How the planning estimate works
A reviewed cost model — never an AI writing numbers
What you get, and how fast
Describe your project — in the wizard on the estimate page or in a conversation with Relay, the site assistant — and in about a minute you get an unofficial planning outline: scope, a design fee range, a planning-level construction cost range, and a schedule. It commits nobody to anything.
Where the numbers come from
Every figure is computed by a reviewed cost model: estimated engineering hours at our published rate basis — $195/hr blended, $2,500 minimum engagement — adjusted by complexity factors an owner can answer without an engineer: voltage class, existing conditions, who owns the project, schedule pressure. No number is ever written by an AI. The chat assistant explains and narrates, but the arithmetic comes from the same deterministic estimator the wizard uses — the model cannot invent a fee.
What "unofficial" means — read this part
The outline is not a proposal, not a quote, and not engineering advice, and it has not been reviewed by the engineer when it is generated. The actual and final fee for any project is determined by Steven C. Machamer, PE, from its specific scope, size, and complexity — unusually complex work can land outside the planning range. An official proposal, with a defined scope and a fixed fee, comes after the project has been discussed.
After the outline
If the outline looks right, accept it and it goes to the engineer — a reply comes within one business day, and you can hold an appointment slot in the same step. Every outline carries a retrieval code; paste it into the site chat any time within 90 days to pull the outline back up.
This page is educational. It is not engineering advice for your installation, and it is not legal advice — practice acts and code requirements change, and the authority having jurisdiction decides how they apply to a specific project.