Consultancy and Supervision for New Build / Work for Architects

[The Solar King]

This can be nice work, but what do you charge?

I have been involved in projects that become quite long and drawn out as clients and (especially) architects, some of whom think they know it all but are ignorant idiots (the architects that is), get to understand what is possible and how it integrates into the proposed building and with other technologies. It is easy to get paid nothing unless you make it clear at the start, you don't do this for free.

Having gone through that, there is then the build phase followed by commissioning. I am normally able to work with the builder or trades people for the majority of the installation, but not testing, connection and commissioning which we undertake at the appropriate time.

With retrofit you make maybe one or two site visits and installation is one day, or runs into a second at most with something like roof integration. You make your money and leave.

I need to charge at least as much as the gross margin on a retrofit, but it can start to look expensive for the client.

How does anyone else deal with this?

 

[Worcester]

Our new build rates are higher than retrofit due to the above and the longer timescales between 1st and 2nd fit. Plus usually the extra site visits to agree exact details and sometimes even specification and containment of the cabling, or to make sutre what they said they would do they did.

Some builders/developers we get on with those we don't, we refuse to quote for again. Life is too short for the hassle and there is plenty of work out there.