How Much Should a Survey Cost?

[Ol Dave]

I am seriously considering a used boat ... and before I jump on a plane I would like a survey done to see if it is really worth my time. Is there an average cost per foot? If someone has recently gone through this process will you share your costs?The "Dream Boat" is a 32 foot sailboat on the Great Lakes ... if that makes a difference.

 

[Daryl2400]

$10 - $12/ft nm

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[Warren M.]

Surveys

Ah, surveys. Depending on where you are, type and size of boat in question, and precisely what you want your surveyor to do, surveys generally run from about $12-25 per foot. Having said that, I have not said much. Regardless of what you may have heard, there are no nationally accepted standards for surveyors, although such organizations as NAMS and SAMS have some standards their members are supposed to meet. To me, the most important factor is the reputation of the surveyor based on what previous clients have said. The cost of surveys also varies depending on whether you want your surveyor to travel to the boat in question, whether you want him/her to go aloft and look at things at the mast head, and if you want him/her to accompany you on a sea trial. Other factors include what a surveyor can, or cannot, do in regard to telling you the condition of an inboard engine. Figure out just what YOU want the surveyor to do, get references from people who have used surveyors, interview him/her, and ask to see sample reports for boats similar to the one you are interested in. It's a caveat emptor world out there.

 

[Glenn]

Survey

My surveyor charges about $12/ft. You also need to add haul out which may vary, mine was about $120. In addition we replaced the zincs at that time (surveyor said it was customary for the purchasor to pay for that) another $15 or so. I don't remember exactly, but less than $500 total. If possible, you should have a non-biased representative for you at the time of the survey.

 

[Rob]

Highly recomend

Spend as much time with the surveyor as possible, Make sure he pulls the electrical panel!...Ours didnt ,,if he did we would have seen the jackets melting off the wires and found the short before we purchased the boat. We paid more than the rate closer to $15. I would STRONGLY recomend an additional mechanical engine survey if the boat is over 10 years old. Compression test fuel examination ect. No matter how you look at it buying a used boat, try as we may is still a gamble. I spent almost 6 hours with our surveyor not including sea trial hual out in sling and still missed alot of stuff. Ive had my boat 2 years and still learning and wondering why they did certain things.

 

[BarryL]

regional differences

I guess there are regional differences too. In the NY Metro area, surveys cost about $15-20 / ft.For good information on surveys, check this out:http://nymarinesurveyor.com/index.htmlBarry

 

[Calif. Ted]

$10 to$12.50 per foot in our area, extra for

going up the mast (~$125) otherwise they just check standing rigging from the deck, they do a general check of engine but usually extra ~$200 for detail check by marine diesel mech maybe with oil analysis (high hours or suspect engine, usually not required with low hours or KNOWN GOOD engine). Our yard will do a lunch hour haulout for a survey, pull it, leave it on the hoist while yard guys take lunch & you and surveyor do your thing. After lunch they either put it back in the water or on the hard if buyer wants work performed. Charge was $180 for my 27' boat, in my case I negotiated with seller after survey for him to pay for some bottom work and I had the yard do some stuff for me while it was out. In this case: stuffing box was leaking excessive so had it repacked, keel bolts torqued & bottom paint, wish I would have thought to polish & wax hull from bootline to toe rail, much tougher in the water. Think about things that you would like to know are ok from the start, or that may require another haul in the near future. Survey may reveal work needing to be done. Prospective buyer eats the survey regardless of outcome so I don't get one till I've crawled into every conceivable space on the boat and satisfied myself that boat is worth the investment to see what the "dark side" looks like. Tough to do in your case, some surveyors will do a "quick glance" at the boat for someone out of the area to give them a general impression of the boat. If you know someone in the area maybe you can get them to take a look.Check with various boatyards in the area if possible, can be a big difference from one to another. If you get a surveyor and have confidence in him he can probably make suggestions and will be familiar with yards, riggers & mechs. in the area.Also research the particular boat on the web, check owners associations, forums etc. for known issues with that model Surveyor may not be aware of.

 

[Rich]

You may want a specialist to survey the engine

I paid $450 for my survey on a 28-footer. The surveyor came back with a lot of information that turned out to be incorrect, such as that the nav lights and propane system were not working. He missed the fact that the Autohelm was burned out (the wiring had melted connectors hanging over the nav station that a trained eye could have seen). The one useful piece of information he provided was some information on the extent of water penetration at chainplates and the rudder. I had no choice but to pay for an inspection in order to get a loan, but in dealing with the services at the boatyard I found that the Diesel shop and the rigging shop both did inspections that were much more pertinent to my needs after the boat was purchased. The survey was something I couldn't avoid but was nowhere near as useful as one would have hoped. The surveyor had come with good recommendations as a sailboat specialist.

 

[danknoxsf]

The boat needs to come out of the water . . .

I don't think a quality survey can be done unless the boat is lifted and the surveyor takes a look at the hull, rudder, prop and everything else under the water. So you need to include the price of a lift with your survey. I don't really see how you can survey a boat without lifting it out of the water but that's just me. I guess you could dive and take a look but I don't know many people that would do that.--Dan

 

[Bill]

No more than ( )

$10 per foot...there's a tendency to increase rates, but it's not warranted.

 

[Debra B]

Need to climb the mast, engine,

I paid more that 12 per foot, but he saved me a whole bunch in the negotiation. And no, they won't find everything in 1 day. (or 2 for a large boat.) But check the big items. Engine being key - a new 30 horse diesel is a major expense.Boat has to come out of the water or you won't know if it has pox. That's just the way it is. Also the only way to check the rudder bearing is to see if it has lateral movement.

 

[Bob Savinell]

survey cost

I just paid $18/ft, which did not include the haul out charge. Also, many items were not looked at carefully, and the engine was only superficially examined. However, the blisters found on the bottom, and the subsequent repair cost mostly absorbed by the seller made the investment worth it.

 

[Timbo3]

Had one done last week

I just surveyed a used 30' boat for $420 + 197 for the haul out. The surveyor was recommended by my broker, is an experienced sailor, and is apparently one of the only guys around here who will go up the mast. He found a broken spreader base which I think is something you'd want to know about and will only know if the surveyor goes up.A lot of insurance companies want a survey and if you're financing you will need one. The informatin gained was used to negotiate the final price of the boat when compared to estimated repairs of critical items. You own the survey and can sell it if you don't buy the boat. I'm very happy with the results - very detailed, very informative, took all day, made many recommendations.

 

[Big Windy]

Surveys

In Dallas I paid $14 per foot. Did not have to pay for the haul out, that was part of the move to my lake. The surveyor did the hull, rudder, etc, while the boat was on the trailer. Had the boat failed the survey (real bad!) and I opted not to take the boat, I would have paid the surveyor and the dealer would have eaten the pull out costs.