A
civil engineer is an integral part of a professional
team composed of surveyors, attorneys, architects, planners
and landscape architects. Choose an engineer in whose
skill and judgment you can place your trust. Ask for
references and opinions from other clients prior to
hiring the engineer. Competency is important. Your selection
of an engineer should be made when you are sure that
the professional you have chosen has all the facts,
and is aware of your requirements and the requirements
of the governmental agency under which your property
has jurisdiction.
Engineers
vary in knowledge and ability. The experiences expressed
by clients have shown the majority of engineers provide
competent work for a reasonable fee.
Typical
Civil Engineering Tasks
Typical
civil engineering tasks related to the development of
a parcel include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Boundary
and topography: The boundaries of your parcel(s) are
set up by your chosen surveyor. From the information
provided by the surveyor, the civil engineer can compile
a topographic map detailing the layout of the land.
-
Subdivision Design: Subdivision design, whether by
dividing one parcel of land into two or dividing acres
into a new community, is a large portion of many civil
engineering practices. The civil engineer will suggest
a potential layout for the subdivision and proceed
from there to produce drawings that ultimately define
the layout of roads and utilities, and how they will
be constructed. The engineer can also assist with
governmental meetings, review and final approval.
- Boundary
lot line adjustments: At times, property owners wish
to readjust the boundaries of existing parcels. There
can be a variety of reasons for such adjustments,
including an argument between contiguous parcel owners,
or to achieve a better layout for a proposed development.
Your civil engineer, along with the assistance of
your surveyor, can propose the boundary lot line adjustment
to the regulating agency for approval.
-
Design of access roads into the property
-
Design of water and sewer facilities, whether to connect
to public supplies or provide engineering for individual
wells and/or septic tanks
-
Design of storm facilities for proper drainage: This
is typically the most difficult portion of engineering
design, especially as it relates to sensitive areas
and endangered species.
How much will a Civil Engineer cost?
The
cost of most civil engineering work is determined upon
the following variables:
- Type
of engineering: You may only need civil engineering
for access into the property. Other engineering services
include design of water and sewer connections to public
supplies, well or septic tank design, and storm water
conveyance and retention/detention. Costs may increase
as the required precision and scope of the engineering
increases.
-
Size and scope of property: The design of your access
road(s) and utilities are usually directly related
to the size of your property and the number of parcels
involved. An irregularly shaped parcel may require
additional utility infrastructure than a square parcel.
- Terrain:
It is easier to design access roads and utilities
for a level parcel of land than it is for a parcel
with major slopes.
-
Phases of design and construction: Costs will vary
depending upon how large the development is, and whether
or not phasing is implemented.
-
Jurisdictional Requirements: Federal, state and local
governmental requirements are constantly changing,
as well as becoming more difficult to meet by a developer's
perspective. Depending upon the location of your property,
design of storm infrastructure can entail both water
quality and storm retention/detention facilities.
In specifically sensitive areas, i.e. near lakes and
salmon bearing streams, the agency reviewing the proposal
can require property owners to provide additional
studies on, for instance, wildlife habitat, biological,
storm and water levels. Additional water quality infrastructure
may also be required as a condition of approval for
a development.
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