I've got a crack running from a window down to the baseboard in my basement. It's not huge, but I think it deserves a professional's opinion. The first structural engineer I contacted quoted me $650 for a visit plus a written and stamped report. Is this a reasonable price, or am I getting ripped off? It's my first experience dealing with something like this, so I'm not sure what to expect.
5 Answers
If you're concerned about the cost, you could ask them to come out for an initial evaluation to see if a full report is really necessary. Sometimes they’ll give you a basic assessment and might waive the fee if it's minor.
Yeah, I think that's about the right ballpark. In fact, just a few years back the average in my area was around $400, so $650 feels pretty normal for a stamped report these days.
Seems reasonable to me! But you should definitely shop around and get a few more quotes just to be safe. It’s interesting how the pricing for structural engineers aligns closely with home inspectors, even though anyone can be a home inspector. If you've seen the structural engineering exam, you'd realize just how specialized their knowledge is.
That price is actually pretty standard. Remember, it's not just a simple look-over; the fee includes their time for inspection, writing the report, and stamping it, which all adds liability for the engineer. I work in a similar field and I charge about $200/hour myself, so I'd say this breaks down to around 3-4 hours of work.
In some places, rates are even higher! So if that’s what you’re being quoted, you're likely looking at a fair rate for this type of work.