We have an STR in Swannanoa that wasn't damaged and have had several week+ long bookings since the storm (including Army Corps of Engineers, etc). 

And yes we get a deal when we contract for 90 house plans we pay 2100.00 per plan and that include engineering.

Granite or Quartz on all counter tops including bathrooms.. our up stairs is 9 foot.. and our single levels are 10 foot to 14 foot which NO other builder does in a subdivision type build only custom homes over 1 mil would have that.. flooring is engineered hard wood.. custom cabinets with soft close on all doors in the house..

-Their street engine product is also great, if you are actually "driving for dollars".

There are many times the architect/engineer gets busy doing other jobs and forgets your plans at the city or delays picking them up/making corrections 4.

To me, these are no different than college degrees (and some cost as much or more): you wouldn't major in engineering if you wanted to be a marine biologist.  

Everything else will follow, reverse engineer, and get started. 

If you want to make the opposite case, look at engineering degrees or point to the wage studies that show on average people with 4 year degrees make a lot more than those who have zero college.  

Please study engineering and you’ll have more of a grasp of why measuring amperes (electricity) or volume (water or natural gas) lends itself to reasonable precision.  

For illustration purposes, the investor with engineering and/or construction background may excel building in a market where there is ease in doing business and can build efficiently whereas the doctor may have greater success in the established market where significant barriers already exist but can afford the entry price and can ride the waive of continued appreciation and offset their high salary by depreciating the expensive building they acquired.