A client would ask for a service quote for say 10 acres. The lot is bounded on 2 sides by concrete roads 10 ft wide or so.
Do you quote only for the 10 acres or do you include the road areas?
In my final plans, I show the roads with more or less complete details - edge of roads, cl, manholes, tree etc.
I include these because the plans would look incomplete without these details.
You Charge For The Area Of The Topographic Survey
Topographic surveys are done for a purpose. Submission to a planning/zoning board usually has a 200' surrounding area minimum. Doing a lesser distance would require request of a waiver, which also has a fee and a time delay.
A smaller project may require a lesser distance.
If the project includes a driveway then you include the road area for 100' past the required sight distance in each direction. Sight distance is based on speed limit and road grade. If the client has no idea where the driveway will be then you add the minimum sight distance plus 100' to the frontage in each direction. A driveway design usually requires sufficent information on all other driveways within the sight line area. Drainage requirements may require extending from the far side of the roadway to include swales and drainage structures.
You best explain all the above to the client before offering a number. If he wants less, include the amount to actually complete your recommended area as a separate extra item and get paid for the first part before you continue on. If he wants you to remove your reasonable advice from your contract offer, you walk away.
Paul in PA
You Charge For The Area Of The Topographic Survey
But sometimes when client ask for a service quote, I don't usually see how those adjoining roads look like. Don't even know if they are straight, curved, paved, dirt or even if they actually exists on the ground.
I think you may have met those kind of clients that want an IMMEDIATE quote over the phone.:'(
You Charge For The Area Of The Topographic Survey
> I think you may have met those kind of clients that want an IMMEDIATE quote over the phone.:'(
I think we all have. The simple answer is that you don't give off the cuff quotes over the phone. Tell them that you need to know more about the project first, including the things you're mentioning here: the need to include bordering roads and alleys; what is the terrain and ground cover; what is the project that requires the mapping; water boundaries?; site access?; etc.
If they insist that they need a quote right then, or are "just looking for a ballpark", the answer is the same, unless as a "ballpark" you want to give them an almost ridiculous range that would cover the extremes from an extremely easy site to one with complications and obstructions at every turn.
If they are insistent on getting a price ("service quote"?, I never heard that one before, sounds like you're going to go steam clean their carpets or something) right then, don't be worried about offending them and losing the job. They are strictly price shopping and the only way you are going to get the job is if you significantly underestimate it because of not being aware of the site conditions, etc.
As Paul in PA stated, topographic survey's are done for a specific purpose. I would never put a quote out for a topographic survey until I knew exactly what it was going to be used for. It's important to get specific answers from the client or the engineer; do you need topo to our side of the road or to the centerline or to the far side of the right-of-way, etc. Do you need trees tied? Do we need to asbuilt the existing sewer system? For a typical topo in my neck of the woods there are almost always "off site" improvements that need to be picked up, so for a 10 acre parcel, you might end up having to topo 11 or 12 acres. That's my 2 cents.
Yes, I factor the entire area to be mapped into the fee estimate. Don't forget about the underground utilities. Will it be good enough to pick up the above ground features or do they need to be marked. If so, who will do it? A "one call" type service or a professional locating service? How will that be handled contractually?
My competition generally goes to the near edge of the road. But that means no contours on the road. I always go to the far edge of the road.
You Charge For The Area Of The Topographic Survey
"The simple answer is that you don't give off the cuff quotes over the phone."
:good: :good:
I'm no businessman, but if you are giving a "ballpark" estimate on the phone, can't you say that it would be at least 'x' amount and that you would need to look at it to know if it would be more, or for a more precise figure?
How many non-surveyors have you seen who think they are asking you to do a quick $100 job, and they end up finding out you want $2,000? Letting them know that it will be in the thousands up front might save you both some needless time looking over a project that they can't afford anyway.
(The first time I had a tree cut down, I didn't know if it would be a $200 job or a $2,000 job. Sometimes a guy doesn't have the money it takes to do the job right and needs to know these things)
You Charge For The Area Of The Topographic Survey
> But sometimes when client ask for a service quote, I don't usually see how those adjoining roads look like. Don't even know if they are straight, curved, paved, dirt or even if they actually exists on the ground.
Google Earth?
Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country. Typing class 9th grade!