Interesting article from Faithful+Gould in your last issue (Fee report, QS News, 28 July) but there is an issue about who does the design.

Under some procurement routes the contractor, and/or sub-contractors, do much of the design and in some circumstances provide the cost advice as well. This cost is therefore included in the contractor’s price, not in the consultant’s fees.

A survey carried out by BCIS a couple of years ago showed that consultants fees on design and build jobs were half those on lump sum tenders.

This may well be a better explanation of why US fees are so much lower than Britain than their ‘lack appreciation of design’. Although personal observation would tend to support that as well!

Joe Martin, director, BCIS

Source

QS News