Calculating a fee for a multi building apartment complex 5

[MtnManBob]

Hi guys,

I've been asked to submit a proposal for a 10 bldg apartment complex totalling 190,000 sf plus detached garages. Mutli-story, wood framed, spread footer foundation. Bldg plans and elevations will be repetitious, all bldgs looking the same. Some variation in individual bldg fdns due to sloping grade. Design for all buildings to be done first. Construction will be phased. How should I determine the fee? This is the first multi bldg project I've done.

 

[MacGyverS2000]

You're asking a question that not only doesn't really belong in this forum, but one that cannot be answered with even a modicum of accuracy given the amount of info provided.


Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[msquared48]

Couple of things:

1. Find out the fee for one building and add $500 to $1000 for each extra building to cover your liability, and the fact that it is phased construction. Since it is phased, get your money out of it at the time the permit is issued.

2. Base the fee on the anticipated number of drawings at $1500.00 or so per sheet.

There are other ways.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

http://mmcengineering.tripod.com

 

[MiketheEngineer]

Agree w/ something along the lines that M^2 proposed.

Just remember - you will still be liable for ALL 10 buildings and there might be some variations, changes, soils, etc between each one!!

And they won't cut your insurance for doing duplicates.....

 

[MtnManBob]

Thanks M^2 and Mike. You guys are class acts.

 

[msquared48]

Well, we are acts...

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

http://mmcengineering.tripod.com

 

[hawkaz]

$500 to $1000 per extra building? If we say these are 8-plexes, you are only charging $63 to $125 per unit in those building.

Track home manufactures laugh at us over ridiculously low fees and our traditional lack of business sense. I have seen many engineers give one low number for a track home design, then it is build hundreds of times. Fees can wind up being under $50 per house. Now imagine there was a bad calc and a fix needs to happen- several hundred times. The liability isn’t worth the menial fee.

 

[fasboater]

So we have 190000 sf and 10 building. Assuming they are all truly the same, you’re looking at approximately 19000 sf per building.

Assuming you charge $1.50 per sf you’re looking at about $28,500.00 for the first building. Assuming you go in with the $1000.00 for each additional building your looking at about three percent of the original cost for each additional building. I would think 25% would be more appropriate for each additional.

I thought I would put some numbers to it since that’s what we do..

http://www.bowerseng.com

 

[MiketheEngineer]

Yep - been acting for almost 40 years - and have gotten away with it!! Truly Amazing!! and people actually pay me!!! More Amazing.

 

[abusementpark]

If quality of wood construction in your neck of the woods is anything like what I normally see, don't forget to include some fee for the all the construction administration time you will spend dealing with a litany of screw-ups. Maybe by the 3rd or 4th building, they might get the strapping right.

 

[Ron]

MMB...congratulations and condolences!

I do not design these buildings (except for remediation design), but I do investigate the failure of these buildings....so I know most of the things each party gets tagged with.

These buildings are done as cheaply as the developer can get by. They are built from a minimal set of plans with insufficient detail and contract administration is sometimes nonexistent...in short, don't depend on anyone else to protect you down the road. You will be on the hook for the entire statute of repose time for your state....if they get converted to condominiums in the future, your liability time might extend, depending on your state law.

A few items you need to be concerned about even though you might not get paid to check...

1. Any submittals sent to you must be critically reviewed. Don't be shy about rejecting those with insufficient detail. Stairs, rails, windows, cladding, strapping, sheathing, nails, nailing patterns, anchors,etc. REQUIRE that a valid Evaluation Report be submitted with all applicable materials and processes. This is not the time to be a nice guy.

2. Pay attention to how your items might affect the waterproofing of the walls and flatwork. Make sure you are not in the chain to design or approve the waterproofing...leave that to the architect, but call him on it if it doesn't get done or at least addressed. This is a high liability area that pulls everyone in...architect, engineers and contractor/subs. As an example, if you have balconies with railing, how will the railing be attached to the concrete or wood and how will that connection be waterproofed. Another example...how will the windows be installed and waterproofed (components and cladding...yes, you'll get sucked into that argument as well).

3. Pay attention to how waterproofing breaches affect your design. For example, did the architect provide flashing details at the windows to protect the sheathing (shear wall) and structure? If not, send him a letter telling him to do it. Another example is if you have stucco cladding.....if the stucco and lath are not installed properly and appropriate barriers installed behind the stucco, your fasteners, strapping, etc will corrode and lose competence.

4. Make sure that anything you specify to be installed in construction gets inspected....not by you, but by an independent inspector who will be paid for by someone else, but send immediate reports to you. This includes things such as strapping, anchors, nailing patterns, nail size, etc.

The list can go on and on...but you get the picture.

Good luck...cover your a$$ with plenty of correspondence on anything you don't like.