Holy Cow, post: 427759, member: 50 wrote: I have a great idea. I'll just come up with a standard fixed price for everything and announce to the world that this is the correct fee to pay any surveyor willing to do the job. Then that's the only price people would agree to pay. No collusion involved.
Good idea. Get a lobotomy and a really bad fake orange tan and you just might go far.....
I think you are asking 'what's the value of an EC' when really the question might be 'whats the value of an EC to Acme Surveying'. They may be swamped with long term work, unwilling to spare the crew and resources for an low-paying one-off job when it would mean putting long term clients on the back burner.
Faced with this predicament, 'Acme Surveying' has a few choices; decline the work outright, refer the client to someone else, or bid an amount that makes good financial sense in the context of their current workload and resources and let the client make the call. Other than the referral, which still carries it's own set of risks and potential consequences, none of these options is ideal.
It seems that some of you are suggesting they should bid the work based on the 'going rate' for an EC and deliver it as promised. Then what happens when the next door neighbor calls, should they bound to give a similar quote? If then they quote $2k higher, would that be unethical?
Of course, I'm assuming here that the RFQ came unsolicited and that 'Acme Surveying' isn't out actively marketing this product.
I charge what I charge because that is the price I need to be profitable. I don't care if another surveyor can do it for half price or twice the price. I base my rates on what my company needs. It's not unethical.
Dave Karoly, post: 427738, member: 94 wrote: I never heard of Highballing.
That's the funniest thing I've read in months, I assumed you were the king of the highballs 😉
http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2012/01/cocktail-101-five-essential-highballs-easy-drinks.html
Frank Willis, post: 427696, member: 472 wrote: Someone called me today and needed a flood plain certificate for her home. She is outside our work area, so I told her we would have to add travel time in the amount of $200 plus the cost of the flood plain certificate. She said my price was still way cheaper than the one she got from the local surveyor, which was $6,600. I looked at the location of her house on my software, and there is a benchmark about 3,100 feet away, and of course we could do static GPS.
The person did not realize that $6,600 was way out of line--in fact had no idea. This is probably the third or fourth time this year I have seen this. Obviously, some will say, charge what you get, but gosh is it fair to do that? Sorta reminds me of some medical procedures that might cost $5000 in one place and $300 in another, with patient totally out of the know on what is what.
Is this tied to ethics? Should it be? That person would probably have to work full time for 2 months to pay for a half day of surveying. I don't know what to think.
Ok, shoot me down...
🙂
What a great golden ring. If we all had similar fees we would all be rich.
I work for so many rich people, most of whom made their fortunes from the fake money games of wall street, that it saddens me.
If the client is facing a 20k premium and the EC will drop it to 10k, then 6600 is a deal.
We just completed the end of a bad transaction. Waterfront home worth 3 million. We staked some lines, located mean high water, prepares an easement plan so they could fight their neighbor's easement in court. Their balance was 800 and they decided they wanted capped rebar at several points instead of stake and tack. They said they would pay the moment we upgraded the monuments. We did the exchange and provided an invoice of 300 on top of the 800 for the efforts and they refused to pay anything. They were not pleased when they were notified about small claims. I wish I had started in the 5 figure range on the estimate...
spledeus, post: 427789, member: 3579 wrote: What a great golden ring. If we all had similar fees we would all be rich.
I work for so many rich people, most of whom made their fortunes from the fake money games of wall street, that it saddens me.
If the client is facing a 20k premium and the EC will drop it to 10k, then 6600 is a deal.
We just completed the end of a bad transaction. Waterfront home worth 3 million. We staked some lines, located mean high water, prepares an easement plan so they could fight their neighbor's easement in court. Their balance was 800 and they decided they wanted capped rebar at several points instead of stake and tack. They said they would pay the moment we upgraded the monuments. We did the exchange and provided an invoice of 300 on top of the 800 for the efforts and they refused to pay anything. They were not pleased when they were notified about small claims. I wish I had started in the 5 figure range on the estimate...
