Engineering services in Yorkville are likely to get a little more expensive.

Engineering Enterprises Inc., of Sugar Grove, is requesting a 5% per hour rate increase. EEI is the main engineering firm the city partners with when awarding contracts for engineering services on infrastructure projects.

The 5% increase is 1% higher than last year’s request by EEI of a hike on hourly rates. The City Council approved the 4% change in March 2025.

“These hourly rates are used as the unit price for supplemental engineering contracts but are also used in the city’s base contract,” city officials said in city documents.

The city engineer is Brand Sanderson, who is also the president and CEO of EEI.

City staff is currently recommending approval of EEI’s rate increase request. The City Council must approve the increase at its March 24 meeting.

The cost of living adjustment is 2.8% for 2026, according to the Social Security Administration. In 2025, the rate was 2.5%.

If approved, the new rates would be effective May 1.

In the state of Illinois, cities are exempt from using traditional competitive bidding for professional engineering contracts that are typical of the standard for anti-trust regulations common-place on most construction projects.

This is because engineering is considered a professional service making expertise qualifications outweigh price considerations in awarding contracts.

In February, the City Council approved a $419,495 engineering services contract with EEI for water main work.

In September 2025, the City Council approved a $263,354 engineering agreement with EEI regarding the downtown Hydraulic District renovation.