I've performed surveys that I would almost be willing to pay to work on because of the thrill of searching for and finding buried treasure.?ÿ ?ÿ
The high number of lowballers is partly a reflection of how enjoyable surveying is compared to many other jobs.
I do about 200-300 "mom & pop" estimates a year covering everything from finding corners previously set, boundary surveys, and FEMA work. I find almost everyone shops but we will not go below the bottom line of what it takes to get the work done in a professional manner. I've had potential clients tell me " Surveyor XXX said it should only cost $300 or so" and I ask what surveyor XXX will do for that money to make sure we are discussing the same scope of work, and if we are,?ÿ tell them to use that surveyor. I've had instances where Surveyor XXX has caused more problems for that client and then called me to "fix it" and I refer them back to their choice. If they do need their project "fixed" they pay the original amount I quoted them. "Can't you just come off of Surveyor XXX work"? Absolutely NOT!
I had a discussion a number of years ago with a friend who was a cost estimator for a construction company and he wanted to know why we never responded to his request for construction staking on projects. I told him it takes time to do those estimates and their company would always use Surveyor YYY no matter who gave them a quote because they always look at the bottom line, not the services provided. He told me that wasn't true, so I told him to save those quotes and on the next project, see how Surveyor YYYs end result for the staking compared to another surveyor. It turned out their choice would charge restaking by the stake, not by the hour. Seems fair to me, but their price was $150 per stake. By the time the project was done, the cost for choosing Surveyor YYY was more than the other quotes. Something to think about.?ÿ
The high number of lowballers is partly a reflection of how enjoyable surveying is compared to many other jobs.
While I'll agree that some projects are very enjoyable and rewarding, there's equal enjoyment in getting paid what the job is worth, or more
I think one of the biggest business mistakes a surveyor can make is underestimating the value of their data and experience. One of my mentors was a very savvy businessman as well as surveyor and while setting control points in a subdivision he would tell me to bury those traverse points deep so they'd still be around in another decade or two. Asking him why that was so important to him he simply said the next time he has a job in the area he could use those traverse points to do additional work in the area, and he already had the control in the area dialed in. Was he going to give that next client a break? Oh heck no. That, he explained, is where his business made a decent profit. You can believe me, I took that lesson to heart and over the years, has evolved into an asset of most considerable value.
Just because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get me.
I think that the problem, and the point of the original poster, is that there seem to be a lot of surveyors out there who are underestimating the value of what we do, and are constantly keeping the cost down, whether we understand the true value or not.
It's a never-ending battle to convince crews to go the extra mile to set control points where they will be protected, take pictures, and sketch swing ties...it's their work that is easier the next time around...
And that's the strange thing - that those are the jobs where surveyors tend to make a decent profit. We should be making a good profit by default, and an excellent profit when we already have control or monumentation locked down in the project area.
The value of a survey doesn't drop when we have control in, and knowledge of, the area. If anything that makes our services more valuable.
@jph I'm not disagreeing. I will only suggest that the problem the OP faces isn't new and isn't going away. That means that as a business model, we shouldn't be trying to compete toe to toe with competition willing to give away their services. That is a losing proposition. In my experience the type of clients one will attract by being the cheapest surveyor on the block, are often the type of clients that you would wish on your competition so they are bogged down and losing money and are in no position to compete with you for the real money.
Just because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get me.
I try not to lowball myself.?ÿ
The value of a survey doesn't drop when we have control in, and knowledge of, the area. If anything that makes our services more valuable.
So true.?ÿ Especially when someone else out-bids (low-balls), and then calls you up to ask if you've done anything in the area, and can you send them your control, CAD, or anything else that helps them break even on it
