Caller: You surveyed this 82 acres back in 92 and tax office says 82 acres and survey says 74 acres, I need a copy of that survey
Me: I was working at a company that does not exist anymore and I do not have those records to find a copy, ask the Title Company
Caller: How much will you charge me to come out and give an elevation on 3 or 4 locations for me for possible drill sites
Me: There is no reference location there and it could take a day or two to do that as most of that property is wooded.
Caller: No I just need you to come down and it won't take us over an hour or two to visit the spots and you can give me an elevation
Me: I would estimate $2K
Caller: OH< NO, I don't need it very close, just kinda close for maybe $200
Me: I will send you a copy of Google Earth with Earth Point Topo for you to look at..........
Caller: I will get back in touch with you later, I gotta tend to something
'Tis the season. Don't forget a big fat retainer fee when they call back a year from now.
"Gotta tend to something...." [SARCASM]Like crap running down both legs......[/sarcasm]
A Harris, post: 347321, member: 81 wrote: .... tax office says 82 acres and survey says 74 acres, I need a copy of that survey....
Apparently he already has a copy. Methinks he wants you refresh the date for the cost of a xeroxing.
Well... I guess it's good to know that $200 is the universal price for surveying services in the mind of the public.
LOL, I think I've heard that exact amount a few times.
I had a call from a Realtor the other day who said "I don't need a full-on survey, just the corners set. You know, just a couple hundred dollar job." I asked him what a "full-on" survey was - he said "Oh you know, where you measure everything." I told him that it was neccesary to measure everything in order to know where to look for and set corner monuments. He said "No, no - I just need you to look it up on that County website and come out and mark the corners." I told him there was no way to do that, but I would perform a reconaissance visit for $500 to determine what I thought the total fee might be. I said that if it was the parcel I thought it was the fee would be around $3,000. He whistled and said he'd call me back. Sure hope he doesn't...
Well, yeah, for 'just kinda close surveys' anyway. Don't need it to the gnat's ass.
See. I seems like the expectation is $200 where ever you go.
Not to hijack.....but I got a call two days ago from a guy in Florida wanting a price to survey 50 acres near Savannah. He said if I could beat the other surveyors price I could have it.
I said, well I don't really price shop, but just out of curiousity...."HOW MUCH DID THE OTHER SURVEYOR QUOTE YOU?"
Any guesses?..............................................................................................................$500 BUCKS......I about threw up.......
Sounds crazy, but do you think that is just a fish bait price to get the survey, then they sink the hook on the price for the rest of the work to develop it?
[SARCASM]But he doesn't need a full blown survey, geez.[/SARCASM]
Pricing a job is a slippery slope with any client, but more so with individuals, I believe. Most are in the middle of some sort of wheeler-dealer situation and just found out they "need" a survey and are expecting to keep the additional damage low and painless. I always hate to tell John Q. Suburb the survey will cost more than he was expecting to pay for the fence. I generally won't initially talk prices with folks and I always tell them I probably am not the cheapest fella out there.
This actually developed over a period of years. I have been guilty of chiseling a little on my fees just to get the job. I decided some time back it simply isn't worth it. If you can actually do a job for a lot cheaper than your initial quote, what does that tell the prospective client? It's liking watching car ads on tv. If they can mark a car down 5000 bucks, how much are they making at full retail?
The best I can do is find a similar job in the same area I've completed in the past and tell them that's a good starting point.
$200...pffft. I have more pocket change than that laying all over the top of my dresser.
Right alongside the MAG nails...
He is lying or the other surveyor is a methhead. One or the other. $500 won't pay for the research on 50 acres.
Around here is it "a couple hundred". And that's for a Parcel Map, Lot Line Adjustment, Record of Survey, Elevation Certificate, or locating a property boundary so they can correctly lay out the building set back line for whatever construction they are doing.
Easy work, yeah?
Nothing like the wrath of the wife when a few 2 1/2" mag nails go through the washer.........
Yep, been there! Almost as bad as leaving a can of copenhagen in your britches.
I am not sure. He told me he didn't think I could match the other guys price and he was right. I don't think he was trying to get me down, mainly because I refuse to play that game, but I had the thought that maybe it was the guy who did the original survey. But even then, I would charge him an hourly rate to remark the lines. It is hard to say.
Then again it might be a party chief on the weekend type thing too. Just never know.
Bow Tie Surveyor, post: 347339, member: 6939 wrote: Well... I guess it's good to know that $200 is the universal price for surveying services in the mind of the public.
The worst is when the client tells me what his attorney said it should cost. Or his architect said it shouldn't be more than a few hundred bucks.
I usually tell them to then let their attorney do they survey.
Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk