1928 subdivision, no record of surveys in the block, ALTA survey with all of the items except elevations and contours. I said $6,400. It went for $2,100. I'd love to see the results of that survey.
Back of a napkin costs with a 15% contingency (because it always takes longer than I think it should) got me to $6,382.50. And I don't know anything about the area.?ÿ You make me feel a little better about my estimating ability.
An acquaintance was starting up a survey business. He needed a couple of jobs to get a corporate resume going, and to convince the bank that he was serious. So he bought some ALTAs from B&C. Rented my old gun. Did a fine job. Covered costs only. Made no money for himself, but got what he needed out of the job.?ÿ
$999.50 ought to be about right. :silly: :silly: :silly: :silly: :silly: ?ÿ
$6,400 looks a bit low.
Here in Florida the race to the bottom has really been heating up...?ÿ contract crews are now everywhere.?ÿ It's depressing to say the least.?ÿ
I've been seeing more and more contract crews, and they even openly advertise on Facebook. I'm pretty sure it is seen as unlicensed practice in most states.
Once upon a time (1989) I thought "contracting out" my field work to wildcat crews was a good idea. The allure of no payroll taxes or unemployment insurance or workers' comp policies drew me to the practice. Long story short the IRS damn near cut off my juevos.
Apparently hiring someone to mow your lawn for a set price is totally different than having a crew work under your direction and being professionally responsible for their work. According to the IRS they are employees, plain and simple. I tried arguing, even hired an attorney...pfffft.
Plainly put, you might get away with it for a while. But you will get nailed. They will always catch you. The few thousand bucks you saved by "subbing it out" will turn into an astronomical amount over a few years...just add in their exponential penalties and interest.
Thirty years later all I have to say is, "I had a nice house once".
The O&G industry has always been filled with companies that use "contractors". Even the secretaries answering the phones. Of course these companies go in and out of business so maybe they are difficult to go after.
Off the cuff, I see about 3 days of field and another 3 in the office. Stir in a little time for billing and I'm right in the $6400 range.
a friend had a used furniture store. He would use casual labor to move a lot of furniture once a month or so. Eventually the IRS caught up to him.
He said the worst part was trying to resolve the Social Security part of it, these guys were vagrants, transients, how do you find some random guy you hired a few times two years ago to credit them with their social security?
I would call it the everything goes smooth (not perfect) price. I would surely bid about that if I really wanted the job, higher if I was busy.
As I understand it the IRS considers (considered) a $600 maximum on "cash" payments for day labor. It you exceed that amount, the day laborers are considered employees and should be treated as such. That amount may have changed over the years. And the IRS holds the payer (employer) responsible for collecting the necessary data.
I briefly had an employee that had given me a fake SSN. He apparently had some "business" in another state that should have been previously settled. The IRS came down on me like a ton of bricks even though he was nowhere to be found. His "business" was felonious and I was threatened with "aiding and abetting". Those people mean business.
BTW - I started keep copies of IDs from people I've hired over the years, some from over 20 years ago.
Had one not that long back that we bid for $5k which included 4 hours of drive time from office and back. Massive parking lot with lots of traffic, property lines inside of buildings and little chance that there were corners still there. Another company bid (and got) the job for $2,500. After completing the job they tried to bill the owners for, wait for it, $5,000 saying they had run into problems. Fortunately for the owners they had a signed contract and were able to tell them to get bent!
At 6400 dollars, thats only 6.4 hours at Duey Cheatem and Howe land and Badger attorneys....?ÿ 😉
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