I am building close to a city...and i have some serious hoops to go thru here. I need my plans signed by an engineer, i searched the forums and have yet to find any TF engineer leads.
There are places locally - mostly places that make laminated beams who are willing to look at my plans.
the quotes i have gotten are: ~$1000 from one place
and $2000-5000 from another.
this for an approx 30x40 house and 20x30 garage.
Are these prices 'normal'? anyone have an engineer they've worked with and recommend?
thanks....
If you go to the TF guild website, and use the resource guide icon on the home page you should be taken to the TFG business council site where you can do a search for engineers.
If you list your state only you'll get a list of these who are in your state or are licensed in your state. If you don't list your state then you will get a list of all engineers listed with the guild.
If you need more help let me know.
There are lots listed who hopefully can help you.
Jim Rogers
The ~$1000 estimate sounds reasonable, but the other would make me a little leery...
As Jim said the TFBC is probably your best bet.
Just a reference point -
I charge based on the complexity of the frame. The ones I've done recently for a local shop have been in the $1200-$1800 range, and I provide an sealed analysis packet and a cover letter to go with the TF drawings (I don't seal the drawings unless I susbstantially create them or directly guide the work). More bents = more analysis, more time. More unique framaing conditions = more time. Time = money. For me to do a set of drawings from scratch (or close) would likely be more in the $5k range, and that's about what I charge for large log homes ($0.85-$1.00/SF of plan space - fdn + floors + roof - if I get a "designers" set to work from).
I have yet to have a set kicked back with the plans + sealed analysis and coverletter of review. YMMV, of course.
Welcome to the forum Jordan. I invited Jordan over to keep an eye on us, if we are manageable :D. I've seen him making good posts on a builders forum and he is doing work for a nearby TF company that I respect.
Welcome Jordan.
And thanks Don.....
Jordan,
welcome to the forum! That's a great reference point. I realize you're just giving a ball-park price, but I was wondering if the higher price would include drawings for individual timbers - i.e. shop drawings suitable for laying out and cutting timbers?
Thanks!
Thomas
I don't do piece marks, generally, and I don't have the experience to do them for wood. You might check if the more expensive engineering quote was to provide a higher level of service like that. If they specialize or do lots of frames, they might expect to provide the whole package. My "high" price is more of a homeowner price - they would still need to et the shop drawings made by someone. I learned long ago that to be a general practicioner meant not being an expert at anything. I can charge double my normal fee to muddle through a piece by piece assembly, and the only results would likely be to add 30% to milling and fabrication over a "production" house, and make it difficult to raise. I try to avoid those parts I'm not good at.
For what it's worth, I can probably analyize two, two story bents and all the associated purlins and floor framing in a 4 bent - 3 bay structure for $500 of time if everything is close to the right size (or oversized) at the first iteration. It's the part I'm really good at. That said, I don't usually see frames like that - they don't really need me, and I charge too much per hour to just pull sizes out of a table. :)
Oh, just to clarify - I do lots of small structures, not just TF. TF may only be about 5% of my overall practice, but TF is what got me interested in this business.
as always, thanks for the replies!