Eight years in and the idea of a monthly blog has somewhat fallen by the wayside.....but after commissioning a new website and discussing the requirments with the developer it seems getting our blog back on track could be worth the effort, but I suspect we won't be anywhere as near prolific as when we first started....a severe case of writers block, and a grwoing client base to keep happy, but here goes.....
Over the coming year look out for the following:-
1) Surveying at Speed - A look at the advantage and disadvantages of drones and laser scanning.
2) Another Box Ticked...but is it worth it - Looking into the relevance of some specifications
3) After the Surveyor has gone - more of a retrospective look at a few sites we have worked on to see what has happened since.
4) Authors of Our Own Downfall - with a growing shortage of Land Surveyors available do we only have ourselves to blame?
It's out there now I'm commiting to a quarterly blog, I would ask for submission of other papers but I feel it will fall of deak ears.
For more information on the services R L Surveys can offer please visit our website at www.rlsurveys.co.uk, or for a more relaxed view we can be found on Facebook, or Twitter. We are also on LinkedIn, so pop along and say hi. #rls
Showing posts with label Measured Building Survey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Measured Building Survey. Show all posts
Monday, 21 January 2019
Friday, 4 January 2013
2012 a distant memory?
That's all folks, 2012 has been put to bed and 2013 is just rubbing its eyes and working out what to do next. Sadly for 2013 it has a big act to follow in 2012, but it can but try.
Whilst it is always nice to look back at the past, and revel in past success (or dwell on past failures) the only benefit is to learn and move forward, in this case, into 2013. This year will bring around some exciting changes for R L Surveys in many ways, being our second full trading year we can look forward to:-
Whilst it is always nice to look back at the past, and revel in past success (or dwell on past failures) the only benefit is to learn and move forward, in this case, into 2013. This year will bring around some exciting changes for R L Surveys in many ways, being our second full trading year we can look forward to:-
- A increased presence in the boundaries market. With a Chartered Surveyor on board we are now able to work through boundary disputes under guidelines laid down by RICS, the industries governing body, as well as push the other areas of boundaries such as demarcation & first registration.
- With a new toy in the cupboard we are looking forward to providing a complete measured building survey services. The final investment of 2012 was a Leica C10 laser scanner, the capabilities of which can be found on our website, or through this brief Youtube video (Thank you Paul Burrows of Leica). This new piece of kit enables our Surveyors to carry out site surveys in a fraction of the time previously with a large element of safety, and a much much greater coverage of data.
- Completion of our accreditation to ISO9001 which will give our customers peace of mind about the product we produce.
- With these new developments we will need to expand our workforce to service the ever growing demands on our time, so again keep an eye on our website for the vacancies as they appear.
With those thoughts in mind it just leaves me to wish you all a Happy and Prosperous New Year. Lets raise a glass to whats to come in 2013.
Sunday, 23 December 2012
The surveying fraternity
In the last 13 years I have worked for a wide variety of Surveying firms and departments, however it is only in the past 18 months that I have realised how many Surveying firms exist and the level of interaction between them.
Many years ago I noted that a lot of surveys were being lost to small independent firms with low overheads and a fast turn around. At that time I floated an idea to my then boss about setting up a firm to handle this growing demand which worked as a separate entity to the main firm, but still within the same operating standards. The idea being to keep the work virtually in house, but not stuck under the same umbrella for overheads/insurance/management. We'd keep clients happy by doing the work, and keep the work away from the smaller firms - a good principle but it wasn't seen as a viable option at the time because of the insurance & QA hurdles, and working a balance between the two areas of the business.
Well here we are now as a small firm with low overheads, fast turn around times, and a good quality product but without the net of the larger firm should times get slack. However there are many firms out there willing to pass on any excess work load, and this act can also be reciprocated. I'd love to go through and list them, but lets face it that would be like cutting off my nose to spite my face!
The challenge now will be to maintain that close fraternity of firms whilst balancing our own needs as a company to grow. The companies we work with closely are spread across the UK so in essence there is little competition between them, but perhaps in time as each of these companies develops we might find ourselves in the position to create a much more formal agreement to enable the larger group of firms to tender for larger jobs as one, and then split the rewards. But for now we shall all soldier on through the wind & rain alone to reach our goals.
For more information on the services R L Surveys can offer please visit our website at www.rlsurveys.co.uk, or for a more relaxed view we can be found on Facebook, or Twitter. We are also on LinkedIn, and this is an area we are looking to develop going into 2013.
A new development on the blog is a reaction bar at the bottom of each blog just to keep us on our toes to see what areas people are interested in for future wonderings.
Many years ago I noted that a lot of surveys were being lost to small independent firms with low overheads and a fast turn around. At that time I floated an idea to my then boss about setting up a firm to handle this growing demand which worked as a separate entity to the main firm, but still within the same operating standards. The idea being to keep the work virtually in house, but not stuck under the same umbrella for overheads/insurance/management. We'd keep clients happy by doing the work, and keep the work away from the smaller firms - a good principle but it wasn't seen as a viable option at the time because of the insurance & QA hurdles, and working a balance between the two areas of the business.
Well here we are now as a small firm with low overheads, fast turn around times, and a good quality product but without the net of the larger firm should times get slack. However there are many firms out there willing to pass on any excess work load, and this act can also be reciprocated. I'd love to go through and list them, but lets face it that would be like cutting off my nose to spite my face!
The challenge now will be to maintain that close fraternity of firms whilst balancing our own needs as a company to grow. The companies we work with closely are spread across the UK so in essence there is little competition between them, but perhaps in time as each of these companies develops we might find ourselves in the position to create a much more formal agreement to enable the larger group of firms to tender for larger jobs as one, and then split the rewards. But for now we shall all soldier on through the wind & rain alone to reach our goals.
For more information on the services R L Surveys can offer please visit our website at www.rlsurveys.co.uk, or for a more relaxed view we can be found on Facebook, or Twitter. We are also on LinkedIn, and this is an area we are looking to develop going into 2013.
A new development on the blog is a reaction bar at the bottom of each blog just to keep us on our toes to see what areas people are interested in for future wonderings.
Sunday, 9 September 2012
A Week in the Life
In this industry no two weeks are the same, but that is part of the enjoyment of the job. This week has taken me from London to the middle of the River Medway via Hurstpierpoint in West Sussex!
Monday: A small land survey for a client looking to extend an existing survey they had in Canterbury (one I priced and won for a previous employer by complete coincidence!). The quote came in on the Friday, and we squeezed the work in on the Monday - so much for putting my feet up!
Tuesday: Up to Pfizers (Sandwich, Kent) for the day with Method Statement & Risk Assessment in hand, upon arrival the permits office gave me the news that no permit had been requested for the work. However on discussion with the office I didn't need one, and the RAMS were not required as the work was on the public highway outside the site. Spent the rest of the day covering 10km of walking - you'd think taking in the scenery etc., but no it was over the same 200m of road walking up and down doing the survey!!
Wednesday: Change of pace again down to Hurstpierpoint (West Sussex) to survey a 2.5acre garden for a potential extension to the existing property and garden landscaping. This was combined with returning some hire kit to Opti-cal down near Gatwick airport. The day started at 6, and finished at 6 for all those of you thinking I keep short hours!
Thursday: A more leisurely start setting out the ends of five gas pipes covered over by chalk fill at a local landfill which is in the process of being reclaimed. Then from here I was off to an afternoon meeting with the CICES visiting the Hydrographic Office at Sheerness Docks, with a trip out on the Medway Surveyor to map a wreck just off the terminals for Grain LNG. More pictures can be seen on our Facebook page, and eventually on the CICES website. Fascinating to see Surveyors from other sectors at work for a change.
Friday: Hoping on a train up to London to carry out a measured internal survey for a property rental & future lease plan. I was looking forward to nicely maintained property given the client, but found myself in the dark in a flat clearly not used for 20-30 years with ceilings falling part, a concrete floor covered in dust etc.. Of course on the plus side all the corners were easily accessible to carry out a quick survey, and give me time for a quick nephew cuddle (2 months old) on the way home.
So I've managed to clock up a ridiculous amount of miles in the car, on the train, and on foot. It also means I now have a lot of data to process next week to issue the information out to the clients, although I did managed to process and issue work from Monday & Tuesday on the following day in an attempt to stay on top of my inbox.
Next week I'll be hitting Dover, Ashford & Upchurch at the moment, but that could easily be added to at any time.
For more information about the area we cover, and the work we do, please visit our website www.rlsurveys.co.uk. To keep in touch we can be followed on Facebook, LinkedIN, and through twitter (@RLSurveys), alternatively you can subscribe to our bi-annual newsletter through the link at the top right of this blog.
The next blog will (I hope) be entitled - Advertising & Trade Shows.
Monday: A small land survey for a client looking to extend an existing survey they had in Canterbury (one I priced and won for a previous employer by complete coincidence!). The quote came in on the Friday, and we squeezed the work in on the Monday - so much for putting my feet up!
Tuesday: Up to Pfizers (Sandwich, Kent) for the day with Method Statement & Risk Assessment in hand, upon arrival the permits office gave me the news that no permit had been requested for the work. However on discussion with the office I didn't need one, and the RAMS were not required as the work was on the public highway outside the site. Spent the rest of the day covering 10km of walking - you'd think taking in the scenery etc., but no it was over the same 200m of road walking up and down doing the survey!!
Wednesday: Change of pace again down to Hurstpierpoint (West Sussex) to survey a 2.5acre garden for a potential extension to the existing property and garden landscaping. This was combined with returning some hire kit to Opti-cal down near Gatwick airport. The day started at 6, and finished at 6 for all those of you thinking I keep short hours!
Thursday: A more leisurely start setting out the ends of five gas pipes covered over by chalk fill at a local landfill which is in the process of being reclaimed. Then from here I was off to an afternoon meeting with the CICES visiting the Hydrographic Office at Sheerness Docks, with a trip out on the Medway Surveyor to map a wreck just off the terminals for Grain LNG. More pictures can be seen on our Facebook page, and eventually on the CICES website. Fascinating to see Surveyors from other sectors at work for a change.Friday: Hoping on a train up to London to carry out a measured internal survey for a property rental & future lease plan. I was looking forward to nicely maintained property given the client, but found myself in the dark in a flat clearly not used for 20-30 years with ceilings falling part, a concrete floor covered in dust etc.. Of course on the plus side all the corners were easily accessible to carry out a quick survey, and give me time for a quick nephew cuddle (2 months old) on the way home.
So I've managed to clock up a ridiculous amount of miles in the car, on the train, and on foot. It also means I now have a lot of data to process next week to issue the information out to the clients, although I did managed to process and issue work from Monday & Tuesday on the following day in an attempt to stay on top of my inbox.
Next week I'll be hitting Dover, Ashford & Upchurch at the moment, but that could easily be added to at any time.
For more information about the area we cover, and the work we do, please visit our website www.rlsurveys.co.uk. To keep in touch we can be followed on Facebook, LinkedIN, and through twitter (@RLSurveys), alternatively you can subscribe to our bi-annual newsletter through the link at the top right of this blog.
The next blog will (I hope) be entitled - Advertising & Trade Shows.
Sunday, 26 August 2012
The funnier side of Surveying
Life is too short to take everything seriously, and there is endless fun to be had on site without affecting the result. I've managed to have an apple fight with a Survey Manager from one reputable company, and ended up sitting in a parked car in the Birmingham red light district at around midnight (for work purposes!). Best not name names as they are still trying to be respectable! Where to begin, I've tried to put them into groups and keep them brief - some of you might even recognise them -
Messing About on The River
1) Carrying out a number of cross sections on the river Stour through Canterbury. The final section of the day I put on the chest high waders for the final time, slowly entered the water to avoid any accidents and find the bottom with my feet. OK all set to work so I step forward and find out I wasn't quite at the bottom - now the waders seem a little pointless as they are full of ice cold water!!! Luckily it's a nice day and I have a change of clothes but getting out of the waders, and then getting the waders out of the water was no mean feet!
