For most any serious medical diagnosis, second and more doctor opinions are recommended.
Sure, you have to do enough work to satisfy yourself that the previous survey is acceptable, but if it is, it surely shouldn't cost the same as parcel that has never been surveyed, or last surveyed in 1908, right??ÿ
If someone with no license can legally do construction layout I don't think the board would have jurisdiction unless the staker is surveying the boundary in order to do the layout.
It's our responsibility to be the adult supervision in boundary matters. If the plan shows the building 5 feet from the boundary then the boundary needs to be located; that doesn't necessarily mean the Surveyor has to check the validity of the 5 feet in the Zoning Ordinance since that is the Architect's responsibility but Boundary is our responsibility.
I respectfully disagree(even though my board evidently doesn't). The responsibility falls on the shoulders of those designing the building and the site. If not, why even generate a plan, just prepare a few sentences such as construction surveyor to stake building 5' from all property lines and construction surveyor to stake parking lot and sewer drains to the north. This is why we will never stake work designed by others. Most designs I see are more like guidelines filled with CYA statements with key factors missing like a real boundary and topographic survey PRIOR to plan approval.
I've seen a lot of "5% max" on walkways, doesn't always work. They should design it. We recently topo'd a parking lot because the building interior improvement value crossed a threshold where they have to comply with ADA in the parking lot or at least check. So we topo'd it and checked the boundary (although the site is owned by Forest Service-it's a joint use building-BLM on the east, Forest Service on the west and private on the north but not a factor, that's in the back.
The plan shows the building 5' from a line that someone else determined to be the boundary. Are you saying as the guy staking the building from that plan it's my responsibility to prove or disprove the prior boundary determination before I can stake the building? Or does my responsibility end when I can prove that I've staked the building 5' from the same line that's shown on the plan? My opinion is the latter although the former would near certainly guarantee the Design Surveyor would be the one hired to do the layout when it comes time for construction. No GC or owner would want to pay for a second boundary retracement before staking could be done. At least not around here.
I'm not saying that, I'm saying the California Board cited a Surveyor who staked a building in the setback. It would be prudent to at least check, not necessarily reinvent the wheel. If the boundary has not been surveyed at all then the owner of the project should be advised he needs a boundary survey. I did that one time, I said you are going to spend multiple hundred thousand dollars building your house, you need to know where your boundaries are, the one time the guy listened to me LOL.
Not knowing the particulars or background history of the case you're referring to it's hard to make informed opinions or comments but in general if the staking surveyor put the building where the plans said to put it I think it's BS that it turned into his problem to pay for. It's my opinion that on the construction side of our world it's our job to execute the intent of the approved construction documents not provide new boundary opinions, that box should have already been checked and we should be able to rely on it. Obviously if there is a blatant blunder discovered it's our job to protect our Client by brining it up but if I'm hitting the boundary monuments and whatever supplementary control points listed on the plans within the construction tolerances of the job I'm sleeping okay without digging any deeper into it.
So, you get the map, draw some lines on it with your best crayon. Hand it back. Tell em to come back for further discussion if it isn't approved.?ÿ I can save you money or I can help you make money on your investment.?ÿ Your call. But if you choose the latter, it's an investment for me too, and I expect to make a profit as well.
I'll look at all information and give a proposal.?ÿ A recent survey might mean my proposal is lower than otherwise, might not.?ÿ But I reject out of hand anyone telling me what I have to use, or whether it will increase or decrease my fee.?ÿ Many times recent surveys have increased my fee considerably over what it might have been if the recent survey had never been done.
Even if the surveyor is exonerated in court, he lost money, time and peace of mind. NEVER stake anything until you have satisfied yourself as to the correctness of the location(s) of the item(s) to be built.
From a business standpoint, I am being asked to use a completed boundary survey recently done by another surveyor in which the client has now asked our firm to plat the property. They would like me to use the existing boundary survey as the basis for plat since they have already paid for this service. Having the original surveyor complete the platting process is not an option. How have others handled this?
This happens all the time in New Jersey. Surveyor A does a survey. Surveyor B is asked to do a subdivision. Surveyor A is required by law to sign the map and certify the boundary. Surveyor B is required by law to make sure the map meets or exceeds the map filing law and that the new lot lines close out.
You would have two signatures on the final plat. One from each surveyor.
Surveyor A is required to set the outbound monuments.
Surveyor B is responsible for setting the interior monuments.
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I couldn't imagine not doing almost a whole new survey.?ÿ I mean, my price might be a little lower because maybe I can shave off some time digging up monuments, but I'd still want to tie them all and double check all the documents.?ÿ Also, I thought it was considered professional practice to contact the other surveyor and confirm they're no longer working for the client??ÿ I still don't understand why surveyors treat a phone call to a fellow surveyor the same as an attempt to pet a rabid dog.?ÿ It is really bizarre.
Yes it should cost the same, I am doing the work, should I charge less because surveyor X did the job 2 years ago, my stamp is going on the finished product, so you can be sure that I am going to make sure that what I am putting my name and liability on is right.?ÿ
There's a few things in this situation that would determine the answer for me.?ÿ The 1st question I have is why isn't having the surveyor who did the boundary continue with the subdivision an option??ÿ If something went sideways in their business relationship, I'd want to get a little background on that.?ÿ That background might determine how much retainer I'd want or whether I want to do business with this client at all.?ÿ?ÿ
If the client is expecting that I would budget nothing for the boundary, it's a wish that won't come true.?ÿ How much I budget, whether it's limited to a half day of field checks or for a completely independent effort depends upon:
1) Whether I know the surveyor and am familiar with his work;
2) The level of confidence I have in the other surveyor's reputation;
3) Whether the information shown on the map provides me with confidence that the other surveyor was thorough and used sound reasoning on this particular survey.
Based on the answers to these factors, my boundary budget would be somewhere between $1000 to 10 times what they paid the other guy.?ÿ If I was figuring on checks that amount to something less than a full boundary survey effort, I would certainly have a clause in the contract that should the checks fail to agree with the other guy's survey, that additional work to resolve any discrepancies, up to and including a full boundary survey, will be authorized by the client.?ÿ Whatever the estimated fee is, if the client can't or won't understand any explanation I provide as to why I need to do the level of work indicated in my scope, that's a bright red flag that the cheapskate will give me far more headaches than my fees would fairly compensate me for through the duration of the project and quite likely beyond.
Well said, my thoughts exactly.
Ed
