Why use a Building Services consultant?
A degree in engineering and subsequent professional development is one of the most onerous in today's university curriculum. So why do so many people involved in the development, design, refurbishment, and use of buildings attempt to get by without them?
A classic case is of a restaurant owner who recently asked advice on a refurbishment he was planning in his establishment. When he knew the cost of following that advice he decided to deal directly with the contractor, who gave him everything he asked for. Unfortunately he hadn't asked for the right thing so almost the entire installation didn't work properly - in fact, it was a disaster. The remedial works he was forced to carry out were so costly - far in excess of the fees we or any other consultant would have charged. Regrettably this contributed to the restaurant owner selling his business.
This is an unfortunately commonplace story in the construction industry. So why do so many clients go to the contractor for the design of their building services?
We are a professional company within an industry that is becoming more sophisticated (despite the misconception held by some companies about building services engineers) and as such must strive to promote our standards of professionalism. We also wish to generate an awareness that we are a cost effective component in the equation. The client gets what they want, from minimal to full design and monitoring on site.
Contractors will always give the client what they ask for, but as far as services design is concerned, most of them don't have the expertise to question the suggestions. A consulting engineer has the qualifications to investigate the total scenario to ensure that what is being proposed will actually work, and give the best overall economic solution.
It is in the interests of our profession to stress the financial benefits of using our services. For instance, how many building owners and developers appreciate that even a fee of £30,000 (for example) will not only pay for the entire design of an average £350,000 services installation but it will be accompanied by a professional indemnity of substantial proportions. Nowadays the minimum professional indemnity can be as much as £5 million, and it is often higher.
It is even more essential that the hazards of attempting to eliminate payment of those fees by bypassing the consultant are highlighted. Remedial work has been known to cost many times in excess of the consultant's proposed fee. There is an increasing amount of people in the industry who recognise the worth and effectiveness of a consultant. We are working to continually improve that situation.
Click here to contact us about the benefits of a specialist consultancy.