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.