Start A Surveying Business - Business Ideas

Updated: September 15th, 2022
Start A Surveying Business

Please note that the data provided in this article are estimates and may vary depending on various factors, and should not be considered as perfect or definitive.

Surveying is a business that involves the measurement, analysis, and mapping of land, structures, and other features of the earth's surface. Surveying professionals, also known as surveyors, use specialized equipment and software to collect and interpret data that is used for construction, land development, and other purposes.

To start a surveying business, you must have a thorough understanding of math and geospatial technologies and a solid attention to detail. You will also need to be licensed as a surveyor in your state, which typically requires a degree in surveying or a related field and passing a written exam.

To run a successful surveying business, you must build a strong reputation in your community by providing accurate, reliable, and timely services to your clients. You should also continually educate yourself on the latest technologies and techniques in the field and stay up to date on any changes in local regulations or laws. Additionally, it is important to have strong communication and project management skills, as you will often be working with multiple clients and stakeholders on complex projects.

In terms of marketing your business, networking with local builders, developers, and other professionals in the construction industry can be a great way to get your name out there and attract new clients. You should also consider building a website and leveraging social media platforms to showcase your services and portfolio.

Overall, a surveying business can be a rewarding and lucrative opportunity for entrepreneurs interested in working in a technically-skilled and data-driven field. With the right knowledge, skills, and marketing strategies, you can build a successful surveying business that provides valuable services to clients in your community.

Starting a surveying business requires a great deal of effort, dedication, and most importantly passion.

If you're interested in how to sell surveying, or selling surveying online, you can use this page as a guide for everything you'll need to know.

Key Stats

market size
$830B
starting costs
$18K
gross margin
90%
time to build
270 days

Startup Costs

Min Startup Costs Max Startup Costs

Employee & Freelancer Expenses

$151

$252

Website Costs

$223

$7,015

Business Formation Fees

$600

$4,700

Vehicle Expenses

$0

$10,000

Retail Business Expenses

$1,250

$6,650

Advertising & Marketing Costs

$75

$3,986

Software Expenses

$162

$2,720

Office Space Expenses

$0

$100

Specific Industry Expenses

$0

$500

Total Startup Costs

$2,461

$35,923

Successful Businesses

Business URL Rank

QuestionPro

questionpro.com

6,736

NCEES

ncees.org

46,864

Perceptyx

perceptyx.com

170,290

GuildQuality

guildquality.com

185,381

EngineerSupply

engineersupply.com

273,976

Survey Club

surveyclub.com

302,809

BI Survey

bi-survey.com

362,366

RICS Find a Surveyor

ricsfirms.com

532,010

Enterprise Surveys Indicators Data

enterprisesurveys.org

868,594

Fed Small Business

fedsmallbusiness.org

1,296,158

CLSA

californiasurveyors.org

2,187,841

Pros & Cons

Pros Description

Little startup costs required

The cost to start a surveying business costs significantly less money than most businesses, ranging anywhere from 62 to 35,923.

Rewarding work

Starting a surveying business can be really rewarding work. After all, you are solving an immediate issue for your customer and you're working on something you truly care about.

High customer retention rates

Once a customer invests in your product, they've invested their time and energy to utilize your product/service which is highly valuable to them. Typically, your product or service becomes indispensable to your customer.

Pick & choose the clients you work with

Surveying Businesses have the ability to choose the clients they work with. You have the freedom to work with only a few loyal clients or with hundreds of clients!

Control of workload

With starting a surveying business, you have the unique ability to choose how little or how much you want to work. You also have the freedom to decide which projects you want to work on, and can turn down the ones that do not interest you.

Gain exposure and experience

This career allows you to gain experience working for multiple different businesses - which will benefit your resume and also keep things interesting for you!

Cons Description

Motivation of employees

If you plan to have a sales/content team on board, finding creative ways to motivate them can be a challenge. It's important that you're able to offer great incentives and a good work environment for your employees.

Longer Sales Process

A surveying business can be a big time and money investment for your customer, so it's important you plan and predict a longer conversion funnel and stay in communication with potential customers.

Work can be inconsistent

As a surveying business, the amount of work assigned to you and schedule tends to be more inconsistent, which may make your income less stable. It's important to set boundaries and budget accordingly based on the amount of work you plan to have.

Lack of benefits

With a surveying business, you are typically self-employed and responsible for finding your own insurance, which can be quite costly and time-consuming.

Taxes

As a surveying business, you typically pay self-employment taxes which can be quite high. It's important to understand what you will be paying in taxes each year so you can determine if the work you're taking on is worth it.

No safety net

Typically, as a surveying business, you do not receive a consistent pay-check and instead earn money based on your transactions each month. During the slow periods, you typically take away less since the job is based on commission. It's important to budget accordingly for the slow times.