2) A colleague puts on his dry suit, and gamely leaps into the water just as I kindly offer the comment you should really have done the zip up first!! Luckily the water was not deep, just cold!
3) A blazing hot summers day up on the River Darenth as it meanders its way through the grounds of Hall Place. Kids are in the river, jumping around and splashing about - a lovely spot for a days surveying except under the 'Health & Safety' requirements I'm going to be wearing a full dry suit. Sometimes I think it can be a little ridiculous!!
4) Again on the Darenth but this time a disused mooring point, happily clambering around in my dry suit surveying the pertinent points, until I slip, drop the pole and cling to the mooring for all I'm worth. I pull myself back up and the first question I get asked - 'where's the pogo'. Nothing like enquiring as to my well being.
5) Final river story - "are you sure about the tide times because we're paddling this dinghy & going no where!" We made it in the end, but more by dragging ourselves along the reeds than paddling.
Computing Errors
1) A common AutoCAD mistake highlighted - "So when you searched and replaced all the text 'IL' and replaced it with nothing, did you not wonder what a Stock Pe was, or perhaps a Toet?? Computers have a good side & a bad side, one they do exactly what there are told, however they DO do exactly what they are told!
2) Scanning through some river sections there was a funny dot which kept appearing, upon closer examination and many times zoom someone had kindly drawn a fish in all the sections!
Equipment Malfunctions
1) Surveyor "ok, all done everything's loaded, lets go". We pull away the boot opens and the instrument falls out onto the road- whoops! (For all those wondering we did check the calibration the next morning and no damage done)
2) Assistant - "I can't get this GPS rucksack working more than about 10m from the start". Surveyor - "Perhaps you should screw the aerial in!"
3) A team of 4-5 Surveyors are out doing a GPS survey of various points in a 10mile radius. To this end a based station is established with a generator to ensure power for the required period, and one member of staff is left to guard said kit. The remainder of us go of and start co-ordinating points. The next morning the Survey Manager asks one simple question - "At what point did you fall asleep and miss the generator being taken!".
4) First day in her new job, her only job is to sit with the GPS base station for the day on top of a hill on a baking hot day. So we set her up with drinks, a book & the paper and head off. The days work goes well, and we pick her up at the end of the day looking a little tired & sun burnt. She didn't come back to work again!
Odds & Sods
1) Wandering along a stretch of open land near a dyke I warn the guy following about a ditch which I immedately misjudge and fall into!!
2) Staying away in a nice pub near Leatherhead, we come down in the morning to the sight of the landlord in his Y-fronts, on the phone having a smoke. He looks up and says "hang on and I'll cook your breakfast in a minute"!
3) Surveyor (I'll confess me!) on a site in Hampstead - "Where exactly is the instrument, because it's not in the boot!"
4) Surveyor on the same site moments later- "you did pick the logger up?". Assistant - "no it's still on a wall in south east London". Amazingly it was still there at the end of the day though!!
5) Health & Safely gone mad - "you have to were full hi-vis, hard hats, gloves & goggles when working on site" - comment "you do understand we are just driving from one end of the road to the other at 2am!!"
6) Back to university days I try to observe a prisim 50m away down a dark tunnel with various lights trying to highlight the target. I sight the prisim and hit distance......nothing, so I check the sighting press distance again.......nothing. So I try a different battery, ask someone else to check the sighting, check instrument stability & wipe down the prisim. No problems, it must be a disto problem, so off I trott to find the lecturer. Upon our return he takes one look and laughs. Did I mention this was a damp wet tunnel with looks of still puddles. I've managed to sight the reflection of the prisim in a puddle!!
7) A project many years ago was GPS control for photogrammetry. We needed to co-ordinate a point on each of the aerial photographs, and provide a station description with location photograph. Not an exciting job, but to take our mind off things we decided that all our photos should have an animal in - felling rather proud we'd managed horse, sheep, dog, cat, bird, cow, human & tiger. Yes tiger!!!
