You need us on that wall… you want us on that wall!

Recently, I received a call from a client asking if I could provide him with a ballpark fee for a project. No drawings were available, only a loose verbal description of the task at hand. The scope of work was not extensive. Of course, it was extremely important to provide the fee the same day as it was crucial to the project that we move quickly. A few hours later I e-mailed him our fee. The response was quick and to the point: the client did not understand why the fee was so high since he had figured it would not take but a few hours of work. This is a common issue. Our efforts are often viewed as a commodity, not as a professional service.

We are frequently viewed as an industry where the deliverables are measured and evaluated by quantity, not as a product which has an inherent value regardless of the amount of time it takes to produce it. Everything we create carries with it a level of risk not typically associated with a commodity. Our work provides an intangible worth. To figure the fee for what we produce simply by estimating the amount of hours it takes to generate it avoids its intrinsic significance and diminishes our worth as a profession.

In these difficult economic times it is expected that more often than not we will need to compete for projects. Consequently, we have had to lower our sights and reduce our fees accordingly in order to remain competitive in the marketplace and survive. But even in these tough times we must remain vigilant and ensure that our fees continue to reflect the importance of our work. We must not allow for the pressures of the current business climate to alter our view of the profession, the work we produce or how we go about producing it.

The issue is not just on the client’s side. Some engineers tend base their level of effort on whether they deem the project to be significant. Project significance can be defined as - among other things - a large project, a prominent project, or a project for a prospective client that may lead to other work. Projects not falling under these categories may not get as much attention. This too, diminishes our worth. Every project regardless of its level of import must be treated with equal concern. In this way, our value and the value of our product will persevere.

When we consider our fees, we need to keep in mind why we are being asked to provide the service in the first place. We need to ask ourselves what the client is really seeking. Are we perceived as necessary only to gain approval by the governing authority? What if we were not part of the process, what would the client stand to lose? We need to consider that what we provide is not only a level of comfort to the user but an environment where they feel safe and secure. What is the price of that?

Our expertise will ensure that the structures will perform as expected and that they will be safe and endure over time. Our involvement reduces the owner’s level of risk; because of our knowledge in this field we are able to lessen their risk by assuming some of it ourselves. Our involvement is not only necessary, it is imperative and indispensable.

This is how we must perceive ourselves and our work so that we can aptly assign a value to what we generate and stand by it when questioned about the number of hours a certain task should take. The respect and value that our profession deserves starts with the integrity of those who practice it, that’s us, the structural engineering community.

Posted by Jesus Sierra, S.E.