Questions to Ask Your Civil Engineer Before You Start a New Project with Them

When choosing a civil engineer to redesign your property, it is important to be smart and communicate properly so that the team is aware of your expectations.

Here are some questions to ask your civil engineer before you start a new project with them to ensure if they are suited for the job:

1.   What is Your Average Response time to Emails?

One of the questions to ask your civil engineer before you start a new project with them is how often they will be replying to your queries sent via email. Before two parties work together, it is important that they reach a mutual agreement so that neither feels pressured.

In response to your question, your civil engineer should ideally ask you how fast you expect a reply. Once you learn each other�s expectations, you will understand how to communicate. Of course, the response time can be different for each project. If you are looking for a quick response rate, make sure to ask your engineer if they will be able to manage that. The design phase may have a slower response time since the engineers will have to analyse alternatives and solutions to your question. However, questions need to be dealt with faster during construction. After all, how long can you wait for an answer if your street is broken?

2.   Are Your Higher Costs Worth It?

Usually, civil engineers charge between 15 to 17 per cent of the project cost altogether. Hence, you can save some money while constructing the project. Even though you may think that choosing a civil engineer who is cheaper than the rest by a few thousand is a smart idea, you may end up paying more in construction. Hence, your best bet is to find a civil engineer who is the most qualified for your project and then try to negotiate the fee to fit your budget.

It is essential that your civil engineer produces a good end-result project. If you are looking for slightly cheaper construction costs, ask your team to show you some plans and specifications. Moreover, top-notch drawings and designs in competitive bids will result in a project that does not cost too much to build. If any information is missing, the engineer may have to make end-minute decisions which could lead to additional costs.

3.   How Are You Different from Other Engineers?

There are so many questions to ask your civil engineer, but before hiring them, you must ask them what makes them worthy of your trust. As a client, it is important to know what your potential team of engineers brings to the table that others do not. Their distinguishing factors could encourage you to hire them on the spot.

After all, you need a team of engineers who are trusted and can provide you with sound advice. They need to have the knowledge needed to put together your project, but they also need to have accountability. You need to be able to trust your civil engineer before you get into business with them. Looking for a reliable team of civil engineers for your project? Contact us today!