Far too typical in these parts Splendus. I was reminded of it last night. I noticed a former client in a front row seat at the Celtics game laughing it up. He owns half a dozen car dealerships. I had to take him to small claims once for $1,200.
That's why he can afford to own the car dealerships. He never lets go of a dollar.
Frank Willis, post: 427696, member: 472 wrote: Is this tied to ethics?
Yes, they don't have any, probably don't know what they are.
paden cash, post: 427757, member: 20 wrote: So maybe surveyors should get together and "set" what they think the price should be....
Oh wait, that's illegal...
How in Hell do the Realtors get away with it? ?????
isn't it illegal for Florida surveyors to discuss prices between one another without the client or attorney present?
James Fleming, post: 427775, member: 136 wrote: That's the funniest thing I've read in months, I assumed you were the king of the highballs 😉
http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2012/01/cocktail-101-five-essential-highballs-easy-drinks.html
Mr. Fleming, that highball cocktail will be $50. I accept cash, check, or credit card.
PLS30820, post: 427814, member: 1439 wrote: isn't it illegal for Florida surveyors to discuss prices between one another without the client or attorney present?
If you were around in 1986 the Florida Attorney General looked into accusations that Central Florida surveyors were discussing pricing. It never resulted in anything other than a waste of taxpayers money.
I have never been able to understand how Realtors can charge 6% to sell a $100,000 home and make +/- 3k. Yet a surveyor is expected to perform the survey for damn near free compared to their fee.
Um 30820, we ain't got numbers that high yet. 😉
Don't forget clients have value too. This survey company may have worked for said person before and they were a P.I.T.A. I charge more for aggravation and my rate goes up exponentially for dealing with morons. Something to think about...
Dave Karoly, post: 427816, member: 94 wrote: Mr. Fleming, that highball cocktail will be $50. I accept cash, check, or credit card.
Mr. Karoly,
"I accept cash, check, or credit card."
For goodness sakes man delete "check" from that sentence, or you'll go broke. 😉
FL/GA PLS., post: 427819, member: 379 wrote: Mr. Karoly,
"I accept cash, check, or credit card."
For goodness sakes man delete "check" from that sentence, or you'll go broke. 😉
Before you deliver the product, take the check to the bank it is drawn on and cash it. Learned that the hard way when I used to do private work. Checks are okay in advance.
paden cash, post: 427757, member: 20 wrote: So if someone charges less than someone else, they're lowballing. And if someone makes some good profit they're unethical?
Or as George Carlin used to say: Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac? (Language cleaned up a bit)
Several remarks here point out why some surveyors should not be attempting to be businessmen (business persons?). As some point out, we need to charge for the value of our service to the client, not how much it costs us to obtain the information.
I once charged a client å±$2,500 to prepare 2 descriptions. She used them to get the State to abandon 2 strips of land bordering a State Highway. She then sold those strips for approx. $800,000. I obviously didn't understand the value of my work.
FL/GA PLS., post: 427813, member: 379 wrote: Yes, they don't have any, probably don't know what they are.
How in Hell do the Realtors get away with it? ?????
They have a very powerful lobby, and most lawmakers have relatives who are Realtors.
Jim in AZ, post: 427840, member: 249 wrote: They have a very powerful lobby, and most lawmakers have relatives who are Realtors.
After watching some Capitol Hill Congressional "sausage making" on the cable news I'm pretty sure at least half of them ARE realtors....;)
Lot of conjecture here.
But I don't see how a straightforward elevation certificate on a typical residence can approach $6.6k
Also Interesting that there is a sentiment here to value surveys higher in cost to clients with deeper pockets in relation to market value.
So the thread topic was "Pricing and Ethics",
What is ethical pricing?
FL/GA PLS., post: 427813, member: 379 wrote: How in Hell do the Realtors get away with it? ?????
Because the courts have repeatedly agreed with economists that oligopolies don't perform the same was a a large market and the conscious parallelism that occurs in these markets isn't evidence of collusion.
http://cases.justia.com/federal/appellate-courts/ca6/12-5947/12-5947-2014-11-13.pdf?ts=1415896234
