Frequently Asked Questions
ESABA Consulting Engineers has all the necessary accreditations and Professional Indemnity Insurance in place. ESABA’s current PI Insurance is set at R50 mil. To date we have a clean record with no claims every submitted against us or our insurers.
Engineering fees are regulated by the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA). Although this is a guideline more than a regulation it gives a pretty good indication of what would be considered to be a reasonable fee.
ECSA differentiates between various methods of fee calculation, which may be too complicated to discuss in detail on this platform. But herewith the abbreviated version.
Fees based on Time and reimbursable costs.
The time required to complete the tasks are determined prior to commencement. The price per hour is also agreed. This will form the basis of the financial agreement.
Fees based on Cost of works
The Engineering fee is calculated as a percentage of the Cost of Works (the construction value). There are various factors that determine the fee percentage. Amongst others these include the type of work, economy of scale, complexity and risk.
Agreed fees
The ECSA fee guidelines also make provision for a simple fee agreement between the parties.
Not all clients of engineers know what they should expect from the engineer. They know they need an engineer, but not what the service entail or what assistance would be provided.
To assist with this situation the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) publish the Fee guidelines annually. This document not only determines the applicable fee for specific tasks, it also determines the deliverables associated.
Hence, if you appointed the engineer in terms of the ECSA fee guidelines his/her duties are prescribed by law. If the appointment is not in terms of the ECSA fee guidelines the Client (you) need to detail the deliverables in the appointment documentation.
It is therefore easier and safer to base the appointment of the engineering firm on the ECSA fee Guidelines which explicitly define the deliverables.
The Guideline also assign risk which would assist you should there be defects at a later stage.
The duration of a project depends on many factors such as Scale, Complexity, availability of information, regulatory requirements and so on. Project durations can be anything from a day up to several years.
Projects are however divided into 7 Stages to assist with the project lifecycle. These include;
Stage 0: Planning
If the scope of the project is not yet determined ESABA can assist with the Project Planning and scope determination
Stage 1: Inception
This stage establish the requirements of the scope that was determined in the previous stage.
Stage 2: Concept and Viability
The Conceptual planning of the project and the provisional financial considerations are developed during this stage.
Stage 3: Design Development
The design and final costing is finalised in this stage.
Stage 4: Documentation and Procurement
The procurement of the contractor and all associated documentation are developed in this stage. This stage aims to appoint a contractor to build the infrastructure.
Stage 5: Construction and monitoring
This is the construction stage. ESABA will manage and monitor the progress of the construction. Quality assurance, financial and risk management ARE also part of this stage.
Stage 6: Close-Out
The Close-out stage is the administrative completion of the project.
Esaba is proud to be a level 2 BBEEE contributor.
Testimonials
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As Contractors the Esaba Engineers always treated us fairly and professionally. Their contract management capabilities and quick decision making greatly assists the timeous completions of the construction stage.
Rukesh Raghubir
Contractor - M&D Construction -
I have extensively dealt with the Esaba Engineers through their appointment as specialists under Pro-Plan Consulting. Their service and technical expertise are admirable. They are truly professional.
Mahlomola Mehlo
Client - Magalieswater -
The Engineers of Esaba are extremely professional and diligent. I believe they played an important role in the success of our projects.
Richard Kriel
Client - Heineken -
Esaba’s ingenuity and attentiveness enabled us to deliver the project with reduced timeframes. The quality of the design work and the financial administration greatly assisted with the Project’s Benefit Realisation Assessment.
Barry van Es
Client - Pro-Plan Consulting Eng -
Exceptional work delivered on time. The technical accuracy of the project is incredible. Cost and schedule planning proved to be spot-on.
Maretha Marais
Client - Pro-Plan Consulting Eng