Potential client who wants to be "on the schedule" asked today, "Do you also do topographic surveys, and how much would that add to the cost?" and it took me way too long to construct a reply, because I was tempted.
Then I remembered all the great advice I have gotten. Things like, "Every problem begins when someone gives you a sob story and you change your procedure for them."
Procedure for me has been to turn down everything that requires an elevation. This is largely thanks to advice from a certain Texan about how to be the most sought after Boundary surveyor in a world full of sharks: "If you take the first topo you will become a topo monkey on a treadmill and you will miss all the deep puzzle boundary jobs that will make you an expert witness with a string of wins and an unquestionable premium rate." (from memory and paraphrased)
It's not that I fear elevations or topos, I have that 3D Method that uses trig leveling and resections and I will chief it or solo it for other surveyors, but I really don't want to draw it or stamp it. I saw the wisdom in his advice, and it freed me to say no to 95% the calls I was getting and concentrate on developing a specialty.
Providence has been generous with the challenges: Almost every job the clients have said "either nobody calls back or they want ten grand because it's such a puzzle." The last unplatted aliquot part in the section, or an ambiguous description requiring lots of interpretation and a complicated narrative, or significant discrepancies between occupation and deed with, don't say it, unwritten rights.
We won that last expert witness deal and I am getting return calls for litigation support. The new Javad is making the fieldwork less of a slog and more of a vacation. Next year will be my 20th year in surveying.
I explained to the client how I don't do topos, but maybe sometimes having a staked boundary and a recorded survey would help him find someone to do that topo more easily, and he wants the survey.
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My answer is almost always "No, thank you." for straight topo work.?ÿ We do a few elevation certificates and LOMAs and such.
I find the work tedious.
Will gladly let others take those jobs.
Have been dragging my heels on a topo job that we started in November.
Topo is my favourite type of work. Least amount of pressure. It's a breeze with the Trimble gear.
I find the work tedious.
We know how much HC likes drafting those contours.
Most of my work is design related for infrastructure or commercial projects and made up of copious amounts of topo and some boundary on the side.?ÿ I actually avoid most purely boundary jobs.?ÿ Ma and Pa Kettle are usually already in an argument with their neighbor by the time they call and then no one wants to pay for your time.
Some of the most challenging boundary work I've done providing R/W resolution for a couple of miles of road or rail running through town.?ÿ Trying to fit everyone's discrete view of their subject property to the bigger picture.?ÿ I do not see many chances to do that type of work without providing the topographic work along with it.?ÿ Besides, I like the mapping part.
Topo is my favourite type of work. Least amount of pressure. It's a breeze with the Trimble gear.
I wouldn't say it's my favorite, but it's way up there if I'm the one doing both fieldwork and processing/drafting. I'm less of a fan of splitting out field and office responsibilities, but it's easy money and easy filler work for organizations that need to keep crews fed and juggle multiple large projects with moving parts.
I love difficult boundaries but they don't come my way often. I've been doing this for 17 years and can count on one hand the number of tough ones where litigation was involved.
Nothing at all wrong with specialization and carving out a niche, but I also like variety. I like that I can do a topo one day, a tricky boundary the next, then do some control work and set up construction staking before supporting the aerial mappers with some targets, finishing up an ALTA and short plat then move on to a large ROW survey that requires a custom projection.
If I were solo I might feel differently.
I do a fair bit of topo work, mostly for public agency clients.?ÿ It's not super exciting, but it's not real stressful and they pay well.?ÿ I wouldn't want to do it all day every day, but I like having it in the mix.
My job requires Topo & boundary but I can work more on the interesting boundaries and delegate the Topo drafting. Have an interesting boundary coming up, in fact I??ve had more than usual this year. It involves miles of state highway R/W to figure it out in front of a parcel acquired for a new fire station. There??s also an active RR on the other side of the highway. When I was there a few years ago I was tempted to see if I could get one of the RR workers to help me get some rail shots other than reflectorless from across the highway which is what I did. Caltrans has piles of control but how does it relate to the R/W? Good question. The Topo part is easy, no trees, just a flat parcel very vacant parcel. This is in far Northern California.
If you are not doing topos regularly then you probably do not have a well developed field to finish system nor a comfort level with using one. And if you do not have a well developed field to finish system you have no business doing topos.?ÿ
I enjoy doing topos as well.?ÿ There was a time when that's almost all I did for a couple years and it got sort of sickening, but I absolutely think it's part of a balanced diet when it comes to survey variety. ?????ÿ
If you do not have a well developed field to finish system you have no business doing topos.?ÿ
I wouldn't put it quite that strongly, but F2F sure takes the sting out of drafting topos.?ÿ I spend most of my drafting time arranging grade text so it doesn't obscure site features or other text.?ÿ The line work pretty well draws itself.
I'd be broke if I declined "elevations". ?????ÿ
I'm sad and glad I was dumped Into it at that level, but prefer the F2F because it is the future, and will have more value for my career if I can get back to a place that let's me.
Topo is fun, especially if you're allowed to build the clock?ÿ or the nuclear power plant that you collect.
Ymmv.
We just did topography for a conservation commission. So, I guess the answer is yes.
What I would like to know is how "field to finish" applies.?ÿ
I make a three-dimensional model in the computer with survey data and compute the topography. However, there are surface boundaries, break lines, walls and features like buildings where I need to hide contours. Then there is the occasional Bench Mark that may have an elevation that is above the surface.
How does "field to finish" make those amendments??ÿ
How does "field to finish" make those amendments??ÿ
All points and lines are sorted and layerized, in accordance with their description. Some layers are used for DTM data, other layers aren't. Benchmarks, for example, aren't.?ÿ ?ÿ
