Datacenter Consulting & Owner's Engineer
Requirements, tenders, design review, and commissioning — from the firm that hires EPCs for its own datacenters.
Both Sides of the Table
We write EPC requirements because we hire EPCs ourselves. We know where modular projects slip — because it's our capital on the line when they do.
Most owner's engineer firms have only ever stood on the advisor side. QoreLayer is an actual EPC client, tendering and delivering its own four-region modular datacenter program. You get procurement-grade requirements, real bid evaluation experience, and acceptance standards we apply to our own buildings.
What We Do
Requirements Definition
Business needs translated into technical specifications: IT load, density ladder, power and cooling budgets, network topology, redundancy, growth path.
RFP & Tender Authoring
Tender-ready technical packages for EPC and vendor procurement — written so bids are comparable, complete, and accountable.
Bid Evaluation
Technical and commercial scoring of EPC and module-vendor proposals. We find the exclusions, qualifiers, and change-order seeds before you sign.
Design Review
Independent review of designer and EPC deliverables against your requirements — power, cooling, layout, and single points of failure.
Delivery Management
Milestone oversight, hold-point sign-offs, and supervision of your EPC through construction — scope, schedule, and budget defended on your behalf.
Commissioning & Acceptance
Level 1–5 commissioning oversight and integrated systems testing witness. Testing is executed by your EPC and vendors — we independently witness, verify against spec, and sign each hold-point. Acceptance only when the facility performs as specified.
Site Selection & Feasibility
Power availability, latency paths, incentives, and land — screened against your workload, not a broker's inventory.
Handover to Operations
Documentation, as-builts, and a supported transition into your team — or straight into our Managed Operations.
Pricing
| Service | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| DC Readiness Audit | $9,500–15,000 fixed | 2–3 weeks, on-site + report |
| EPC Tender Package | from $18,000 fixed | Requirements + RFP + evaluation matrix |
| Site Selection Study | from $35,000 fixed | Shortlist, power, incentives, feasibility |
| Owner's Engineer — Senior | $1,200 / day | Day rate, or part of retainer |
| Owner's Engineer — Principal | $1,900 / day | Program leadership, negotiation support |
| OE Retainer — Part-time | $4,900 / month | ~8 days/month |
| OE Retainer — Full-time | $14,500 / month | Embedded program representation |
| OE Full Lifecycle | 3–5% of CAPEX | Site selection through closeout |
Milestone bonus available on delivery engagements: tied to on-time/on-budget performance and change-order avoidance, against a baseline agreed in writing. Travel billed at cost — see the travel policy. Prices last reviewed September 2026.
FAQ
What is an owner's engineer?
The owner's independent technical representative on a datacenter project — writing requirements, evaluating EPC bids, reviewing designs, supervising delivery, and signing off commissioning. Industry fees run 4–5% of project cost for critical infrastructure; we publish 3–5% plus transparent day rates.
Do you also build the datacenter?
No. QoreLayer designs, integrates, and manages delivery through vetted EPC partners — we never self-perform construction. That separation keeps our owner's engineer advice vendor-neutral and conflict-free. If you want the build too, see Modular Datacenter Delivery, where the two roles are contractually separated.
When should we engage you?
As early as possible — site selection or schematic design. Early engagement validates assumptions and applies value engineering before costs lock in. We also take over mid-program for rescue, design review, and commissioning work.
How does the milestone bonus work?
Part of our fee can be tied to outcomes: on-time and on-budget delivery against the agreed baseline, and change-order avoidance. Baseline and measurement method are agreed in writing before the engagement starts, with caps on both sides.
What does L1–L5 commissioning mean?
L1 is factory acceptance testing (FAT) — equipment proven at the manufacturer before it ships; for our modular containers, L1 and much of L2 happen at the factory. L2 verifies installation on site. L3 starts each system standalone (generator load-bank, UPS on battery, chiller at capacity). L4 tests systems together under failure scenarios — utility loss, transfers, alarms. L5 is the integrated systems test: the whole facility at realistic load, including full-blackout and concurrent-maintainability proofs — the go-live gate. Your EPC and vendors execute the tests; we witness, verify against spec, and sign each hold-point.