If anyone questions my choice of category, please understand that what I am posting
is directly related to our lack of educating the public about our profession.
I was tieing some property pins this afternoon in an upscale subdivision of predominantly second homes. One owner saw me behind the robot and commented that
his neighbor said that his house encroached in to the setback. He relayed how
he countered her statement with "The house was built 18 years ago, they didn't
have GPS back then." Heck, we were logging static data starting in 1988.
I am not quite sure when Rapid Static and then Kinematic came into vogue, but it
could have been as early as 1995. Furthermore, when I told the gentleman that
18 years ago they had total stations as accurate as my robot which is as
accurate as GPS, it went right over his head.
Anyway, it appears that GPS is the be all and end all, at least in that guy's mind.
Scott
I try not to discuss stuff like that with the natives, the conversation never ends good.
I quoted a job on the phone early last week that was in a wooded area. I checked the aerials and the stuff we had done in the area. It's a wooly-booger with woods and lots of ravines to cross just to find pins from bad surveys.
The prospective client pulled on the reigns a bit when I mentioned a ball-park price guestimate. I explained the rough country was a factor in my price. I encouraged them to check around and price shop. Friday they called back to let me know they had found another surveyor. No, I didn't ask any names.
"But this other surveyor says the trees won't be any problem because he's going to use GPS."
I'm happy to not have anything to do with some jobs.B-)
I use this to my advantage by letting those shopping around know that I have GPS just because they have it in their heads that it is "all that and a bag of chips". They are impressed before they even meet me and just know that they want/need GPS. I just don't bother telling them that I only get the GPS out of the truck a couple times a month because of tree cover and will probable not use it for their job. But I also make sure that they are impressed with my work after they meet me and no longer care how I did it!
> "But this other surveyor says the trees won't be any problem because he's going to use GPS."
>
> I'm happy to not have anything to do with some jobs.B-)
Hopefully, you won't have to do a survey adjoining this one some day, and try to figure out how to explain to your client how a "professional" surveyor could be so unprofessional.
I hear the same message from clients.
I hear surveyors locally that make the same claims.
Both are so deep in it I can hardly stand the smell.
0.02
My counter to the GPS question is to tell them they can't afford to have me do it with GPS, unless they insist, of course. They all seem to think that it's as easy as driving my vehicle over the corner or putting my cell phone on it. And those are basically free tools as I have to have them anyway. If they push the issue, I shoot them a very different price as that, quite truthfully, is what I will pay extra to bring in a buddy to do that part of the job. His price per hour and my price per hour are radically different.
Whenever I am asked, I say "Yep, it's GPS". Regardless of the fact that I may be setting up the gun at the time.
It nearly always satisfies them.
> Whenever I am asked, I say "Yep, it's GPS". Regardless of the fact that I may be setting up the gun at the time.
>
> It nearly always satisfies them.
You could reply, "Oh yes, I'll have the GPS procedures available on-site and always use it if it will reduce your cost." Could be the only statement needed. Whether you use it or not is up to you.
If they ask about GPS Coordinates, tell them you marked the corner'a with monuments. "You can get those yourself with your GPS at no cost whatever. Stand over the mons and waypoint the positions."
Make notes on your copy of the survey plat. DATE: D/M/YY, added GPS info, Your Name.