8) Finally carrying out a measured building survey, 90% of the work complete but I needed to get into the residential area. It was about 11am so I knocked, and the guy let me in and told me to carry on. So I happily measured up a few rooms, then moved onto the bedroom. I'd finished positioning the walls, and was about to start adding symbols when the sheets on the bed moved & his girlfriends head appeared. Scared the life out of me, so seems unbothered by the whole thing and just went back to sleep!
If it doesn't affect your career or current position feel free to share some more, we all have these stories embarassing, stupid or just plan silly.
For more details of the services we offer, and examples of our work, please visit www.rlsurveys.co.uk, or you can keep in touch with us on LinkedIn, Facebook & Twitter (@RLSurveys).
Messing About on The River
1) Carrying out a number of cross sections on the river Stour through Canterbury. The final section of the day I put on the chest high waders for the final time, slowly entered the water to avoid any accidents and find the bottom with my feet. OK all set to work so I step forward and find out I wasn't quite at the bottom - now the waders seem a little pointless as they are full of ice cold water!!! Luckily it's a nice day and I have a change of clothes but getting out of the waders, and then getting the waders out of the water was no mean feet!
2) A colleague puts on his dry suit, and gamely leaps into the water just as I kindly offer the comment you should really have done the zip up first!! Luckily the water was not deep, just cold!
3) A blazing hot summers day up on the River Darenth as it meanders its way through the grounds of Hall Place. Kids are in the river, jumping around and splashing about - a lovely spot for a days surveying except under the 'Health & Safety' requirements I'm going to be wearing a full dry suit. Sometimes I think it can be a little ridiculous!!
4) Again on the Darenth but this time a disused mooring point, happily clambering around in my dry suit surveying the pertinent points, until I slip, drop the pole and cling to the mooring for all I'm worth. I pull myself back up and the first question I get asked - 'where's the pogo'. Nothing like enquiring as to my well being.
5) Final river story - "are you sure about the tide times because we're paddling this dinghy & going no where!" We made it in the end, but more by dragging ourselves along the reeds than paddling.
Computing Errors
1) A common AutoCAD mistake highlighted - "So when you searched and replaced all the text 'IL' and replaced it with nothing, did you not wonder what a Stock Pe was, or perhaps a Toet?? Computers have a good side & a bad side, one they do exactly what there are told, however they DO do exactly what they are told!
2) Scanning through some river sections there was a funny dot which kept appearing, upon closer examination and many times zoom someone had kindly drawn a fish in all the sections!
Equipment Malfunctions
1) Surveyor "ok, all done everything's loaded, lets go". We pull away the boot opens and the instrument falls out onto the road- whoops! (For all those wondering we did check the calibration the next morning and no damage done)
2) Assistant - "I can't get this GPS rucksack working more than about 10m from the start". Surveyor - "Perhaps you should screw the aerial in!"
3) A team of 4-5 Surveyors are out doing a GPS survey of various points in a 10mile radius. To this end a based station is established with a generator to ensure power for the required period, and one member of staff is left to guard said kit. The remainder of us go of and start co-ordinating points. The next morning the Survey Manager asks one simple question - "At what point did you fall asleep and miss the generator being taken!".
4) First day in her new job, her only job is to sit with the GPS base station for the day on top of a hill on a baking hot day. So we set her up with drinks, a book & the paper and head off. The days work goes well, and we pick her up at the end of the day looking a little tired & sun burnt. She didn't come back to work again!
Odds & Sods
1) Wandering along a stretch of open land near a dyke I warn the guy following about a ditch which I immedately misjudge and fall into!!
2) Staying away in a nice pub near Leatherhead, we come down in the morning to the sight of the landlord in his Y-fronts, on the phone having a smoke. He looks up and says "hang on and I'll cook your breakfast in a minute"!
3) Surveyor (I'll confess me!) on a site in Hampstead - "Where exactly is the instrument, because it's not in the boot!"
4) Surveyor on the same site moments later- "you did pick the logger up?". Assistant - "no it's still on a wall in south east London". Amazingly it was still there at the end of the day though!!
5) Health & Safely gone mad - "you have to were full hi-vis, hard hats, gloves & goggles when working on site" - comment "you do understand we are just driving from one end of the road to the other at 2am!!"
