Survey prices. Midlands/North west

[kris turner]

Hi All.

Just wondering what anyone charges for surveying. I realise that more trees costs more but for instance say up to ten trees?

[sloth]

How long is a piece string type question. I charge a day/half day rate including the report write-up.

The number of trees doesn't work for me, can vary too much depending on level of detail required and type of report needed.

[Paul Barton]

What kind of survey? How are you recording the info? Do you need to write it up on a computer afterwards? Are you providing maps?

 

All depends on how long the whole job will take. I work from a day rate so just estimate the amount of time divide/multiply the day rate.

[kris turner]

Fair one. Cheers lads

[sloth]

For what it's worth the average day rate in the south east for 5837 or safety surveys seems to range from around £300-400

[ReubenHayes]

Hi Kris,

 

That's a hard question to answer really. Will depend on type of survey, risk management, BS5837, mortgage report. How close are the trees to each other, how long you will be on site. Also and the most import factor, what level of qualification do you have? level 4, 5 or 6? The higher your qualification and experience the more you will charge.

 

Are you looking at starting up to supply reports, or just checking to make sure your prices are about average?

[Chris at eden]

Reuben makes a good point about quals but you can do detailed tree inspections with level 3 also. I don't personally think you should be doing detailed inspections with anything lower than that as that is what is mentioned in NTSG. Its also the pre-requisite for PTI so is the benchmark I think. Its not a bad idea to have PTI also.

 

It also depends on professional affiliations. I know an AA reg consultant who charges £320 plus VAT for mortgage reports and can turn out 3 on a good day. Another mate of mine works for a large consultancy practice for major building firms. He was telling me a couple of week ago the he did a 5837 tree survey and constraints plan and the fee was over £2k!!!! That didn't include the AIA, AMS or TPP either, they would be extra. I can only dream of charging that.

 

I work on a fixed rate for 10 trees and then charge per tree thereafter. I know how long it will take to inspect, transfer the data to a spreadsheet and then draw on CAD so I can kind of estimate. Sometimes I do better than other times but it means I don't have to go on site to quote every job. The draw back with that approach is, the client will tell you there are 3 trees to look at and then you arrive to find 15. I then advise that the fixed price is for 10 and it is this much extra for the other 5. Its up to them then. As long as you tell them up front in the quote and then discuss the pros and cons on site its usually ok.

 

In my experience you will make more per hour for mortgage reports than on 5837 but 5837 are more common. Risk and structural damage reports are few and far between in my experience.

 

I wouldn't quote my fees on here but I personally think £300 a day is quite low.

[Chris at eden]

Bit of an after thought. When I say level 3 I mean something like ND or tech cert, not these new L3 chainsaw certs.

[kris turner]

Cheers again, all info is appreciated .

I finish the FDsc Arb in June and I'm trying ti figure through some business plans and advertising for surveying and sub contracting. Run a tree contracting company (since 2003) with my brother but looking to break in surveying and consultancy