I also like to share my experience. I paid €1450 net for this 200-page structural engineer’s pamphlet I built according to. Our structural design is relatively complex due to the roof truss and the four dormers on the upper floor. The structural engineer installed so much steel (e.g., 3.5m wide fixed glass elements in the living room) and wood in the roof truss that I was amazed. But I am also confident that everything will last about 100 years.
A single-family house, even if complex, should be completed by a capable structural engineer in 2 working days. At an hourly rate of €75-85, that all fits.
That makes me wonder whether an "expensive" structural engineer would have calculated as much steel or found a cheaper and smarter solution. Whether the material costs then outweigh the planning costs is, of course, a whole different matter.
And personally, I doubt that dormers make a structural analysis complex. 3.5m fixed glazing doesn’t sound remarkable or very complex. Isn’t it rather unusual large room spans without load-bearing walls or, for example, corresponding cantilevers of upper floors, etc.?
Are you estimating your assumption of two working days, or is this a layman’s assessment on your part? Do you have references or contacts that can confirm this? Are we also talking about service phases 1-6 of structural planning here?
Perhaps it could be because there are comparable objects for which a similar calculation already exists?!
As a layperson in construction, I quickly reach my limits. I like to trust my architect, who has done a good job so far. However, when I see the values discussed here in the forum, I naturally start to wonder.
Good work should be properly compensated. Then both sides benefit. Still, a counteroffer should be recognized accordingly.