And in this corner, another windmill.....

The only thing I can see that is true about this article is "Just about anything can change between two surveys" besides that, nothing really. I'd love to see a survey in San Francisco that shows the boundary, improvements and plots easements for $575 to $1200. The review fee for an RS in SF County is $713 alone. Don't scroll down to other articles by SFGATE, it gets worse and worse...

@k-huerth

I figured it was grossly under priced, just based upon the cost of ANY real estate in Cali and the proclivities of people in SF to sue at a drop of a hat.

Thank you.

I'd be surprised if that guy in the picture is a surveyor. Nobody should carry a level like that. So he's probably a male model and that's a stereotype. Just like how all the architect male models are carrying rolled up plans under their arm and pointing into space. Besides that, I really wishes that know-nothings would stop advising how much a survey costs.

@not-my-real-name?ÿ Um, I carried a Zeiss Ni2 level that way between setups for maybe 300 miles of levelling.?ÿ My boss said do not drop it or bang it and it'll stay stable.?ÿ A truly rugged piece of equipment but when in the truck it's in its box for safety.

@not-my-real-name

You don't say.....?ÿ 😉

?ÿ

"San Francisco land surveys cost between $575 and around $1,200."?ÿ

Honestly. Where do they get these ideas??ÿ I bet that doesn't cover the filing fee for an R.O.S.?ÿ

Back when I started in this business in British Columbia (this would be late 80's - early 90's) we would do a service that we called Mortgage Surveys. These were quite a lot more than the "drive-bys" that are so vilified on these pages, but less than a full boundary survey. No monuments were set. A few boundary monuments and the structures were tied. Heavy reliance upon record data for the boundaries. The purpose was not to determine boundary, but rather to see if the buildings were on the property or not.?ÿ You only took jobs that were close to your office.?ÿ Billing was flat rate $350-$400 and that applied to single family homes on subdivision lots only. So I can see doing something like that for the stated price range today.?ÿ ?ÿ ?ÿ

"First article for the California contingencies:

Is this true at all?"

No.?ÿ Just No.

Posted by: @not-my-real-name

The article was about boundary surveys.?ÿ With a level??

Posted by: @not-my-real-name

Just like how all the architect male models are carrying rolled up plans under their arm and pointing into space

With a brand spanking new hardhat on too! ?????ÿ

@bill93

Sure, if it has stadia lines... and it's about a hundred years ago.?ÿ ?????ÿ

Surveys also include mapping of any easements that cross the property, whether they are recorded or not...

I liked this.

@bstrand

You mean your field crews aren't outfitted with the latest Schonstedt "Easy" Easement Locator? You know, the companion to the "Maggie" Magnetic Locator?

We just walk the site sweeping the Easy back and forth; whenever it buzzes we take an observation and I just stitch all the points together in Civil 3D and label the lines as "centerline unrecorded easement, width unknown, possible encroachment" on my ALTAs.

Did I mention that title companies and real estate attorneys love me?

@rover83

bring your pick axe to your next office gathering over a dispute, they'll love you even more!

@mike-marks

I'm not going to tell anyone how to carry or care for equipment. However, the Operator's Manual that comes with the equipment, an automatic level, that I use cautions that the operator shall not carry the instrument on the tripod. The manual also cautions not to carry the tripod with the tripod shoes pointed at other persons.

Posted by: @mike-marks

I thought the consensus was that carrying on the tripod was okay for automatic levels and brass transits, but not for total stations.

But you were supposed to carry it instrument first so you kept an eye on it, and didn't swing it into an obstacle overhead or sideways behind you.

I have a 1988 surveying textbook that has pictures of a level and a brass transit being carried on the tripods.

@bill93

That's generally been the consensus everywhere I've worked. Personally, when I pick up the level, the legs come together and I grasp the carrying handle with my right hand and cradle it with my right arm nearly extended, so that the level itself is near head height and the legs are tilted maybe 10-30 degrees or so, so my arm doesn't take the full weight. Left hand clasps a leg at my shoulder. Turning point slung around my other shoulder.?ÿ

?ÿ