I must be doing something wrong.
I just lost an elevation certificate job.
I have always gone back to a USGS bench mark and brought the elevation in from there.
The one I lost today is over 6500 feet from a bench. The other guy quoted $ 200.00.
He is to set a bench for a new buildiung to be built.
He told the client that he can get the elevations from the FIRM maps and does not have to go to a bench.
Have I been doing it wrong?
Thanks for your help.
Getting it from the FIRM? Are there benchmarks on the FRIM? Around here there are not, but I know places in PA where there are. Could he be using GPS?
Regardless of what one CAN do it for, this brings up another point: the certificate is worth far more than $200 even if it can be completed with minimal effort. It has to be signed by a "licensed professional". How can any document signed by a licensed professional go for $200??? I would rather not even extend my liability for $200
I agree with Dan. Even with GPS the liability is still too great to do a certificate for $200.00. Shoot, I would have more in office time than $200.00.
Going rate around here is $250. I know one firm that does them for $225. Everyone uses GPS. Some use VRS while others run a 1-hr static. Only way it works for this price is a one-man field tech and have an efficient process in the office. Volume is the key.
Old FIRMs had RMs on them that could be very handy. But, you must remember that they are in prehistoric units not today's units so conversion must be performed.
Bottom line. Don't touch one for less than what you would charge for a simple lot survey. If both of those numbers are $200 you are sinking fast and there is no hope on the horizon.
Most of our FIRMs here have benchmarks listed on them and they are in the same datum as the FIRM. Some of them are just road intersections or other less than useful entities. That being said, I would never do an EC that cheaply.
Licensed Land Surveyor
Finger Lakes Region, Upstate New York
Establishing the elevation using OPUS is acceptable practice.
I've lost several flood certs and I've always wondered how anyone could do them that cheaply and still make money. Even with GPS, setting control to use on new construction seems like the liability alone would warrant a higher price. Of course, maybe that outfit already has control in the immediate area.
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Ya'all is makin me mad! Ec fer less 'n 700 bucks. No comprehende'
Nate The Surveyor, post: 403726, member: 291 wrote: Ya'all is makin me mad! Ec fer less 'n 700 bucks. No comprehende'
I'm with you on that one. No way I would do one for 200
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same here, I quote around $600
1.5 hours max in the field. 1 hour round trip travel. 0.5 hrs reducing field notes. So 3 hrs for my part time college student @ $45/hr (pay him $15). That's $125. Leaves me $125 to process the GPS data, QA the field notes, and fill out the form, which takes about an hour total. Not getting rich off these, but do turn a small profit. Good mailbox money. Especially if I can schedule several in one day. Since the floods here in August I've done over 100 of these. I certainly didn't set the price, other engineers and surveyors in the market did. But down here, nearly every house is in a flood zone, so there are plenty of these to go around.
Why do some sell our services so cheap is beyond me. I just refinanced my home and the appraisal fee was $475. How is it that some of our peers feel one man who took pictures and spent 15 min in my home and compared two sales in my neighborhood to value my home worth more than a flood cert or mortgage survey. Doesn't make sense.
I remember some firms doing ECs for $100-150 about 30 years ago. I thought that the rates were lacking at that time.
There is something tragically flawed in these rates mentioned here.
I totally agree. I charge much more for my engineering and GIS services. I have no idea how the price of ECs got so low here.