6) Back to university days I try to observe a prisim 50m away down a dark tunnel with various lights trying to highlight the target. I sight the prisim and hit distance......nothing, so I check the sighting press distance again.......nothing. So I try a different battery, ask someone else to check the sighting, check instrument stability & wipe down the prisim. No problems, it must be a disto problem, so off I trott to find the lecturer. Upon our return he takes one look and laughs. Did I mention this was a damp wet tunnel with looks of still puddles. I've managed to sight the reflection of the prisim in a puddle!!
7) A project many years ago was GPS control for photogrammetry. We needed to co-ordinate a point on each of the aerial photographs, and provide a station description with location photograph. Not an exciting job, but to take our mind off things we decided that all our photos should have an animal in - felling rather proud we'd managed horse, sheep, dog, cat, bird, cow, human & tiger. Yes tiger!!!
8) Finally carrying out a measured building survey, 90% of the work complete but I needed to get into the residential area. It was about 11am so I knocked, and the guy let me in and told me to carry on. So I happily measured up a few rooms, then moved onto the bedroom. I'd finished positioning the walls, and was about to start adding symbols when the sheets on the bed moved & his girlfriends head appeared. Scared the life out of me, so seems unbothered by the whole thing and just went back to sleep!
If it doesn't affect your career or current position feel free to share some more, we all have these stories embarassing, stupid or just plan silly.
For more details of the services we offer, and examples of our work, please visit www.rlsurveys.co.uk, or you can keep in touch with us on LinkedIn, Facebook & Twitter (@RLSurveys).
Tuesday, 14 August 2012
Discovering East Kent
The sun wasn't out and the sky wasn't blue, but at least it wasn't raining!! Off on a day trip with the photographer to try and gather some images of our website - the general remit to highlight the Kent countryside with a business tilt towards Surveying - and here are some of the results.
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The day started badly, in attempts to reach the Wye crown we wandered off the wrong way (not a good advertisement for a Surveyor!!), and with the weather looking ominous we decided to accept the views for a few photos and move on inland towards Canterbury to try and get a few images showing the cathedral and surrounding streets - much more successful this time we found the cathedral!! Although we did manage to get a statue operating the instrument!!?
.jpg)
From Canterbury we meandered across to Deal for the pier & boats along the shingle beach, and with patches of blue sky things were looking up. A few arty shots later along the beach we moved on down to coast towards Dover and the delights of the seafront/castle via a quiet beach for the 'pensive' shots.
.jpg)
Dover led us on to Samphire Hoe, and then down to Rye (OK East Sussex not Kent but close enough), before coming back to Ashford. Does anyone know of somewhere other than International House where you can get a good shot of Ashford, we tried the beacon view point on Singleton Hill, and round the back of the Village Hall in Great Chart but the trees have grown up so much you can't really get a good view.
We achieved the Downs, the Beaches, the Cathedrals, the Castles, the Windmills, the coastline, the cities, and the business centre Ashford (not THE business centre, but our business centre).
Perhaps next time we'll take a different tour covering the joys of West & North Kent, so any landmarks or suggestions would be greatly received.
More images from our day out will gradually appear through our website, and Facebook. Your feedback on them will be gratefully received and passed on.
As always more details of the services we offer can be found at www.rlsurveys.co.uk, or you can keep in touch with us on Twitter (@RLSurveys), Facebook & LinkedIN.
.jpg)
The day started badly, in attempts to reach the Wye crown we wandered off the wrong way (not a good advertisement for a Surveyor!!), and with the weather looking ominous we decided to accept the views for a few photos and move on inland towards Canterbury to try and get a few images showing the cathedral and surrounding streets - much more successful this time we found the cathedral!! Although we did manage to get a statue operating the instrument!!?
.jpg)
From Canterbury we meandered across to Deal for the pier & boats along the shingle beach, and with patches of blue sky things were looking up. A few arty shots later along the beach we moved on down to coast towards Dover and the delights of the seafront/castle via a quiet beach for the 'pensive' shots.
