Had a landowner come in two years needing some work done, I looked at what he had to do and gave him a quick estimate of 8-12k, he freaked out and said that there are people who advertise the same service for a few hundred dollars. I told him to go for that and he left.
Now he's back still needing the work done and in a hurry. Seems the "service" provider didn't do what had to be done to satisfy the regulators, imagine that!
What he doesn't understand is that I can't help him do what he needs, it's a 6 month to a year process; he wants it done in two months "max". Told him I can't help him, it can't be done that soon and I have other projects in the pipeline anyway. He asked who could help him and I had to tell him no one, it isn't possible.
The real issue is someone promising to do work they don't understand and then getting clients to sign up for it, only to have the client finally find that it's not what he needed. I can't blame the guy for going for the cheap price when it's a tenth of mine. And the regulators don't help cause they just always tell landowners how simple it is.......:-(
Exactly why I tell clients that if they ever get a "cheap" survey it is a mistake they will never repeat.
Larry P
Years ago, I asked for and received several prices to have a house "tented" for termites (in New Orleans). After I received the written quotes, I replied to all parties regarding the ranking of the quotations. The lowest bidder called and asked why he didn't get the job since his price was 1/4 that of the others. I told him I thought his quotation was ridiculous and that i didn't want him near my house.
You get what you pay for.
This is such an arcane process, surveyors in this state and I think only in this state are allowed to do them, and there is almost no surveying involved with them, mostly is research (lots and lots of that), writing quasi legal documents, mapping and a little field surveying.
I think what the "cheap" service does is what I do in the preliminary process and then they are done. But I don't know.
:good: Amen to that.
the preliminary map for the latest project, this is what I think the "cheap" provider does or did (haven't heard much about them lately):
Then the final map which isn't all that difficult to accomplish on the surface, but each change from the preliminary needs accompanying documents and approvals; that's where it gets expensive:
BOUNDARY SURVEYS
GOOD
FAST
CHEAP
PICK ANY TWO
abracadabra!!!!!!!
