Land Surveyors ... Question ... Price

[Diggin It]

Neighbor has 40 acres. We're talking about cutting out 2-3 acres for me to buy, sort of a triangle or trapezoid shape. Lies along a county road and is overgrown, but less than 'wooded'. One side is defined by a fence to another neighbor, then the road frontage, so only one line needs to be defined. All rural, no utilities other than within the county road right of way.

Due to undergrowth, probably will have to be walked rather than laser sighted.

Seeking a rough guess on what you would charge if in your area.





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[oosik]

I'm NOT a surveyor but I've witnessed several surveys. One of the major points - the closest "recorded" survey point. Or does it require establishing a recorded survey point. Then, as you mention, access.

Neighbor had twenty acres surveyed. It's an unusual shaped parcel - sort of a rounded triangle. For whatever reason - they came back over a half mile to an established, recorded survey point. This just happened to be my SE property corner. This survey point was "done" about twenty years ago for other property sales.

 

[shooterdon]

I had a small piece (3/4 acre) parcel on my east boundary my neighbor gave me two years ago, and I also wanted my boundary with State land surveyed (660'), One line was along an access road and the other in the woods in the hills. It cost about $800 IIRC. So about 1320' surveyed. Area is not important...linear is a better measure. So, about $.60/ft.

 

[AllByteNoBark]

Where you are located can make a pretty big difference. We had 20 acres surveyed and had to break out 2 acres for improvements. Was told the number of corners makes a difference in cost. In our case we had 17 corners due to odd shapes. Cost ran about $1900 for the initial survey which had a couple of well defined corners/markers in place.

 

[RNeumann]

Depends on how hard it is to find a known point/marker. Once that’s done, probably $2000 for a general survey. However, their may be added costs associated with mapping and recording new lot of lot line adjustments- depending on how you do that.

 

[bcp]

A surveyor who did the neighbors property told me the cost was $900 for each point marked.

Bruce

 

[Diggin It]

Neighbor apparently decided he didn't want to break off less than 9 acres, which I can live with since he came down a lot on his price per acre.



Six phone calls. One dead number. Four to voicemail, not even sure the right company.


The one I was able to get in touch with and ask questions says around $1500 including the written description. Also said they were booked through the end of October.

 

[Oldoak]

Back in 1973 we had 50.65 acres parcel (wooded) surveyed with 6 turning points (corners) staked and survey recorded. The cost was less than $400.

I think registered surveyors take advantage of people today and charge what the market will bare. I have seen 1//2 acre lots in the sub-burbs costing upwards of $1500 to be surveyed.

 

[hawkeye08]

We had our 42 acres surveyed in 2005, cost around $4000, land is clear, some hills and draws. Least expensive of 3 survey companies we contacted. Confirmed the pins put in by neighbors surveys (we paid for peace of mind). I think if we wanted to divide our land, if we hired the same surveyor, it would not be nearly as much. Our SE corner is center of section, they had to come from pin perhaps a mile away from that to start.

 

[fried1765]

Back in 1973 we had 50.65 acres parcel (wooded) surveyed with 6 turning points (corners) staked and survey recorded. The cost was less than $400.

I think registered surveyors take advantage of people today and charge what the market will bare. I have seen 1//2 acre lots in the sub-burbs costing upwards of $1500 to be surveyed.

"The cost was less than $400" ...... In 1973
Yup.....
In 1977 I bought a brand new Ford F-250 4x4 for $5680.
Comparison now?

Your time comparison is 46 years.
I was 33 years old in '73, and I am am 79 now.
No comparison there either !!!

 

[Diggin It]

And you live where?
$400 for what you describe is absurd,

Back in 1973 we ...

Things were cheaper then.

 

[Diggin It]

G'Earth's polygon area/acreage estimator doesn't match what the neighbor/seller thinks the area in question should be.

 

[fried1765]

Things were cheaper then.

I missed the 1973, first time I read it.

 

[Oldoak]

Back in 1973 we had 50.65 acres parcel (wooded) surveyed with 6 turning points (corners) staked and survey recorded. The cost was less than $400.

I think registered surveyors take advantage of people today and charge what the market will bare. I have seen 1//2 acre lots in the sub-burbs costing upwards of $1500 to be surveyed.

"The cost was less than $400" ...... In 1973
Yup.....
In 1977 I bought a brand new Ford F-250 4x4 for $5680.
Comparison now?

Your time comparison is 46 years.
I was 33 years old in '73, and I am am 79 now.
No comparison there either !!!

Yes, still does not justify the outrages prices surveyors are demanding today. Sure, modern technology has created more sophisticated surveying instruments, but the same work can be done today with the equipment that was used in 1973. Understandably wages have skyrocketed since then. However we are not talking about manufacturing automobiles and the cost machinery and materials that go into producing them.

Can you still do the same work you did in '73?

 

[fried1765]

Yes, still does not justify the outrages prices surveyors are demanding today. Sure, modern technology has created more sophisticated surveying instruments, but the same work can be done today with the equipment that was used in 1973. Understandably wages have skyrocketed since then. However we are not talking about manufacturing automobiles and the cost machinery and materials that go into producing them.

Can you still do the same work you did in '73?

I sure could do the same work I did in '73, but federal law would not permit me to do so, because of my age.
Federal age requirements mandated my retirement at age 60; 19 years ago.

 

[tallyho8]

I had 160 acres of property in the Arkansas Ozarks surveyed before I sold it about 2 years ago. It was a square piece. Price $450. I had 8 acres surveyed outside New Orleans 15 years ago. It was a long piece only 100' wide. Price $2400. I think they charge by supply and demand.

 

[BearChamion]

I’m a real estate lawyer. I deal with surveyors everyday. If they charge you more than $900 you are taking it right up the old doodaa.

 

[Diggin It]

I think they charge by supply and demand.

There ya go.

 

[JK22]

Neighbor has 40 acres. We're talking about cutting out 2-3 acres for me to buy, sort of a triangle or trapezoid shape. Lies along a county road and is overgrown, but less than 'wooded'. One side is defined by a fence to another neighbor, then the road frontage, so only one line needs to be defined. All rural, no utilities other than within the county road right of way.

Due to undergrowth, probably will have to be walked rather than laser sighted.

Seeking a rough guess on what you would charge if in your area.


View attachment 620912


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Where are you located? In most U.S. states, you can’t break up land into less than a certain number of acres without going through a formal subdivision process with the county. For example, in Colorado, the two resulting parcels must be at least 35 acres, which means you need at least 70 to start. Otherwise, you need approval from the county for a subdivision plat and I t gets considerably more expensive and time consuming. No matter what you do, you should go through a title company to make sure you actually receive what you are buying.

 

[Jstpssng]

I’m a real estate lawyer. I deal with surveyors everyday. If they charge you more than $900 you are taking it right up the old doodaa.

That’s a rather ambiguous statement, considering that the time involved is directly related to the complexity of the job.
$900 is only 4 1/2 hours for a two man crew, and they can’t do a lot in that amount of time. They also have costs including professional liability, travel time, deed research, ...