Engineer & Builder relationship

mmc2010

Hi folks, just looking for opinions here.... We are hoping to a start a fixed price build shortly. We have more or less decided on the builder and we have changed our engineer to a local engineer who knows how to deal with the local coco. This engineer was recommended by the potential builder, I was happy enough with this as I thought the build process would be alot more straight forward if the builder and engineer at least respected each other. What I didn't realise was that this engineer and the builder are buddies and this makes me nervous. I am concerned that the engineer won't be working in our best interests anymore and instead helping his buddy and discussing everything we discuss with him. Am I being paranoid? is he obliged to work in our best interests all the time and not accept shoddy work if he comes across it? Bear in mind the builder and engineer both have a very good reputation in the locality.

Frank Black

It's important that the Builder and Engineer have a decent professional relationship as communication between the two is an important aspect of the construction process.

I'd be slightly concerned if they were really good buddies - theoretically it shouldn't matter if the Engineer acts in a completely professional manner as he is there to represent your interest - I'm an Engineer and would like to think this would be the case with the majority of my colleagues in the profession.

However, I'm in the middle of a house build myself and I would not be comfortable with the situation you outline - it's really up to you and any advice would be purely speculative.

sinnerboy

Good professionals and good builders will naturally migrate towards each other.And do good work - professionally. You ought to be pleased.

Acid test - ask to speak to clients who have used them both before.

mmc2010

Thanks guys for your responses... sinnerboy, I agree with you, that's why we picked this engineer in the first place - the fact that he would work well with the builder and that there would be no unnecessary clash of egos etc.
What concerned me really was the following; I rang the engineer two weeks ago asking if he was interested. He said he was, he asked had we picked a builder - I said that we had pretty much decided on Mr M but he didn't know that yet as we wanted to do some further negotation on price. Spoke to Mr M last night to say that we wanted to sit down and discuss the build further. Mr M said 'Mr engineer told me you were talking to him alright'......I was a tad annoyed at this.....

kboc

mmc2010 wrote: »

Thanks guys for your responses... sinnerboy, I agree with you, that's why we picked this engineer in the first place - the fact that he would work well with the builder and that there would be no unnecessary clash of egos etc.
What concerned me really was the following; I rang the engineer two weeks ago asking if he was interested. He said he was, he asked had we picked a builder - I said that we had pretty much decided on Mr M but he didn't know that yet as we wanted to do some further negotation on price. Spoke to Mr M last night to say that we wanted to sit down and discuss the build further. Mr M said 'Mr engineer told me you were talking to him alright'......I was a tad annoyed at this.....

i think you have just lost your bargaining power.

muffler

mmc2010 wrote: »

This engineer was recommended by the potential builder

This could be harmless or it could be hurtful. There are different reasons as to why a particular builder will recommend a particular engineer but it's up to you to decide why by asking their previous clients.

I know of a particular case where the appointed contractor "provided" the engineer to carry out inspections, furnish stage payment certs etc and included the engineers fee in his overall price and in fairness to the parties concerned it worked out well.

However that would have been the exception rather than the rule.

Poor Uncle Tom

It works both ways and needs to be judged on it's own merits.

sinnerboy

mmc2010 wrote: »

Mr M said 'Mr engineer told me you were talking to him alright'......I was a tad annoyed at this.....

2 ways to look at this.

1. everything is open/transparent

or

2. they might think they see you coming

Trust your instincts - after some research with past clients.

mmc2010

I haven't met the engineer yet, only spoke to him on the phone. My husband has met him and thinks he's fairly straight. Will have to meet him and do abit of sussing.....

sydthebeat

if you do go with this engineer be very straight and up front ...... let him know from the outset that you expect him to act in your interests alone and that his obvious friendship with the builder should been seen in this light.

obviously if you have a construction specification and construction drawings there is significantly less risk of anything untoward happening