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“Oh, I had no idea it would cost that much”
Posted by jph on June 22, 2022 at 1:24 pmWhere do people even get preconceptions about what a boundary survey/lot staking costs?
holy-cow replied 1 year, 10 months ago 25 Members · 47 Replies- 47 Replies
Some boundaries are “cheap” some are super expensive, it all depends how much information the surveyor has in relation to the area.
I can go stake a lot for a few hundred dollars in one of my existing subdivisions where I have control, a bit more in older parts of the city were I have extensive control and it could take many thousands for a problem area.
A section breakdown might be a few hundred where I already have all the control or it might many thousands.
People hear about the cheap version and expect that.
I’m not sure but I seem to waste a lot of time pulling tax maps and deeds for quotes only to have them say “Oh, well I was told it would be around $300”
- Posted by: @jph
Where do people even get preconceptions about what a boundary survey/lot staking costs?
From your friendly neighborhood “Realtor”. ????
One request I got really sticks out in my mind.
Had a request for a title boundary survey, not NSPS/ALTA, locate the boundary and all improvements, (house, shed, driveway). The lot was adjacent to highway right-of-way. There were little to no recorded boundaries in that area and we had not done work there before. I pulled the right-of-way plans, a couple tax records and made an estimate (I don’t remember the amount). They said, and I quote, “Oh, I figured it wouldn’t be more than about $150”.
I almost bit my tongue off trying to stifle my laughter. At the time, we didn’t start the truck for less than $150/day.
T. Nelson – SAM, LLCThe majority of the problem is the public’s lack of knowledge of what a survey is or the work that goes into one. Another part of the bad equation is the misinformation passed to potential clients by the friendly real estate agent as mentioned by @flga-2-2 above.
I get tons of calls wanting an estimate for “a simple 1-2 acre survey that shouldn’t take too long”. My standard response is “the survey price is dependent upon the time and effort required to complete the survey, but I have a minimum call-out fee of $1500”. This usually gets a negative response but I explain that every survey, no matter how large or small, requires time to complete the research, draft contracts, set schedules, etc. and time is money. When you add the required field time, data processing, drafting, and QA/QC, you have a substantial amount accumulated that is well over the $300 – $500 “expected” fee.
I guess that is the long way of saying we need to be more proactive in educating the public on the services we provide.
My $0.02
- Posted by: @kevin-hines
I guess that is the long way of saying we need to be more proactive in educating the public on the services we provide.
??? ??? ???
“…people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think.” -Neil Postman - Posted by: @kevin-hines
I guess that is the long way of saying we need to be more proactive in educating the public on the services we provide.
Yup, even if I know that the price has scared them off, I still try to explain what goes into it, that the cost is a function of the work/effort that it takes to do the job.
I think some people think that our GPS equipment has the location of all boundaries, and we just need to dial up theirs, and stake it out.
- Posted by: @mightymoe
A section breakdown might be a few hundred where I already have all the control or it might many thousands.
The price should be the same regardless of what work you have done in the area before. This is how you actually make money surveying.
Its like the story of the artist who charged $5000 for a portrait he drew in 20 minutes. Ah, he said. It didn’t take 20 minutes, it took 20 years to learn how to do it in 20 minutes.
- Posted by: @jph
Where do people even get preconceptions about what a boundary survey/lot staking costs?
1st, the public has no idea of what goes into a proper survey.
2nd, almost anything with which we are not familiar tends to be treated as a commodity. When purchasing a commodity the reasonable factors are price and delivery time.
3rd, for a new buyer of property, the survey is an inconvenient hurdle
4th, for the seller’s real estate agent and closing attorney the survey may find something that will delay or squash the closing.
5th, the surveying community is introverted or insular in relating to the public.
6th, professionalism is far more than getting the numbers and the legal aspect correct. It includes educating the public (professing).
Had one recently who thought we had only been on-site for 30 minutes. As above, I explained the entire process that is involved plus the fact we had been on-site over 150 minutes, including the 50 minutes after we entered his driveway. He said he was in the house and couldn’t believe we didn’t knock on his door. His Highway Patrol Car was setting in the driveway in the middle of the afternoon. That signaled to me he was most likely sound asleep.
Realtors couldn??t quote low prices if you didn??t have a few surveyors doing it for those prices. We??ve all know some.
@jacavel
In my post above, the survey did show something that could have killed the deal. This was a five-acre rural tract using a septic lagoon for household waste treatment. It extended over 40 feet into the surrounding property owned by the whiner’s in-laws. It should be no closer than 50 feet to any boundary without an agreement with the adjoiner. Also, none of the existing fences were anywhere close to marking the five-acre tract.
Unfortunately, the “low ballers” are the ones that get the lion’s share of the projects. They are usually the ones that cut so many corners that they produce a bad boundary, yet insist they are providing a valuable service to the public. Those are the ones that need to be reported to the licensure boards every time they fail to comply with the reasonable standards of care and/or the standards of practice. Eventually they will either get a clue or loose their credentials.
There is poor as defined by today’s standards. Then there is poor as defined by yesterday’s standards. Big difference.
- i wPosted by: @kevin-hines
Unfortunately, the “low ballers” are the ones that get the lion’s share of the projects. They are usually the ones that cut so many corners that they produce a bad boundary, yet insist they are providing a valuable service to the public. Those are the ones that need to be reported to the licensure boards every time they fail to comply with the reasonable standards of care and/or the standards of practice. Eventually they will either get a clue or loose their credentials.
This is an issue in the area that work in, there are numerous firms charging dirt prices for garbage work. On occasion we’ll survey a lot one of these companies previously did and sometimes the property owner will have the old plat – those that I have seen look almost like a sarcastic caricature of a plat.
Those are the ones you need to get a copy of and send it to the board of licensure as well as file a formal complaint. We have to police ourselves otherwise, the bad apples will continue to spoil the barrel.
- Posted by: @squirl
“Oh, I figured it wouldn’t be more than about $150”.
Heck, I’ve run up $150 just talking to you on the phone.
What I tell people is that despite the cost, almost no one regrets getting a survey. Some people may get news they don’t like, but more information is always good, always valuable.
Another analogy I picked up somewhere (possibly these forums) is that a land survey is like buying new tires. It’s more expensive then you think it ought to be, once it’s done you don’t really notice much of a difference, but it’s something you know you need to do.
@norman-oklahoma
Nope, your argument doesn’t make sense.
To add to the analogies: it takes as much planning, preparation, and equipment to camp overnight as it does for a week.
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