Does anyone have a base copy of a Surveyor Services Agreement?ÿ for Developers handy that they would be willing to share?
It would be much appreciated.
Check with FL/GA. I bet he has some really good ones.
Talk with your E & O insurance provider, they may have a template that they can provide you covering more things that we, as Surveyors would not think of. Whatever you come up with, you should always run it by them for their input as they will be footing the bills is a claim is filed.
The California Land Surveyors Association has a good template with all the boilerplate you'd ever need. When dealing with developers and contractors though, a precise scope of services is every bit as important as the boilerplate clauses.
Describe the details down to the typical stake spacing, typical grades and offsets provided, whether or not cutsheets will be provided, cutsheet format, required lead time notice, etc.....
and perhaps most importantly:
1. All staking is one time only
2. Any services not specifically described in the Scope of Services to be billed on a time & materials (or time & expenses) basis as extra services. Extra services will not be performed without written authorization by [client and/or client's named representative, such as a project superintendent].
Many, if not most developers and contractors often try to dispute portions of the bill, not necessarily because they think the surveyor screwed up or overcharged them, but as a means of making their bottom line a little better at the expense of yours. Any vagueness or room for interpretation will be exploited by them to where you down into writing some charges off.
Good luck.
I've never understood how some surveyor's scope for layout, let alone anything else, contain no details. For layout I go into great detail, even as far as to specify the maximum number of stakes per feature.
I say that but I have on construction client that just sends me a T&M task order with an extremely generous not to exceed amount. No real scope other than provide survey support. It is kind of nice not to worry about loosing money while I'm waiting for trains or machinery.
