Structural surveyor fees?

devotee

Hi, I need some rough guide for surveyors fees.

I'd like to create two new door openings in the wall, and as I'm assuming they are load bearing, the freeholder will want the survey to say what/where etc.

I need to start ringing around but I'd like to have a ballpark figure so I know what's reasonable or not.
Thanks

Boba_Fett

hi there, i had one when i knocked two rooms into one, came and measured up, then got calcs for new steel, £75, im from the midlands though, probably dearer down your end.

building control another £180 to get the paperwork and check the job through its stages, go to a private company though cheaper than the council and quicker i was told.

devotee

Thanks, I just got someone who got back to me with the quote... drum roll.... £600!!!! He also does building control, but still... Whoa!

Doozergirl

Wow. £75 is very cheap but £600 is outrageous for a structural engineer. You don't need them to do Building Regs for you - that's as simple as filling out a form with your name and address and writing a cheQue and handing the calcs to the inspector when he comes. All you want is the calcuations and the size of the beam and openings.

We usually pay about £200 including VAT. Our last bill was £225 - that was for calculating a beam but he also gave the house a general once over and verbal advice on other things as we'd just bought the house.

I think £75 an hour is about right.

devotee

Thanks, just got another company quoting 250 for an inspection and a letter to the freeholder. I think they charge extra for calculations, but not sure, will get an email back from them tomorrow.
Some other companies will be contacting me as I've filled a form on some local surveyor website thingy... So good to know that 600 is barking mad!

devotee

So, I've had a survey, agreed with the S/E that the fees would be no more than 250+vat, so on that basis they were charging me an hourly rate of 75ph. I got that in email.
The guy came, stayed for 15-20 mins, looked at the proposed door openings and left. Got a letter back written in gobbledygook with the ready made sheets of lintels info, the lintels I needed were ticked and that was it.
So this morning the bill arrives to......393.75 +vat.... a grand total of 472.50!!!!! 5.25hours of work!

Now he's charging me for emails before I appointed him! The letter was one page long, so let's say it took him half an hour to type. His office is close by. Where are the other hours???

I called to speak to the person who actually sent me the invoice to dispute it. I emailed the surveyor's original quote so I expect a callback.

Really, can they do this? And what can I actually do?