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Surveyor started my survey no written contract #5462995 12/07/14 08:10 PM
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doogie Offline OP
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I'm having a surveyor survey a corner of my 150acre property
He stated he charged $160 per hour
And that this job should cost about $640
This was all verbal on the phone no written contract
He mentioned that he was having problems figuring out the corner
He has been working on this for about 2 weeks although not all on my property

I'm ok paying the $640 and maybe even an extra 10-15% if it is taking longer but I'm not likely to pay thousands to have one corner of my property marked

What's the usual way to handle this
Don't most surveyors get a written contract first
Would a surveyor expect a client to pay double or triple the verbal fee?
Has any one had issues with this having surveyors trying to milk the fees
My surveyor has not mentioned any extra fees yet since he is still working on the project but I'm guessing it could be on the way.

Last edited by doogie; 12/07/14 09:42 PM.
Re: Surveyor started my survey no written contract [Re: doogie] #5463331 12/07/14 10:41 PM
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Had my place surveyed two years ago, no contract, just verbal agreement and hand shake,
Hope you have the same luck, was a good experience.
texas

Re: Surveyor started my survey no written contract [Re: gary75758] #5463681 12/08/14 01:12 AM
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If he's worked on 150 acres for 2 weeks on all corners, you better fire him. I would ask what kind of equipment he using. Surely gps type. Had a company come out here on 2 lines one 3800 foot and another 2700 foot and he finished in about 3 hours. One was cleared and one not. Verbal here also.

Re: Surveyor started my survey no written contract [Re: doogie] #5463984 12/08/14 02:28 AM
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jetdad Offline
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That sounds a little strange to me. I've never had a written contract. 4 hours is awfully high to stake one corner. It should not take him more than an hour. The last survey I had done was for 26 acres, marked all 4 corners and located the county line that runs through the approximate middle of the property. It cost me $500. I think I'd have to have a visit with him about why it is taking so long. He may just be working on bigger deals and has moved yours down the line. Don't be too quick to judge until he let's you know what the problem is. Maybe he'll work on it for a couple of hours and you might get off for $320. Don't be afraid to ask.

Re: Surveyor started my survey no written contract [Re: doogie] #5464688 12/08/14 02:55 PM
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If he can't get the job done at his estimated time, it's his incompetence.

I'd pay him what he quoted you at the beginning and tell him to pound sand.

Re: Surveyor started my survey no written contract [Re: doogie] #5464964 12/08/14 05:13 PM
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I've worked in land surveying for several years, so I think I know what I'm talking about. There are many reasons why this could be taking him longer than expected. It isn't as simple as just finding the one corner if, he needs to find several other corners in the area to determine if that one is accurate. He could be having trouble finding enough adjoining property corners to verify the corner in question, rural properties can be more difficult because they usually aren't sold very often and therefore haven't been surveyed recently. No surveying job is the same: some you can easily find plenty of accurate corners and can complete the job quickly, but other jobs you can't find enough corners or the ones you do find don't jive with each other so you have to expand your search. I think its a good sign that's he's taking his time because that makes me think he's doing a thorough examination of the area and will produce an accurate finding. Or, he could just be working on other projects that he thinks are more pressing. I'd just ask him how much work he's actually done on your job, and if he expects it to cost more than he quoted.

Last edited by rattler03; 12/08/14 05:15 PM.
Re: Surveyor started my survey no written contract [Re: doogie] #5465040 12/08/14 05:49 PM
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I've had 3-4 surveys done and have yet to have a written contract. I agree with Rattler about not jumping to conclusions before asking what's going on. Some of the older rural descriptions can be a nightmare to figure out. I've seen corners designated as a certain type of tree but 70 years later the whole area is one big hay pasture with no trees, etc.

Re: Surveyor started my survey no written contract [Re: jetdad] #5465128 12/08/14 06:35 PM
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Originally Posted By: jetdad
That sounds a little strange to me. I've never had a written contract. 4 hours is awfully high to stake one corner.


Lots of variables here. In order to legally establish one property corner, a surveyor must first establish the entire property, and verify that property with adjoining properties. There is a bunch of things that must happen in order to legally prepare a survey, that a client will never see.

Drive time, crew time, research, office calculations and data reduction, etc... Four hours is cheap in my books. Also, by law, even if the surveyor is only "staking one corner", he must prepare a surveyor's report. Drawings and maps are easier for the general public to understand, therefore these are the "surveyor's report" that are most common. The preparation of that map is also summed into that "four hours".

I will occasionally work on a project without a written contract. Hand shake will work for me, but it is just a matter of time before that hand burns me.


Originally Posted by DQ Kid
Wife has always wanted some Hard 8
Re: Surveyor started my survey no written contract [Re: doogie] #5465259 12/08/14 07:24 PM
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I understand surveys can take longer than expected
But at what point would a surveyor tell you it is going to cost more than expected
Like I said I'm even ok paying an extra 10-15% but would some surveyors expect to keep going hourly with an unlimited max until the job is done?

Re: Surveyor started my survey no written contract [Re: doogie] #5465338 12/08/14 08:04 PM
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I would think most surveyors would let you know before they go too far over budget. The last thing they want to do is piss off their client with a final price that is so far over their quote that the client refuses to pay. If he has no written contract, he has to know this would be a possibility and one he wants to avoid.

Re: Surveyor started my survey no written contract [Re: doogie] #5466464 12/09/14 07:25 AM
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I am a licensed land surveyor. No. 6289 for the state of Texas. I don't typically get a written contract unless I feel the client is shady, or if their is a possibility I won't get payment. I still believe in a handshake agreement. But you said you hired him to survey a corner, he will have to survey the majority of the property to establish that corner, if not the entire property. Also, when we take a job, we are working for our client and the clients neighbors. What I mean is we have to survey adjoining property as well to establish a boundary line to respect the rights of both parties sharing the boundary line.

I charge $100 an hour with the best equipment money can buy. If the corner was there, a few hours is reasonable. If the corner is lost or missing, it would take much longer. I can't survey a 1 acre lot with a house in a couple hours. My minimum price charge for ang job is $600. But if that's what he qouted you he should stick to that, unless he calls and explains price would be more and you agree to pay.

Re: Surveyor started my survey no written contract [Re: rattler03] #5469456 12/10/14 06:11 PM
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Originally Posted By: rattler03
I would think most surveyors would let you know before they go too far over budget. The last thing they want to do is piss off their client with a final price that is so far over their quote that the client refuses to pay. If he has no written contract, he has to know this would be a possibility and one he wants to avoid.


Spot on.

Yes, I will give you a price of $xx per hour, with a not to exceed price of $xxxx.


Originally Posted by DQ Kid
Wife has always wanted some Hard 8
Re: Surveyor started my survey no written contract [Re: reeder05] #5471070 12/11/14 03:46 PM
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Originally Posted By: reeder05
Originally Posted By: rattler03
I would think most surveyors would let you know before they go too far over budget. The last thing they want to do is piss off their client with a final price that is so far over their quote that the client refuses to pay. If he has no written contract, he has to know this would be a possibility and one he wants to avoid.


Spot on.

Yes, I will give you a price of $xx per hour, with a not to exceed price of $xxxx.

This^^^^ Like Jace I am a Texas RPLS. If I run into a problem that will extend the time on a survey I will make it perfectly clear to the client or landowner that there are issues that may increase the cost quoted. I feel that is good business ethics which is very important in our profession. If the client feels that it is unjust due to the fact he/she may not understand why I can't just mark one corner. I will do my best to explain the problem and if that doesn't work they can call another surveyor and hopefully pay me for the time I put in. To the OP communication is key. The surveyor should give you a call and let you know what's going on and why they are having to spend more time than expected. If they don't it is probably because they are very busy. Not an excuse but you should probably initiate the call. I hope it all works out good for you. I don't like hearing stories of bad dealings with surveyors because it hurts all of us in the profession.


