Estimating electrical design fee as a percentage of the total MEP fee

[Volt-Amps]

Regards,

I couldn't find anywhere on the web an article that helps breakdown MEP design fees into mechanical design fee, electrical and plumbing.
I have a partner and we sometimes disagree on what the electrical fee should be when compared to mechanical and plumbing.
A typical electrical design includes:

- lighting
- power
- telecommunication
- fire alarm device layout, but not full fire alarm system design and calculations.
- Schedules and calculations
- riser diagrams

Mechanical and plumbing does not include fire protection system design and calculations.

Most of our projects are restaurants, coffee shops, dunkin donut, office spaces, warehouses, residential, etc.

I would really appreciate your input as I have good number of years of design experience, but not much when it comes to estimating design fees.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

I just googled it and the first site seems appropriate.

http://www.engineeringdesignresources.com/tag/typical-mep-design-fees/


Here is what I did

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=mep+design+fee

 

[cadpoint]

Oh yes, you have your work cut out for you.

The following is all based on my friendship I've had for years:

I've had this conversation with a good friend many, many times who is a PE.
I always love the blank stare he gives me! Is his brain thinking I'm full of it,
or is his brain in the calculation mood, or is he just the cold aloof PE we all love.
He's told me more than once that I'm the only to state, "Get over himself"!

It's mostly been a one sided conversation but my part is that he's doesn't
charge enough for his product and both he and I know it.

This is one of those questions that if you ask five people you'll get more than
five answers. Similar to all the various opinions based
on the Google search given.

Here the basic's of my argument of to my PE friend; He's got enough jobs under
his belt that he knows the mean average of time involved to get any type of project out.
He should use this data and come up with the numbers to the type of job he does,
and the services he provides.

What you didn't mention was what is the total engineering services your offering!
Is it just Plans/Drawings, Is it Plans and Spec's, Is it Plans, Spec's and Site visits
and or progress meetings. All this is time and some required accounting on your part
is either sold up front or your dragged into anything previously mentioned then it's
on your nickel because it wasn't sold up front with the customer but your accountable by association.

I'm sure you have a read on your average customer and you know what required
regionally that usually not sold or said to the customer, and you have to re-do work
and about anything else that can happen with prepared professional documents,
all on your nickel. Are you accounting for any of this time?

Oh yeah were you on the high or low side in the argument with your associate?> :happyyes:

FYI & IMO money, and most business decisions are a flat subject matter here,
Google and the public library are a better friend.

You don't have to answer anything I posted, I really don't expect any answers, your a PE, and I won't answer anything of yours...

Welcome to the Forum!

 

[Volt-Amps]

Thanks Dennis and Cadpoint.

Dennis - I actually founf the same spreadsheet prior o posting, but it did not give enough detail on how to estimate for the various job type, for example a restaurant is different than a residence, or office building, etc.
It roughly give 35% to electrical, but is it similar for restaurants where you have a full line of equipment that needs power and verification?

Thank you both