An engineering firm we do a lot of location work with called for a price for an ALTA/design survey on a large vacant lot. A major highway is on the north, business on east and west side, paved street along the south side. They want all utilities and topo for the entire major highway 1/3 of the way into each business, the entire street up to the next row of property. The guy working on the bid for the engineering company was talking to the engineer and he related his discussion with the company requesting the work.
When the company rep discussed geotech work he was shocked at the price:
"I thought it would be about $500-$600". he said
lol, I don't know much about pricing that stuff; but getting a drill rig and crew, flagging off a major highway, drilling all the holes, doing the science, ect.
Yeah: $500-600, that should cover it!!;-)
I guess it's not just surveyors:-(
What kind of ignorant is that?!
I hate to say it but... what does that indicate?
We just are not being perceived as Professionals? What do we need to do to change that? I'm really at a loss as to how to educate masses of people to what we do for them. When a real estate salesman gets twice (or more) what we do just to sell a home! When we provided all of the surveying/engineering/sweat to build it?! I guess we need to go out in public dressed up like a corporate clown in suit and tie to put wood in the ground.
It kind of takes the wind outta my sails. It just doesn't make any sense. I love hearing 'Ring Ring' tales but sometime they depress me.
From my experience working at a construction company for 7 years is that noone notices the surveyor, unless there's a problem. The profession is overlooked by many, counted on by a lot and praised by few. I'm glad I'm out of the private construction work and into public. I feel welcomed here, and a plus I can finaly get licensed as I can get the other experience and under direct super of a PLS and PE. I applaud you that own your own business and have to deal with this. I always thought that when I became licensed with both the PE and PLS I would like to start something but more and more I like the structure of job stability and no headaches.
You are correct. It's not just us. It appears to be human nature to state that we hope/believe a fair price for having something done will be far less than what it almost definitely will be. Anything from some sort of medical charge or prescription to auto body repair. I believe part of that comes from having insurance policies. As an example, I took my 2007 Jeep Compass to the body shop last week for an estimate due to running over a black lab in the highway at night. My cost is the $250 deductible. Actual cost involves an additional $2000 plus the insurance company will pay. So when someone asks me how much it cost me to get the damage repaired, I'll tell them $250. They bury that little bit of info deep in their brain for what it should cost them if they ever have the same problem.
Generally speaking, no one has an accidental survey policy to reduce the apparent cost of what we do for them. They get the full bill. Perhaps we should all go into the accidental survey insurance business. I can imagine the commercials on late, late night TV, "Only $19.99 per month, a mere 66 cents per day."
Mapman,
"I guess we need to go out in public dressed up like a corporate clown in suit and tie to put wood in the ground."
That's funny right there! 😀
Dave
Thanks! I feel a little better. 😉
We just are not being perceived as Professionals?
This time it wasn't surveyors, but engineers being given the old low ball speech. It sounded like the guy was used to getting geotech results for next to nothing, he is based out of Texas, is that something normal to Texas. Here it costs a bunch, maybe the guy had projects where it was already done and all they need to do was to go get a report. Not here however.
It's just nice to know it happens to other professions, you are not alone:-D
Survey insurance
You are on to something there. But how many properties run over black labs in the middle of the night?
Survey insurance
Dude, it's all built on actuarial tables. What are the odds of a specific property discovering an existing problem that can only be resolved by a proper boundary survey?
As for the black lab. I had seen the old dog a hundred times along that stretch of highway, often thinking, "They don't get that old by being stupid." The set up for her demise was a very rare opportunity. It was about an hour after sundown as I was driving west on the highway and preparing to make a turn about one-quarter mile further west than where she appeared. Her owner had come from the west and needed to turn into the driveway to the house on the north side of the highway, so he was stopped in his lane with his turn signal on, at the crest of a rather steep hill. Thanks to the typical situation of meeting a vehicle with headlights pointed at you, the view of my side of the road was not the best. Just as the front of my vehicle was parallel with the front of his vehicle I saw the dog for 1/100th of a second prior to impact. The old dog had run out from the homestead, into the road, and was looking up at her owner with her last thoughts being, "Oh goodie goodie, you're home, you're home!!!!!!!!!!"
The twist to this story is that the owner is an insurance agent.
Best thing that could happen would be some reality show about surveyors, kind of like Duck Dynasty or the Turtleman, showing what exactly goes into a survey. Problem would be coming up with a seasons worth of interesting plots (staged or real) to get an audience.
Maybe there needs to be a show titled "What I do for a Living" that featured a different mundane occupation for a couple of episodes at a time. Most people don't even know what a surveyor "IS". Kind of like "Dirty Jobs" without the muck (mostly).
Survey insurance
bummer. i was hoping you had hit a dog that was already dead.
a few years ago i was on a stretch of 'highway' and a box truck stopped in front of me. being the impatient jerk of a driver that I am, I honked. then a dog slowly walked across the road. i pulled over and grabbed his collar. the box truck driver asked if the dog was mine. i said no, never saw the dog before, but he can't just stay in the road. box truck left and the owners came out and thanked me.
this dog was old. his eyes were milkier than thick fog and i just assumed he was seeking his death...
i would be curious if the actuaries could resolve the Survey Insurance Question. They might suggest walking like they did for Flood Insurance...
Ask the rep if he could join your survey crew for a day doing the ALTA.
He pays the payroll, you supply your equipment.
After paying the crew wages (no multiplier), ask him what his estimate
would be.
Back when surveyors were professionals...
Back when surveyors were professionals...
Did surveyors really dress up like that back then or were they just posing for their pictures? I can't imagine field surveying in a suit and tie.
Back when surveyors were professionals...
Those are really great photos, thank you. It certainly had to leave a more professional impression on the client when you don't wear cut-offs and a Black Sabbath tee-shirt! I know maybe even comb the locks and wear some socks! Maybe even a shave!
I know, it's just crazy talk. 😉
Back when surveyors were professionals...
I started surveying in '76. My first employer told me of the days when he started, they had 5-man crews: a PC, IM, chainman, backsight man and foresight man. They all wore white long sleeve shirts and "Kentucky Colonel" or bolo ties.
Back when surveyors were professionals...
socks? you're kidding right?
Back when surveyors were professionals...
Back then EVERYBODY dressed up more than today. Probably the wagon driver and field hands at least had a white shirt and vest, and a ditch digger only took his off when he was actually digging.
Back when surveyors were professionals...
A tie, even for the Bow Tie Surveyor, may be a bit much. But I stopped wearing jeans and a t-shirt when I got my license and went with tactical pants and nice shirt. If I am on a construction site and you walk up, you can tell I am not just one of the crew. Yes, I think this is part of being a professional.
