Engineering Firm's Fees Revealed in Lawsuit: Up to Millions Per Project

A lawsuit filed by a former employee has exposed the substantial fees charged by David Engineers, one of Israel's largest engineering firms. The firm, founded in 1990 by Yael and Israel David, reportedly charges up to millions of shekels per project for its work on residential, office, and public buildings.

The revelations come from Tamir Nahari, who worked at the firm from 2018 to 2021 and later provided services as a subcontractor through his own company. Nahari is suing for NIS 8 million in back pay. His lawsuit details the stages of work on projects he handled and the fees he claims are owed to him, which in turn allow for the calculation of the firm's total earnings.

David Engineers, which employs 160 people and has worked on over 3,300 projects in 24 countries, specializes in structural design for various building types, including towers, hotels, and commercial centers, as well as providing civil engineering consulting. The firm's website states its senior team includes experienced engineers and graduates from top Israeli engineering faculties, utilizing international software for design according to global standards.

Nahari claims he was contracted to receive 37.5% of the client's payment for each project and received a monthly advance of NIS 100,000 since January 2025. He alleges that David Engineers misrepresented the amounts received from clients, paying him only a partial sum and keeping the difference. The lawsuit details fees for 16 projects, totaling NIS 16.6 million before VAT, averaging over NIS 1 million per project.

Notable projects mentioned in the lawsuit include the Hassan Erfa complex in Tel Aviv, the Young Towers in Tel Aviv, Azrieli Sarona, and hospitals like Hadassah in Jerusalem and Assuta in Tel Aviv. The firm reportedly offered Nahari NIS 300,000 as a final settlement, citing dissatisfaction with his work, which he claims is significantly less than what he is owed.