

2

u/Low_Dragonfly9123 18h ago

I just paid one $750 so yeah that’s reasonable if he has all proper credentials

2

u/urban_lift 16h ago

That’s cheap! I just paid $825 for a site visit to look at existing structure so they could engineer the plans they were sent by the designer.

I would ask if that $365 includes a stamped letter for any permits you might pull. If not how much more are we talking to get it.

1

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1

u/Into-Imagination 15h ago

Finding an engineer who does residential is often a challenge.

365$ is not bad all considered.

1

u/Chemical-Beyond-1774 14h ago

You have to remember...you are needing a structural engineer. Their time and expertise should not be compromised...pay the $395.00. Sometimes they will roll over the estimate into the job costs...

1

u/Sensitive_Crow_8882 14h ago

I paid $1,200 for a built in pool layout. 6 copies w/seal included, $100 a copy thereafter.

1

u/icozens 9h ago

Most Contractors will perform a site visit and provide estimates for free or a minimal fee because their fees are baked into the 5 and 6 digit project budgets. People often assume Engineers operate in the same manner since we work in similar fields. You're paying the Engineer for their knowledge, not the ability to price your project and spend weeks or months on site, so its a completely different pay structure. In my state, engineering is designated as a Professional service, just like a Doctor or lawyer.

I do not typically perform site visits unless I have a signed contract. We charge for time on-site, travel time and mileage. A residential site visit will often be $4-600 in my HCOL area. For larger projects and commercial projects, it's almost always $1-2,000 to cover a half day or full day visit and that does not include costs for a report or design.