.jpg)
Dover led us on to Samphire Hoe, and then down to Rye (OK East Sussex not Kent but close enough), before coming back to Ashford. Does anyone know of somewhere other than International House where you can get a good shot of Ashford, we tried the beacon view point on Singleton Hill, and round the back of the Village Hall in Great Chart but the trees have grown up so much you can't really get a good view.
We achieved the Downs, the Beaches, the Cathedrals, the Castles, the Windmills, the coastline, the cities, and the business centre Ashford (not THE business centre, but our business centre).
Perhaps next time we'll take a different tour covering the joys of West & North Kent, so any landmarks or suggestions would be greatly received.
More images from our day out will gradually appear through our website, and Facebook. Your feedback on them will be gratefully received and passed on.
As always more details of the services we offer can be found at www.rlsurveys.co.uk, or you can keep in touch with us on Twitter (@RLSurveys), Facebook & LinkedIN.
Saturday, 28 July 2012
What are the costs of a Land Survey?
It's the forgotten element of construction, but the bedrock of all developments (sorry not trying to offend anyone - we just start the ball rolling from a design and development process, everyone else keeps pushing long after we're gone). You generally can't start without it but the cost of it is a risk since the development may never get off the ground, and any funds invested will never be recouped. Hence no one wants to pay over the odds for a survey, yet they expect a good product at a low price. But what does the price include - and no it's not just a full English at the local greasy spoon!
- Equipment Hire & Maintenance
- Cost of Processing Software (on going & one off)
- Salaries
- Insurances
- Travel to and from site
- A completed digital survey plan in either 2D or 3D
- If you've paid for it paper plots.
- Office Maintenance
- Professional Affiliations
- Ordnance Survey mapping and/or Land Registry plans
- This is not an exhaustive list ( I didn't even utter the word 'profit', but a good overview)
The largest determining factors in the cost of a Land or Measured Building Survey come from distance between site & office, and the length of site time required. The first can be computed down to the mile (assuming we don't get lost), but the second is a personal perception based on years of experience. But we do endeavour to provide an honest & competitive quote, and not add in cover for the 'just-in-case' scenario also know in professional circles as the buggeration factor.
Some of these costs are specific to certain jobs, other costs are those which must be spread out across a year and therefore are segmented down to each job - sadly this is more an educated guess than anything else but as with everything in life there will be some jobs which bare more of the cost than others.
A lot of clients have complained about the cost of a Land Survey in the past (with a former employer though). We are now trying to work with our clients to offer a more tailored approach for pricing to avoid paying for unnecessary detail. As a company we can set up our surveys to target any level of detail to find a price that is more in keeping with the speculative nature of Land Surveying.
For more details of the services we offer, and examples of our work, please visit www.rlsurveys.co.uk, or you can keep in touch with us on LinkedIn, Facebook & Twitter (@RLSurveys).
Wednesday, 30 May 2012
Our Product
All these blogs and we have been concentrating on the business element of the work, but the important factor is the final product, as reputation is everything, and repeat business is your best source of income. So what do we produce:-
Topographical Surveys or Land Surveys: 1:200 Survey Plans
Measured Building Surveys: Floor Plans & Elevations
It is impossible to get the true feeling for a survey from a tiny image on screen but is does give a good idea of what we produce, and we like to think that this is a product that will constantly be evolving. Albeit some of the improvements will be in the stages leading up to this point, but any suggestions you might have on the presentation please let us know so we might incorporate them into the third presentation revision. Till now the ideas have been solely ours, and great pains have been taken to avoid deliberately copying the format of any styles used by any of our former employers but the natural development of the product may take us that way anyway.
Please keep checking back as new products and services will gradually be added, but with less than a year on the books our pool of examples is limited (yet fairly diverse within themselves).
More details of the services we offer, and examples of our work can be found at www.rlsurveys.co.uk, or you can keep in touch with us on LinkedIn, Facebook (www.facebook.com/rlsurveys) & Twitter (@RLSurveys).
More details of the services we offer, and examples of our work can be found at www.rlsurveys.co.uk, or you can keep in touch with us on LinkedIn, Facebook (www.facebook.com/rlsurveys) & Twitter (@RLSurveys).
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