Land survey in Bay Area

[Matt D.]

Hi all,

I'm in Bay Area and I'm having a new construction project on a land.

I searched in Google for the average of land survey cost and it is about 300-800. I also found some other posts about the similar price (https://wallethub.com/answers/how-much-does-a-land...).

I called several land surveyor and got quoted like 4k, 5k and they said price per hour is 300 which is very ridiculous to me.

How can I find a better price? and if you are living in Bay Area please give me some recommendation services providing with good price.

Thanks,

[Chris Mason]

Originally posted by @Matt D.:

Hi all,

I'm in Bay Area and I'm having a new construction project on a land.

I searched in Google for the average of land survey cost and it is about 300-800. I also found some other posts about the similar price (https://wallethub.com/answers/how-much-does-a-land...).

I called several land surveyor and got quoted like 4k, 5k and they said price per hour is 300 which is very ridiculous to me.

How can I find a better price? and if you are living in Bay Area please give me some recommendation services providing with good price.

Thanks,

 Hi Matt,

In many states outside of California, land surveys are a normal part of every single transaction.

Here in California, where we do not have rebel scum challenging our territorial claims, surveys are extremely rare. I can count on one hand the number of land surveys that have actually crossed my desk, and I suspect that I'm involved in slightly more real estate transactions per month than you. :)

Because they are so rare, the folks doing it must charge more per job, to be able to put food on the table. They also have to be able to afford to live in the Bay Area. 

The price for something is what the market will bear. If you've called several surveyors and they are all in the $4k to $5k range, they obviously aren't throwing those numbers out because they are crazy and want to go out of business. 

I might also suggest to you that if the cheapest surveyor you can find screws something up, the consequences will not be borne alone by the surveyor, it could jam you up too.

If a land survey is needed in CA, it means something is potentially an issue of contention. Else, no survey would be needed at all. That's extra liability. And an extra level of attention to detail & double checking that the surveyor must undertake, lest they suffer the dire consequences of missing something, which might include, but not be limited to, law suits, force choking, insurance claims, damaged reputation, etc.