Ring Ring

I received a call once asking a price to provide a survey that showed a storage facility didn't encroach on a neighbor. I explained I would first have to determine if the structure did OR did not violate the property line.

The guy told me I didn't need to do that, he already had a survey that showed it was over the line. He just wanted to know how much money it was going to cost to provide a survey that showed it wasn't over the line.

The conversation went downhill after that.

A few years ago, I prepared a survey on a residential lot that the NEW in ground swimming pool was in question.

Pool was ok, but approx. 2' of the 3' concrete decking along one side was over the line. Client had me mark the line on the concrete. Before I left, the pool guy arrived with a concrete saw and was cutting when I left.....

That same old question gets so stale.

How much for a survey?

Depending on my mood, I'm liable to say "Somewhere between $200 and $20,000." If they're still on the line, I'll add, "So it helps if you tell me as much as you possibly can to help figure out which end of that range is going to be appropriate for your situation." Then I push them for every detail I can think of.

I had a similar call once.

I needed to give a proposal so I asked the address (for obvious reasons) for which she replied "oho, wouldn't you like to know." As if I was being sneaky...

I tried to explain I couldn't do anything if I didn't have an address. The stalemate wasn't resolved even after explanation so I wasn't able to give an estimate.

About once a month I get one of these calls. My office abuts the largest Ford dealership in the area. There is 600+ feet north of me of showroom, service area, body shop, and parking for that. Then across the street is another 600+ feet of used cars, new stock and an impound yard. My response is if you were standing on the steps of the Ford dealership looking across the street at all the cars, would you ask them, "How much is a car?" From thier answer I can tell if they were having a stupid moment or I don't want to work with them.

Too frequently comes that call where they want a "bid". It doesn't take too long to figure out that they have contacted at least one other surveyor previously and got sticker shock of a sort. They are hoping they can find someone silly enough to throw out a number that is half or less of whatever number or numbers they already have received. Sometimes they will outright lie to you about the situation in hopes you will shoot them a low number then demand you hold to that number after you have finally discovered what they lied about. That stopped working about 25 years ago.

Although not survey, but similar, about 10 years ago I took a call at the engineering office I worked at and the caller just said, in a very heavy Australian accent: "Maayt, I've just beelt a pewl" (that's: Mate, I've just built a pool).

All I could think of as a reply was: "Okay".

After a few more sentences like that, it transpired that he had indeed built a very large pool, for a very expensive new home, flush to the flat ground level around it. But it had no external sub drains, and before he could fill it, there had been heavy rain overnight and it had floated about a half a meter out of the ground. He wanted us to amend the drawings so that it would look like the raised level was correct.

Similar problem happens with empty metal grain bins. When one is empty it doesn't take a tornado to either make it buckle inwards or get ripped completely off it's base. Too many owners have learned this the hard way.

I gave a guy a price on a survey and he said OK I'll get back to you. He did get back to me and said, "This other guy said he'd do it for $50 less." I said OK then there you have it. He was still on the line and I asked if he needed anything else. He replied "Aren't you going to beat that? I want you to have it but you have to beat his price."

I said no. I gave you my price. You have a winner there so go get em tiger. He couldn't believe I wouldn't cut my competitor's throat.

mattharnett, post: 398763, member: 6458 wrote: I gave a guy a price on a survey and he said OK I'll get back to you. He did get back to me and said, "This other guy said he'd do it for $50 less." I said OK then there you have it. He was still on the line and I asked if he needed anything else. He replied "Aren't you going to beat that? I want you to have it but you have to beat his price."

I said no. I gave you my price. You have a winner there so go get em tiger. He couldn't believe I wouldn't cut my competitor's throat.

There's at least a 50/50 chance that he was lying to you about the other price.

mattharnett, post: 398763, member: 6458 wrote: I gave a guy a price on a survey and he said OK I'll get back to you. He did get back to me and said, "This other guy said he'd do it for $50 less." I said OK then there you have it. He was still on the line and I asked if he needed anything else. He replied "Aren't you going to beat that? I want you to have it but you have to beat his price."

I said no. I gave you my price. You have a winner there so go get em tiger. He couldn't believe I wouldn't cut my competitor's throat.

You are probably better off not having a client like that who is focused only on the $50. He has no idea what he is buying if he is trying to bargain for a lousy $50.

According to most ethics review boards, cutting another surveyor's price is on the no no list.

I do not send in or give out a bid for my services.

Once a price number comes out my mouth to a client, that is my number and I'll stick with it.

To gee and haw for awhile or to visit the conversation back and forth a few times bargaining on a number is time I could spend putting in billable hours.

I don't want clients who pit me against my confreres. I won't base my price upon anothe'rs price. Once I give you the price, that's it.

Matt, I find your choice of words kind of funny. You're "uncomfortable" giving prices without research. I am the same but I flat out say "No." I don't think that your comfort level is of any interest to your potential client, nor is that a flat out refusal. It's a weak way of side stepping the issue.
I am like Cow, if I feel like the person will understand. I just say, "I've worked on $60,000 jobs and $720 jobs, yours will probably fall somewhere in there. However, I need to do some research to give you a firm proposal."

I don't discuss my level of comfort 🙂

foggyidea, post: 398781, member: 155 wrote: Matt, I find your choice of words kind of funny. You're "uncomfortable" giving prices without research. I am the same but I flat out say "No." I don't think that your comfort level is of any interest to your potential client, nor is that a flat out refusal. It's a weak way of side stepping the issue.
I am like Cow, if I feel like the person will understand. I just say, "I've worked on $60,000 jobs and $720 jobs, yours will probably fall somewhere in there. However, I need to do some research to give you a firm proposal."

I don't discuss my level of comfort 🙂

Pretty sure Matt was throwing the caller's comment back at them.. but I could be wrong, and Matt is a super sensitive surveyor.

I try not to work for folks that want to know my fee before telling me anything. It's worked quite well over the years...

foggyidea, post: 398781, member: 155 wrote: I don't discuss my level of comfort

I didn't actually say that.

Andy J, post: 398782, member: 44 wrote: Pretty sure Matt was throwing the caller's comment back at them.. but I could be wrong, and Matt is a super sensitive surveyor

I'm a wicked sensitive guy and I run with a wicked sensitive crew!

I worked with that gal just so I could get to her problem. She didn't give me an address and I really didn't give her a quote. She wondered if it'd be a couple hundred or a couple thousand. She's on the few thousand end.

People don't call for fun. Nobody is setting around with a pocket full of money thinking, "I could use this to finally know where my property is. Call the surveyor." People call me because they have a problem. When the problem is really bad, they typically hold way back with their info.

mattharnett, post: 398456, member: 6458 wrote: ... My break is over and I have to go.

Which means you were probably not the first surveyor she called.

Holy Cow, post: 398493, member: 50 wrote: How much for a survey?

My reply usually is "I have no idea." Then I start asking questions about the address, their name and phone number, and why do they need the survey. Then after ding some research, I'll call them back to discuss it.
If they say they are checking prices, I am forced to tell them that state regulations do not allow engineers or surveyors to compete for jobs by price and that I could be up for disciplinary actions for violating the QBS requirements. ASPLS is working with the BOL to change that rule.