JohnB001
Structural
- Jun 15, 2024
- 13
Hi everyone,
I'm a civil engineer who recently took the leap and started my own civil engineering firm. It's been a great experience so far, but I’m still figuring out the business side of things—especially when it comes to pricing.
I’m looking for some advice on how to estimate fees for site development projects. Are there any rules of thumb, spreadsheets, or general guidelines that can help with putting together fair and competitive proposals?
Back when I was working as an employee, I mainly focused on the design work and never really dealt with estimating hours or putting together proposals. Now, I can break down tasks like grading, drainage, erosion control, etc., and estimate hours reasonably well—but once the project gets large, I start second-guessing everything. It’s easy to overthink each lead, and trying to come up with detailed proposals for every opportunity is becoming really time-consuming.
Right now, I’ve set my hourly rate at $120/hr (I work from home with very little overhead), but I’d love to hear if that seems reasonable.
I’ve just been approached about a large-scale project, and I really don’t know what a typical ballpark fee should look like for something big. Any tips, especially from other solo practitioners or small firms, would be super helpful.
Thanks in advance!
I'm a civil engineer who recently took the leap and started my own civil engineering firm. It's been a great experience so far, but I’m still figuring out the business side of things—especially when it comes to pricing.
I’m looking for some advice on how to estimate fees for site development projects. Are there any rules of thumb, spreadsheets, or general guidelines that can help with putting together fair and competitive proposals?
Back when I was working as an employee, I mainly focused on the design work and never really dealt with estimating hours or putting together proposals. Now, I can break down tasks like grading, drainage, erosion control, etc., and estimate hours reasonably well—but once the project gets large, I start second-guessing everything. It’s easy to overthink each lead, and trying to come up with detailed proposals for every opportunity is becoming really time-consuming.
Right now, I’ve set my hourly rate at $120/hr (I work from home with very little overhead), but I’d love to hear if that seems reasonable.
I’ve just been approached about a large-scale project, and I really don’t know what a typical ballpark fee should look like for something big. Any tips, especially from other solo practitioners or small firms, would be super helpful.
Thanks in advance!
