Design vs. engineering question

[perryh]

The Courts are really the final decider's on who is liable for what. Just get a good Construction competent attorney if anything goes wrong.

[tmunson]

There is another thing to consider. I charge up to $50/hr. All of the engineers I have worked with charge over $100/hr. Why would I want my client to pay over $100/hr for work that I can do? The less the engineer has to do the more money I save my client. Am I taking money away from an engineer? So far they appreciate the work that I do, it saves them time and makes their job easier.

If you need an engineer, they will make sure that you have located and calculated the loads correctly and that the supporting members are adequet. They will do the braced wall schedules and any other aspect of the project that have to be customed engineered. So I leave the details for those parts of the plan for later, then add them per the instructions of the engineer. I do almost all of the drafting work.

[Alaskan Son]

There is another thing to consider. I charge up to $50/hr. All of the engineers I have worked with charge over $100/hr. Why would I want my client to pay over $100/hr for work that I can do? The less the engineer has to do the more money I save my client. Am I taking money away from an engineer? So far they appreciate the work that I do, it saves them time and makes their job easier.

Good observation. This is the main reason I asked the question in the first place.

[Alaskan Son]

Perry,

No offense, but I'm not so concerned with the liability, more concerned with doing whats right and fair.

[rcole]

No offense, but I'm not so concerned with the liability, more concerned with doing whats right and fair.

Remember what Yoda told Luke when Luke remarked that he was not afraid of Darth Vader?

Yoda simply relpied "you will be".

[lbuttery]

Rod:

there is liability in everything we do in life

I have car insurance and I try to drive responsibly

but someday I may get stung by a bee or have a fainting spell and I may
wipe out a car with a family and get sued for millions

I still drive my car every day anyways ...

Lew

[rcole]

Rod:

there is liability in everything we do in life

I have car insurance and I try to drive responsibly

but someday I may get stung by a bee or have a fainting spell and I may
wipe out a car with a family and get sued for millions

I still drive my car every day anyways ...

Lew

Two different things Lew.

On the one hand we have ordinary risks that can befall anyone at any time.

On the other hand we have risks that are built into the system. As my attorney sees it, a lawsuit is simply a cost to doing business.

[lbuttery]

Two different things Lew


Rod:

I see risk as risk

of course I can be sued, in the USA anyone can be sued at anytime

I will do my job diligently and not "fret" about being sued

Lew

[Alaskan Son]

Remember what Yoda told Luke when Luke remarked that he was not afraid of Darth Vader?

Yoda simply relpied "you will be".

I'm just saying when liability is brought in to the picture its more "whats best for me". My original question was geared towards whats best for the client. They're the ones paying for it, and we should be doing whats right by them.

[moak]

I don't think there's any problem doing things you're competent to do and comfortable doing. Engineers aren't required on every project I do. The real key is knowing when you're over your head need to engage an engineer.

[Joe Carrick]

I don't think there's any problem doing things you're competent to do and comfortable doing. Engineers aren't required on every project I do. The real key is knowing when you're over your head need to engage an engineer.

I'm in agreement with this - but I got my education at a University that provided both Architectural and Architectural Engineering degrees. I majored in Architecture but minored in Architectural Engineering. I'm fairly confident in doing most of the Structural Engineering for smaller projects but when I do a project that has a lot of special analysis I hire an Engineer.

If I am going to need an Engineer, I get them on board early so that there's no delay in getting their work. I provide them with layouts as soon as the prelims are done. Generally, they do all the necessary calculations and provide details that I incorporate into the CD's. As an Architect, I am qualified to Stamp the CD's (including Structural) and will do so. The calculations themselves will be stamped by the Engineer. If the project is very complex I'll have the Engineer review and stamp the Structural Drawings as well.

[perryh]

I draw everything, My engineer does nothing except mark up and prepare the Calcs. I give him a pretty complete plan so, he sees the way I want the structure to work. He will tell me if its screwed up or not and make adjustments. More drafting means you should Charge for it. But thats me and your situation might be different. Doing this for 35 years theres nothing new, so I feel confident with just about anything.

[perryh]

Rod, that's funny.

[sutcac]

Yeah, it's the same kind of sob story I've heard from engineers who poo-pooed worrying about just rubber stamping some buddy of their's plans for a quick buck until it came back to bite them in a lawsuit. Then I can't hire them any more because they can't get liability insurance.

[perryh]

I don't think anybody here is talking about rubber stamping, of course that's not right.
full reviews only, everyone's happy then. I sure wish I was located in Arroyo Grande, so nice up there. Lake Lopez,Pismo,Jocko's, oh my.