Facilities EPCM Pricing: How Tundra Charges | Calgary & Houston
Whether a project is delivered through our Houston, Texas office or our Calgary, Alberta office, the cost of Tundra Engineering Inc. services varies according to the type of project we are engaged in. At all times our focus is finding the balance between cost (total project cost and engineering services) and the other projects goals such as safety, environmental protection, schedule, target down time, reliability and operability.
The most reliable cost analysis tool is a comparison of Engineering Services Cost versus Total Project Cost.
Tundra Engineering Inc. employs a relentless focus on successful projects from the customer perspective at all times.
Engineering Services Cost as a Percentage of Total Project Cost |
Type of Project |
|
| 13%+ | Plant Turnarounds and complex projects in operating plants with a focus on minimal downtime | |
| 11% to 13% | Brownfield facility debottleneck project or expansion | |
| 9% to 10% | Greenfield Compressor Station or Oil Battery (both Non-template) | |
| 7% to 8% | Field Satellite or a simple brownfield project or a Template Greenfield multiwell pad or facility | |
| 5% to 6% | Single Pipeline or a Field Booster Compressor | |
| 3% to 4% | A multi-pipeline program |
How to read the ratio
The percentages above describe engineering services cost as a share of total installed project cost. They are a planning benchmark, not a rate and not a quote. They move in the opposite direction to project size and repeatability: a turnaround inside a live plant sits at the top of the range because most of the engineering effort goes into sequencing, isolation and getting the plant back on line inside a fixed window, while a multi-pipeline program sits at the bottom because one engineering package is applied many times over. A high percentage does not mean an expensive project — 13% of a small turnaround can be a smaller invoice than 4% of a large pipeline program. The useful way to apply the table is to check an engineering budget against a capital number you already have, then talk to us about which band your project actually belongs in.
What moves a project within its band
- Whether the work happens in an operating facility or on a green site. Tie-ins, isolations and shutdown windows add engineering effort, not just field time.
- How much of the design is a template. Repeating a proven pad or station package pulls a project toward the bottom of its band; a one-off configuration pushes it to the top.
- The quality and age of existing information. Current as-builts shorten the front end; missing or incorrect drawings mean field verification before design can begin.
- Regulatory and stakeholder scope, including applications, crossings, and land or environmental approvals.
- Schedule compression. Overlapping engineering with procurement and construction adds review cycles and rework risk.
- The number of disciplines in play. Process, mechanical, piping, structural, electrical, instrumentation and controls each add interfaces to manage.
What the engineering fee covers
- Design basis and scope definition before drawings start.
- Process, mechanical, piping, electrical, instrumentation and controls design and drafting.
- Cost estimating and schedule development.
- Procurement support, including specifications and vendor bid evaluation.
- Regulatory submissions and supporting documentation.
- Construction support, commissioning assistance, and turnover of as-built documentation.
