I've pretty much adopted a minimum survey charge of $1000. You can't do much for that so it applies to the easy simple ones. I've found it gets shoppers off the phone and I really don't like working for shoppers.
About a week ago a lady called about a survey. Started trying to get the info, they always want the cost right off. A couple minutes into the call I mentioned the $1000 minimum. She told me she had another quote for $500. That was fine with me, a minimum isn't a minimum if you don't stick too it. Got back to mowing the lawn a lot faster.
That's not a bad rule to live by. Although I don't have a hard and fast rule, I rarely agree to anything for fees any less than that actually, I've got employees and a business to feed. You should have asked that lady who it was that quoted $500. Then any price shoppers that call, give them the $500 company's number.
What you are doing sounds reasonable to me. Setting a number is the challenge. Sometimes I'll jump on a low dollar job anyway, usually because of some desire to help out the unfortunate.....you know, the ones living next door to idiot bullies.
I've had a minimum fee since I started my business. It has gradually increased through the years and does get the price shoppers off the phone. I've also had people reply that they have already got a much lower "bid" and several have asked me "Why are you so much higher than the other surveyor?". I always tell them that it takes me a certain amount of time to do what is required by state law and Board requirements no matter how big or small the job and maybe they should ask the other "bidder" why he is able to do it so cheap.
Holy Cow, post: 324472, member: 50 wrote: What you are doing sounds reasonable to me. Setting a number is the challenge. Sometimes I'll jump on a low dollar job anyway, usually because of some desire to help out the unfortunate.....you know, the ones living next door to idiot bullies.
I thought I was the only one that did "quasi pro bono" work for the hell of it. I've been known to get myself into some really interesting situations, probably just out of boredom...and the fact that I'm basically deep-down-inside just plain loco.
The last one was a heated local county sheriff election (in a county where I DO NOT reside). The underdog (not the incumbent) called quizzing me about the location of R/W, since it's illegal to place "vote for me" signs within public R/W. After a short discussion I realized I had done a good amount of surveying at a couple of locations the gent had mentioned and determining the signs precise locations wouldn't be that difficult. I agreed to locate a couple of the signs. Without letting me know about it beforehand, the fella videoed us locating the sign. I spoke a few words for his video in two of the locations.
Before long it turned into a big deal (yes, things still blow up in my face...) and a couple of attorneys got involved. After a couple of nasty phone calls, some bickering and a short diddy on the local news, the incumbent agreed to remove a couple of signs. Things quieted down a little and then the "underdog" captured video of the sheriff and his wife out late at night destroying the "other fella's" campaign signs. That really made the news. Although he publically apologized, the sign trashing incumbent was voted out and the underdog won the election. I guess now I've got a "friend" in a neighboring county...but I also probably have a disgruntled enemy also....
Fun things to do when you get bored with your every day run-of-the-mill surveys!
I do not have or use a minimum. I let prospective clients know that each project is different (because they are) and if they give me some information about the project I will look at it and get back to them with a proposal.
We refer the smaller projects to several different surveyors in our area that we know do a good job. I don't believe that they have minimums either.
I do a few odd jobs here and there. Most of the time I'm simply finishing up work other people started.
For some reason most Surveyors think once you file a map it's over. They never think to spend any time telling the owners what the results were or what to do (or not do) moving forward. I'll take that work all day long. It's a 'base hits win ball games' thing..
