The reason why is much simpler than you might think.
When you search on Google with the query – “land surveyors near me” you are asking for the top 3 Google business listings which are closest to your present location.
They are ranked by Google using a list of key attributes of those businesses and the one of the most important of them is the proximity of their business address to your present location.
The pitfall is quite obvious – you may miss out on better businesses & professionals, who are in nearby suburbs. This would result in an incomplete discovery process of finding the right land surveyor.
You might ask – Does that really matter? Aren’t all expected to be able to perform the same services?
The difference between a land surveyor and a professional land surveyor is simple.
A land surveyor helps you get measurements of the property.
A professional land surveyor uses his past experience to provide key insights on the surveying data and insights into the site’s topography and terrain. Plus a licensed cadastral surveyor has an understanding of property laws and rights of ownership relating to property titles. These insights can help with property disputes or to understand the process of council permit applications for subdivision or title consolidation.
You can find more into how much land surveying costs in Australia here in our detailed blog post – Land Surveying Costing Guide Australia 2021.
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With a professional land surveyor on board, you can lessen the risk of errors, reduce duplication of effort, downtime and save valuable resources.
However, finding a reliable land surveyor is not an easy task. It’s wise not to trust the first search result that pops up when you type “land surveyors near me” on Google! Would you trust the first person who offered to buy your car?
Instead, I often recommend clients to look for recommendations from within the AEC industry. Look through their past projects to see if they are a right fit to your specific surveying requirements.
Get a land surveyor who has ample experience working in your area of specialization. Find someone who knows the industry standards and can customize their services to suit your unique requirements.
The team at Avian Australia specialise in projects related to the Architecture, Engineering & Construction (AEC) industries. Please feel free to have a look at our portfolio of AEC projects we have undertaken in the past few years to see the range of work and experience we possess.
Read on to know why you shouldn’t solely rely on online search results when hiring a land surveyor and how you can make a better decision in your search for a professional land surveyor.
Carry out a background research of the vendor
Finding a land surveyor online is not the problem. The problem starts when you hire the first land surveyor you find online using search terms like “land surveyor near me” without doing some background research.
I recommend that clients always check the website and business pages of the land surveyors you find online.
Read some reviews and testimonials on unbiased third-party platforms like Google, where you get a clear picture of their services and performance.
An authentic land surveyor would always showcase the projects and clients they have worked within the past. Some land surveyors also have video footage, images, and case studies as part of their portfolio to demonstrate their knowledge, experience and capability.
Look for industry specific land surveyors
Looking for “Land surveyors near me” is usually the first thing contractors do when searching for a land surveyor.
It is the easiest but not always the most reliable way to get a professional surveyor. Even more so, when you’re in a big rush to meet project deadlines.
Most companies get featured in the top search results based on multiple dynamic search parameters like search location and proximity of business location. You need to take a closer look and to ensure that the land surveying company is a right fit for your industry and task and can do justice to your project requirements.
Look at their website and check if there is any mention of industry-specific services, surveys, and solutions unique to your project.
For instance, a typical land surveying website should list the kind of surveys (e.g., boundary surveys, subdivision surveys, feature level surveys, etc.) they specialize in.
Browse through their project portfolio for relevant industry experience
Most land surveyors you find online are not relevant to your line of work at all. This is because the application of land surveying applies to a wide range of industries. Land surveying is more than just taking boundary measurements.
A land surveyor with enough expertise must also guide you to utilize the survey data in an effective manner and optimize your project outcomes. They can advise on related services or on the process to manage council permits and applications.
When hiring a land surveyor, industry relevance is the essential thing you must search for. It saves you a lot of time and trouble during the execution of the project.
Check out the team to see if they have people with relevant skills, backgrounds and experience.
Relevance of vendor’s skills and specialized services
In most cases, the first search results that pop up when you type “land surveyors near me” may not be relevant to your requirement.
Many land surveyors you find online use outdated techniques, or may not be suited for your project. A generic land surveyor may not be well acquainted with the pitfalls of a specific project site or industry, which can result in further delays to the project timelines.
It is crucial that you have a professional on board to help you navigate through unreliable land surveying companies.
Avian, for instance, is a multi-disciplinary surveying company that helps AEC professionals collect 3D site data using drones and 3D laser scanners. We can help you with aerial surveying, laser scanning, 3D modelling, collecting geospatial data and much more. We also have certified land surveyors on board who make sure the surveying plans and reports cover all aspects of a specific project.
Avoid possible legal issues
In Australia, land surveyors and drone operators must have adequate licenses and certifications to work on commercial projects.
Ensure that the land surveyor has the relevant CWCs and permits needed to work on your project.
Not having the appropriate licenses could lead to legal issues for you in the future.
What to look for in a land surveyor in Australia?
So far, I only talked of the red flags for hiring a land surveyor. Let us now discuss some pointers you should look for before hiring a land surveyor in Australia.
- Check if they are licensed for cadastral work (property boundaries) in your State
- Check if they have worked on projects like yours in the past
- Check if they are offering both public liability and professional indemnity insurance
- Check if they have any case studies or records of previous projects
- Check if they were featured on any credible AEC platform or online review platform
- Check if the team have the experience and equipment to complete the survey
The Bottom Line
Finding a land surveyor online is a key aspect of hiring a surveying company. And it would immensely help if you know what information you need to check online and how to do so, in order to ensure that you are making the right choice.
When a client contacts Avian Australia, we book a free consultation and if needed a site visit to check the project requirements. After our team has sufficient information about the project, we share a no-obligation quote with the necessary breakdown, inclusions & exclusions of the requested services.
Give us a call today for professional land surveying, aerial mapping and laser scanning services in Sydney and Melbourne.
