Structural engineers in Ireland typically charge a fixed fee for a defined piece of work, such as foundation design, a beam calculation for a new opening, or a structural inspection report, and a percentage or staged fee for full design and inspection on a house build. The cost depends on the complexity of the structure and the level of site involvement.
Small, well-defined tasks such as designing a steel beam for a knock-through, or inspecting cracking and issuing a report, are usually quoted as fixed fees. Larger appointments covering foundation design, structural drawings, site inspections and certification for a full house are quoted by stage or as a percentage of construction cost.
On projects subject to statutory certification, the engineer may also act as a member of the design team providing ancillary certificates for structural design and inspection, which is a defined responsibility and is priced accordingly.