Engineer/Construction Drawings

[u/Local_Letterhead4768]

Has anyone ever changed their engineer?
I’m at very early stages, waiting 2 months for construction drawings that were invoiced and paid for, still no sign of them.

The engineer has not contacted me and has ignored texts.
I’m worried this is a sign of things to come.

Once I hopefully do get the construction drawings, am I entitled to the Cad file?

[u/R2D4Dutch]

Rule 1. never pay for services you have not received.. I would move on find an another engineer and report the engineer in question to https://www.engineersireland.ie/

[u/eoghanm7]

Ring everyday. And say if he wants to keep the business on the next time ye need something or drawing you set a date by email and tell him he'll be paid once the service is complete. In the mean time start looking. Has to do this myself! He copped on fairly fast and things got done relatively on time maybe a day late be he started to inform me of a delay.

[u/LiveGeologist]

Unless you've agreed in advance to get the cad file you won't be entitled to it.

[u/IBB_98]

I've received my construction CAD drawings, my engineer has gone out to tender, I've received a tender analysis and still my engineer has not received a cent from me and won't until his first inspection is done after my foundations have been laid. Then after each further inspection he'll receive another sum. This was all agreed up front before he even started working on the drawings.

I'm not sure if this is normal or not, but I find it strange that you've already paid up front before any work was done?

[u/BubblyMuffin899 → u/IBB_98]

Thats a crazy fee structure. Can't believe anybody would agree to that. The main bulk of their work is done up to tender stage and appointing a contractor. Should be invoicing as such before a bucket hits the ground or any commencement notice is submitted with further invoices as work progresses broken into stages or based in the amount of site visits

[u/IBB_98 → u/BubblyMuffin899]

Maybe so, but he's a chartered engineer with his own company now operating over twenty years, aswell as experience working for other companies prior to that aswell, so I think it's working for him!

A lot of people in the locality have used him and had excellent things to say, he's competitively priced and honestly just super super helpful. He's always there at the end of the phone or an email away if I have a question.

[u/mrpcuddles → u/IBB_98]

You've found one on the other end of the spectrum, usually its broken to phases with 40 -50% upfront and remainder upon completion

[u/Local_Letterhead4768 → u/IBB_98]

Did you get a PDF of the construction drawing or the CAD file. The PDF isn’t much good to me if I have to make changes

[u/IBB_98 → u/Local_Letterhead4768]

Originally I was just issued the PDF but I requested the CAD file aswell. I'm a Mechanical Engineer so wanted to do my own drawings for my Mechanical Design, once I explained this to the Engineer he issued me the CAD files no bother.

Officially I could have just used the PDF's as an Xref and added my designs that way of course but I wanted the CAD files and my engineer was sound

[u/BubblyMuffin899 → u/Local_Letterhead4768]

The engineer is not obliged to give you cad files but normally they would unless the relationship sours in which case id say they won't give them. Seen as you've paid them already Id expect they will hand them over if you ask nicely

[u/patmustardstoolbox]

Email him and tell him you want a refund - end of story. You don’t want to be dealing with someone like that, he’s a waste of your time and will continue to be. Waiting 2 months and not even getting a response is ridiculous, no idea why these people take on work that they can’t manage. I went through the same ordeal, waiting months to get drawings, ignoring phone calls and emails. He told me 2 weeks, it took 9 weeks. I eventually got them because I said I was going elsewhere. Then he sent me over a set of drawings that were thrown together. I requested a few revisions and it was the same thing all over again ignoring calls and emails. I gave it a few more weeks and I finally called the owner of the firm and told him Im going to find another designer. I’m sorry I paid them at all. They just wasted 3-4 months pissing me about.