Surveying business, contract and risk management
Contracts and scope
Surveying is a professional service delivered under contract. Terms of engagement should define scope, deliverables, fee basis, client responsibilities, exclusions, liability caps and dispute resolution. A clear scope prevents scope creep, especially where consenting and legal advice are outside the surveyor role.
Risk management
Risks include inaccurate boundary definition, missed marks, data loss, health and safety hazards and professional liability. Mitigate with peer review, mark searches, documented QA, professional indemnity insurance and safe field procedures under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. Records should be retained and backed up.
Worked example
A client engages you to prepare a CSD for a subdivision. The contract limits your role to survey and CSD preparation, excludes legal advice and contamination testing, and caps liability at the fee or insurance level. When the client later asks for planning advice, you issue a variation rather than absorbing the work.
Traps
Working without a written contract; accepting unlimited liability; assuming insurance covers every claim; failing to document variations; and not checking the client authority to commission the work.