Daryl:
The same “client” sent me ANOTHER RFP for a peer review this morning.
I told him to hire the same guy as last time and leave me alone.
David L. Fisher SE PE
Senior Principal
Fisher and Partners
372 West Ontario
Suite 301
Chicago 60654
312.622.0409 (m)
312.573.1701
312.573.1726 (f)
www.fpse.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Daryl Richardson [mailto:h.d.richardson@shaw.ca]
Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2009 12:47 PM
To: seaint@seaint.org
Subject: Re: Fees
David,
It's interesting that the numbers should be $3,500 and $550. Back about 1983 (when times in Western Canada were about the same as I expect some of you people are now experiencing) I was asked for a proposal to do a library about 60 miles out of town for an architect and those were virtually the identical numbers. My budget was for engineering design, drafting, shop drawing review, and five trips to the site. Even $3,500 was too cheap!!
It's a mistake to take projects for the $500 level of fees when even $3,500 is probably on the low side; $500 hardly even covers the insurance. Once you do take such a job you are labeled a "bottom feeder" and the best work you can get is designing one storey warehouses and miscellaneous beams for residential for architects in non seismic areas. You are better off to "tough it out" in my opinion.
Regards,
H. Daryl Richardson
----- Original Message -----
From: David L. Fisher
Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2009 9:12 AM
Subject: Fees
We submitted a proposal to do a peer review for a project in Chicago.
Our fee was $3,500.00
The winning bidder?
$550.00
Peer reviews in Chicago take about four days just to complete all the paperwork.
*ouch*
Things are really tough out there.
David L. Fisher SE PE
Senior Principal
Fisher and Partners
372 West Ontario
Suite 301
Chicago 60654
312.622.0409 (m)
312.573.1701
312.573.1726 (f)
www.fpse.com