What am I forgetting?
$0.55 per mile
$100 per night for a bed
$50 per day for food
How do I better word these in a contract?
Thanks!
IRS rate is currently $0.585 per mile.
Jus note you'll use the the GSA Per Diem rate...it's adjusted for the locations cost of living with seasonal adjustments in vacation areas
How do I better word these in a contract?
This is a contract with a prospective client?
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It all depends on where you are and where you are going.?ÿ Local economies make a huge difference, the mileage fee maybe good but a decent place to sleep might be more expensive, also consider, depending on your eating habits, fifty dollars isn't going to get you more than fast food if you eat two or three times a day.?ÿ Google search the site area, see what's available in the area for lodging, meals and the like to getter grip on the costs.
A better wording would be $1.00 per mile, $250 a night for lodging, and $100 per day for food.
I use the per diem rates found on GSA.gov for the state in which the project is located.?ÿ 2 areas to look for... Meals & Incidentals and Lodging.?ÿ I don't put language in the contract to cover those expenses, I calculate it into my lump sum fee during mobilization, actual boots on the ground time and the return trip. If the prospective client asks for an itemized breakdown of the lump sum, your covered.
I use the per diem rates found on GSA.gov for the state in which the project is located.?ÿ
Use the GSA rates and you will get no argument on either side of the equation. They are recognized as being fair. Note that the rates the OP posted approximate the standard GSA rates, but the specific rates for urban areas are almost always a good deal higher.?ÿ ?ÿ ?ÿSo it very much depends on where you are sending your people.
The 58.5 cents per mile figure for mileage is for a passenger car, not a work truck. I'd be looking for a sweetener if talking about hauling survey gear to the jobsite- doubly so with the current cost of fuel.?ÿ If the situation doesn't stabilize you might find your self paying a higher mileage rate by the time you do the job. So make sure you key your contract terms to the rates in effect at the time the job is actually done, not to the current rate.
Just remember that the GSA lodging rate does not include local taxes so adjust accordingly.?ÿ As a side note, over the past year it has been hard to find lodging that does not exceed the GSA rate even when you account for taxes.?ÿ This coming from guy that just spent 40 plus night in a hotel over the coarse of a month and a half.
Like everything else survey related....it depends..
GSA is a construct set up for Federal projects, an accepted by most other counties, municipalities, etc..
If you're working in that arena, you'll have to use them, if not you can set up the terms of your own contracts to be whatever the clients are willing to accept.?ÿ
Unfortunately,?ÿ like the realty industry, it's presumed that this is the standard and its hard to change the culture behind the beliefs.?ÿ
Personally, I have a General Services?ÿ contract that I can apply to any type of work I do,, whether it's astronomy, home remodeling, or GIS services and Driving Ms Daisy.
The parameters are flexible enough to allow for the give an take of the client's needs/wants and allows for a discussion rather than a 45 page screed on mandatory arbitration and blah blah blah.
I was even requested to include a set aside singular expectation of "favors of a lascivious nature", and did so willingly.
Not a contract stipulation I offer for anyone except?ÿ SWMBOAWD, and we both thought it would be a funny thing for people to read decades down the road as they pored through our lost treasures of our lives once we departed the planet.
$0.55 per mile? Are you driving a prius?
Most rates I've seen lately are around $1 per mile.?ÿ
Add up the expenses and divide and there's your per mile cost.?ÿ
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It would be nice if the State of California would use GSA rates instead of the stupidly low rates in our MOU.
The hotel problem has been solved so far once we started using the State Travel Store for hotel rooms, they somehow get hotels to accept the state rate.?ÿ We've been able to book rooms at the State reimbursement rate (not including tax...the State will pay all the tax, no limit).
I would like to know where they get breakfast for $7? Even McDonalds is more than $7.
We are in a govt union with Civil Engineers (maybe a 90-10 ratio, Civils to LSs), 90% of them never travel so the issue of travel allowances never rises to the top in Contract negotiations.?ÿ The good news is the salaries are pretty good, if we were just a govt LS union then we'd probably make half as much. LSs aren't exactly very good at advocating for their own profession.
I work for a Fire Department.?ÿ The Fire Fighters are masters at promoting their profession.?ÿ Every opportunity.?ÿ All professional training is organized and paid for by the department. They sent me to Fire Investigation training, very interesting. Even retired FF funerals, the Chief will give a long speech about the deceased's contributions to the cause.
The hotel problem has been solved so far once we started using the State Travel Store for hotel rooms, they somehow get hotels to accept the state rate.
Room rates are not cast in stone. When travelling for business call ahead and ask for a commercial rate. That will get you maybe a 10% break on the room.?ÿ If the rate still exceeds GSA tell them so and they may take pity on you, especially if you are staying long term. Motels are rarely full up with tourists, so they are usually willing to deal.?ÿ?ÿ
The hotel problem has been solved so far once we started using the State Travel Store for hotel rooms, they somehow get hotels to accept the state rate.
Room rates are not cast in stone. When travelling for business call ahead and ask for a commercial rate. That will get you maybe a 10% break on the room.?ÿ If the rate still exceeds GSA tell them so and they may take pity on you, especially if you are staying long term. Motels are rarely full up with tourists, so they are usually willing to deal.?ÿ?ÿ
Calling and asking for the State Rate used to work almost all the time but they??ve gotten a lot more stubborn in the last few years, especially in tourist areas. We now have high rate counties so sometimes we can just cross the county line. Maybe it adds an hour a day in travel time but maybe if the State would set more realistic hotel rates then they would actually save money. We have weird things like Monterey is high rate, Santa Cruz is not, they are virtually identical in the tourist regions except Monterey is larger and covers a lot of less expensive towns.
There is one Northern California coastal town where we used to stay at the Best Western but the innkeeper directly told us he can get twice as much for the rooms so he doesn??t want our business anymore. So we got relegated to the Super 8 which at least is clean and well run.
they??ve gotten a lot more stubborn in the last few years, especially in tourist areas.
Naturally if they can fill their rooms with full price customers they will do that.?ÿ
The last time I spent a night out due to some survey project, I spent the night at my girlfriend's house.?ÿ Had to be 30 to 35 years ago.
I enjoy sleeping in my own bed every night.
The mileage rates being discussed here are going to have to increase dramatically very soon. I heard this morning that Union Oil is planning on modifying pumps in Washington State for $10/gal.
I recall filling up at a pump that was marked "10x reading." ?ÿ That was probably in 2007 out in the boondocks, and very unusual at the time because it was to accommodate a price of more than $0.999 / gallon when actual was $2 or $3.
I remember when it was 2x a lot and if you forgot and only had a 10, stop at 10, oops.
