Transparency Counts: The importance of fee proposals

One of the most crucial elements of any client engagement at Terrain Consulting Group is transparency.

And for us, transparency starts with a clear fee proposal, as explained by our Director – Lorenzo Rigoni.

“The formal engagement should set out the scope of services and with that you need to have a fee proposal,” he explains.

“Once we know the services, we put our fee proposal in and we are mindful of variations that might come up through the process.”

Given the nature of town planning, there can often be a complex process of successfully attaining a planning permit.

There are various fees that may be incurred and there are many different paths that your application may end up on.

There could be the need for VCAT representation or extra attendances at Council meetings.

At Terrain, we do the best we can to provide the most accurate fee proposal we can.

When things change, we ensure that you understand any further costs as they arise and before any work that would incur extra charges commences.

We do this to ensure that you are always aware of the work that is occurring on your behalf and any costs associated with that work.

The nature of town planning also typically means that sub consultants may be required to assist with the process of getting your application approved.

“Most clients when it is their first time doing a development, they think that – for example – the architects fee covers everything,” Mr Rigoni said.

Another focus when it comes to fee proposals that Terrain likes to set out for our clients is the terms of payment for our services.

Payment terms can help set out:

• Payment due dates
• Potential for staged payments
• Penalties for late payments
• Payment programs

“In this pandemic period, we’re constantly getting queries about whether fees can be discounted or different payment terms such as payments at milestones,” Mr Rigoni explained.

“Knowing what the clients needs might be, helps us to prepare for any negotiations that may be required down the track.”

As a client, some things you might like to ask your town planner, be it Terrain Consulting or someone else, to ensure you fully understand the fee proposal presented to you are:

• What sub consultants are expected to be used throughout the scope of works?
• What is the process in the event extra works are required
• What are the typical exclusions not covered by the fee proposal?

At Terrain, we’re more than happy to answer any and all of these questions in the process of setting out our fee proposal and securing a client engagement.

We do this to ensure our clients are fully aware of the process and its associated costs ahead of them.

If you are planning a land development in Melbourne or regional Victoria and are looking to work with a town planner you can trust to be completely transparent, contact Terrain Consulting Group for an initial consultation today.

We understand the process from beginning to end, allowing us to offer a comprehensive set of services to all of our customers.

Our ability to establish strong working connections with a variety of specialised consultants, such as architects, designers, traffic engineers, landscapers, heritage consultants, arborists and ecologists, ensures that your team of experts collaborates seamlessly to produce the best possible outcome.