quantity surveyor/project manager fees

marc3

Scenario-'major works project in older/listed building with 5 apartments
total project value-circa £85K.
about £30K done/spent so far on build costs with associated professional fees separate

management company employing a surveyor- who is also acting as project manger.

fees to date are approx 25% of build costs-and thus being charged back to the lessees .

seems high to me.
I can be sympathetic and think that in early stages-fees may be proportionally higher-and maybe as a listed building-a bit more work-but still seems excessive to me
(i can't get hold of terms of engagement )
everyone else seems to be accepting it, but have no experience and plenty of money ,and don't seem to care !

have been told future fees will be a bit lower-but to average even 15% over the full term-they would need to be about 5% from now on which is never going to happen !!

I am questioning it .
Am i being fair/realistic ?

I have done a bit of trolling-but can't find anything specific on this-apart from paid sites -and seems that RICS stopped giving guidelines in 2000

i would have anticipated fees to be between 10-12% of building costs.
maybe up to 15% in early days
fees seem disproportionate to me-
Again-appreciate every project would be on its own merit-but broadbrushing this ,am i right to be questionning it ?

there is nothing extraordinary /unanticipated occurred to date.

what would those with more experience of this expect professional fee % to be ?

teneighty

10 -12% would be for the architect/designer. I haven't got my fee guidance with me at the moment but off the top of my head I would have said 6 - 8% just for contract admin/project management. 25% is crazy unless that is for all professional fees including the landlord's agent leaseholder consultation etc.

marc3

thanks for reply.

no architect /design work involved (the little there is can be done by the contractor.

Its repair/refurb/maintenance work on an older listed building.

I similarly agree that it seems crazy-although coming down as a percentage as project goes on-but will still end up at over 15 % imo,and prob more .
problem being the other 4 leaseholders involved don't seem to care /are gullable /and as such believe anything the project manager tells them.

FTBuyerGlasgow

This is just to give you an idea: I'm a QS to trade, my boss can bill me out at £350 a day.

For QS/PM fees I'd agree 25% is ridiculous, are they on an hourly agreement and just taking the p***?

Typically the most expensive fees are the Engineer, usually about 5% mark but they do a lot of site visits/inspections.

marc3

thanks people -appreciated

so would both respondents agree that my way of thinking that 10-12% of 'works' is being reasonable /flexible/generous given that it is an older listed building so maybe a bit more work than usual involved-and QS/PM job is combined - ;and at anything over15% i am absolutely correct to stamp my feet a bit ?