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Re: Surveyor started my survey no written contract [Re: rattler03] #5472485 12/12/14 05:56 AM
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Originally Posted By: rattler03
I would think most surveyors would let you know before they go too far over budget. The last thing they want to do is piss off their client with a final price that is so far over their quote that the client refuses to pay. If he has no written contract, he has to know this would be a possibility and one he wants to avoid.
That is a great point, right there.


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Re: Surveyor started my survey no written contract [Re: doogie] #5578846 02/02/15 11:27 PM
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Surveyor has now come back with a bill of over $2000

Still have not had the pins marked and we are going on over 2 months.

Whats the best way to handle this?
I'm wanting to be fair to all parties involved.

Re: Surveyor started my survey no written contract [Re: doogie] #5579584 02/03/15 05:50 AM
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ouch.. So much for a handshake and verbal agreement.

Re: Surveyor started my survey no written contract [Re: doogie] #5579597 02/03/15 06:04 AM
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Originally Posted By: doogie
Surveyor has now come back with a bill of over $2000

Still have not had the pins marked and we are going on over 2 months.

Whats the best way to handle this?
I'm wanting to be fair to all parties involved.


Verbal quote of $600 and you get a bill for $2000....and no pins marked? He would have to have a very good and compelling argument to be allowed back on the property and I wouldn't pay for work not completed.

I am not a surveyor but in my line of business, many contracts are made with a handshake. I made two such agreements today. If I ran into an issue and the job went to over 3x the cost of my original estimate, I would be too embarrassed to turn in the bill if I hadn't explained it all as the job progressed.

A plumber attempted a similar thing with my grandparents. Quoted them $7k and sent a bill for $22k. The plumber will never see a dime of it but pretty sure the lawyer is making out like a bandit.

Nothing I hate worse than a crook and shady business isn't any different. Sounds to me like you are getting took. I would fire that guy and get a quote from another surveyor to see what the extent of work is expected to be. Depending on your generosity, you determine a fair amount to pay for the incomplete work and pay whatever helps you sleep at night.


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Re: Surveyor started my survey no written contract [Re: doogie] #5580006 02/03/15 03:51 PM
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Verbal/ hand shake agreements ARE BINDING CONTRACTS in the state of Texas! Pay him the agreed upon $640 and tell him to pound sand! If he has a problem with it tell him to call your lawyer......

Re: Surveyor started my survey no written contract [Re: doogie] #5580353 02/03/15 07:49 PM
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I just had some land surveyed. It was 25 acres, included 8 corners, a new boundary line, and a curved road, mostly in dense woods. We asked a half dozen surveyors and only two would touch it; one bid $7000 and the other $3800. The cheaper one was only because I walked the woods and found all the old corners for him. After the job he discovered a section that had gotten lost in the deed records. There were several origninal deeds going back to around 1900 and were in old spanish units. He asked me to sign a contract and put part of it up front. It took him about 6 or 7 weeks. Overall I'm greatly satisfied, since he also placed a few fence posts along the new line. But he did take a long time.....I wouldn't make the final payment till he marked the new corners and gave me a survey document. He did good work. Surveying involves a lot of time at the courthouse, plus the field work. If I could have gotten it for $2000 I'd be happy.

The length of time could also be because the ground is wet and he can't get out there to place the markers. Just a possibility.

Last edited by Humblesmith; 02/03/15 07:50 PM.

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Re: Surveyor started my survey no written contract [Re: HS2] #5585848 02/06/15 01:28 PM
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Have 90 acres here. On Bruckers Creek on back of place they followed meandering creek and have 20 or 30 points on survey. Plus marked all corners of property. Been 9 years ago and cost around $1000. They had to clear a few spots also. Came back a year or so ago and marked 2 crossfences for $350. Company out of La Grange. I would pay original deal and let him make the next move.

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