Hey all, I've got a vacant rear battle-axe block of land in Mullaloo (Perth) that I'm planning on building on. It's got a bitch of a slope across the block and has retaining wall on three boundaries, and the fourth needs a retaining wall 
My architect buddy has come up with a plan that works with the block quite well but we need a current, detailed site survey done so we can establish a proposed finished floor level prior to submitting to shire for planning approval. The survey needs to accurately show levels on the high and low side of the existing retaining walls and the contour lines within the block itself.
I've no idea what a survey costs and what's involved and my architect buddy works O/S so doesn't really know what the going rates are. Are there any surveyors on here that can give me some indication on what I need to actually ask for and what price range I can realistically expect to pay. My only option at the moment is to ask Gooooogle and cold call a few places but I can see that they will pick me as a babe in the woods and fleece me unless I have a bit of prior info.
(and a shameless plug, if you are a surveyor and are interested in doing the job PM me here).
Chris I have a really accurate laser distance measurer thingo at work, and at home I have a bubble level - a Stanley one nonetheless - and if you have some graph paper we could smash it out.
About a 6 can job.
Select to expand quoteMark _australia said..
Chris I have a really accurate laser distance measurer thingo at work, and at home I have a bubble level - a Stanley one nonetheless - and if you have some graph paper we could smash it out.
About a 6 can job.
Bastard! Undercut me! Remember
Chris you get what you pay for...
^^ you blokes with all the right tools and experience and a degree etc always overcharge. 
(BTW I actually did send him a serious PM)
A Cadastral Feature and level survey is probably what you'll need, by a licensed surveyor (they can sign off on things for the council), Sorry, thats all I can give you. I used to work in surveying, but I was just the monkey holding the stick still.
mmmmmm bananas
I regularly get surveyors to do feature check surveys and the prices can vary. You should also get a title re-establishment survey if you are building near or on the boundary. Not sure about WA surveyors but here it can cost between 1.2k and 2.5k. The survey will save you money in the long run so don't do it yourself or get one of the above cowboys to do it.
Thanks mate, if I was throwing up a garden shed I'd get Mark around with some clear hose filled with water and a six pack but the proposal we want to put forward for planning approval is pushing the limits of the R-codes with regards to setbacks and building height, apparently a FFL plus or minus 100mm will make a difference. If we drop the FFL a bit we have to underpin and redo retaining walls ($$$$$$), if we raise the FFL too much to avoid this we run pretty close to max building heights. Tis a headache. 
Not sure about WA regs, but a consent from your council may be applicable if you get on well with your neighbours and they approve of you going over the max ht. Your argument could be contributed to additional foundation works and expenses... worth a try?
I might be biased as a building designer but find that using professional consultants (surveyors, engineers etc) save many headaches and thousands of $$$ during building works. Good luck with it.
I already know the neighbour will be a challenge. Unfortunately its strata titled with the front block and the unit allocation goes in their favour so they get more input on design than normal neighbours. My architect is a close friend and he is doing everything by the book but because of the complexity of the block with its levels, slopes and retaining walls its a challenge getting the building heights to work within the R-codes and overall design intent (he also wants to maintain 2700 ceiling heights over each of three levels). It's do-able but before we go to planning approval we want it smicko and leave little opportunity for objections.
I wouldn't go so far as to say its a 3 storey house but it is spread over three levels working with the slope on the block.
I'm more than willing to pay for a proper survey I just don't know much on what to ask for or what it should reasonably cost. My architect mate studied at UWA and practised in Perth but as I said in my OP he now works and lives overseas so has lost the local contacts and cost knowledge he had.
A fellow Seabreezer has given a recommendation I'll try on Monday.
