Most of my work is small stuff localized to a few miles. My longest right-of-way survey was probably 40 miles. I'm looking at bids for a 410 mile route, which is something I have no experience with, and I am surprised about the swing in prices. This is preliminary only, topo and boundary and preparation of all plats and permits to get to property acquisition and/or condemnation (construction and as-built not included). The rates vary from as low as $1.90 per foot to $2.45. I suppose there are a lot of variables to consider in the fact that it does cross one state border and has both open prairie and heavy woods. I'm trying to get a better understanding of the scope of the project and what it takes to compete on these types of projects. Just looking at the bid packages has opened my eyes to things I don't have to consider on my normal projects.
I??m guessing some of the companies are heavy on supervision, field supervisors, PM??s, Drafting Manager, Senior PM??s. This sounds like pipeline work. I worked for a ?ÿpipeline company for 8 years where I hired surveying firms ranging from 5 crew companies to to firms with a national presence. We surveyed and constructed close to 1000 miles in several states as well as asbuilt.?ÿ
My business partner and I left about 2 years ago and started our own survey ?ÿshop. Feel free to pm me and I will help anyway I can.
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I just turned in a bid for a project about that long.?ÿ I had to come up with a proposed budget and staffing plan broken down by the quarter.?ÿ Our typical projects are gathering systems but this one was a rather long line. It seems like the bigger the company, the more headache the paperwork is.?ÿ
?ÿIt seems like the bigger the company, the more headache the paperwork is.?ÿ
Or rather more, the bigger the overhead and the deeper the bullsh*t
I think one of the bids was 90 days and the other was closer to 120. I know the client wants to spend as little as possible, but if I was awarding the bid, I'd want to make sure that the time projections are realistic and the job gets completed within the budgeted price. How many miles can a crew topo and tie boundaries in a day? 4000 feet for topo?
