Finding an Engineering Consultant

The right professional can ensure the success of your project

By Irwin Speizer, Freelance Writer

With about two million professional engineers practicing in the U.S. today, finding the right one for your needs can be a complicated task. The field is broken down into 19 practice areas and includes well-known specialties such as civil, computer and electrical, as well as others like agricultural, biomedical and fire protection.

Picking an engineering consultant can be a time-consuming process that often takes two months or more, and false starts can be costly. Finding and hiring the right engineer quickly and effectively can:

Save you time and money
Help you complete a technical or complex project
Help you meet regulatory approvals
Provide you with specialty expertise
Help you solve a problem
Insure that a design is safe and will perform as expected

Determine what type of engineer you need

Deciding what engineering specialty to call is not always easy. Electrical engineers are not the same as electronics engineers. If you're looking for a civil engineer, is it a general civil engineer or a structural engineer? Start your search by matching the job you want done to the correct engineering specialty.
Try: Review the Women in Engineering Organization's chart listing types of engineers and what they do to determine which one is right for your project.

Contact consulting engineers in your area

Contact several engineers in writing, providing an overview of your project and your timetable. Ask engineering consultants to describe their expertise and how it would apply to your job.
Try: Perform a free search for engineering consultants in your state at Emcate.com. You can also post a job on the National Society of Professional Engineers Web site or at IHireEngineering.com.

Select finalists

Select a few consultants who seem to match your needs. Ask for detailed cost estimates, fees, completion time estimates and scope of services to be provided.
Try: Professional engineering societies and organizations advocate using a Qualifications Based Selection process to choose the right engineering consultant.

Negotiate a contract

If you're unable to come to terms with your first choice, move on to your second. You should notify those you did not hire that you picked someone else.
Try: You can review and purchase sample consulting contract agreements at AllBusiness.com. The American Council of Engineering Companies also provides numerous client/engineer agreements for a fee.