Hiring a marine surveyor Palm Beach will guarantee that you don’t invest in a doomed vessel. It is the job of the surveyor to evaluate every aspect of the boat and provide you with a detailed report. The surveyor will help you understand if the boat is fit for your desired use, if there are major repairs that ought to be done and what its average fair market value is. You can even use the survey report to negotiate a better deal with the seller.
Even with the input of a marine surveyor Palm Beach being so important, it is vital that you take time to understand how much the service will cost you. You don’t want to hire the best boat surveyor in your region only for their fees to ruin your budget, do you? That is why understanding the cost of working with a surveyor is so important.
Flat rate or per foot
There are boat surveyors who are happy to charge a flat rate for their services. This is typically charged on smaller and simpler boats. However, for the larger vessels, surveyors usually charge per foot of the boat’s length. The price ranges from $18 to $25 per foot. Don’t be surprised if your surveyor charges a portion of the per-foot time for travel to and from your boat.
Location and age of the boat
The cost charged by surveyors is also dependent on the location your boat is at and its age. As aforementioned, the surveyor may charge you for their travel expenses. This is more so if the vessel is in a location that is hard to access. As for the age of the boat, some surveyors will not take on a really old boat. Others will charge more because accessing and troubleshooting the systems of older boats is more difficult and requires the surveyors to be a little creative.
Short haul at the boat yard
The cost of a short-haul can be $15 per foot. Sailboat and engine rig surveys usually cost between $500 and $1,000. The cost will be influenced by the number of engines as well as the age of the rig.
The above are the main costs you should be prepared for. It is, however, important that you come prepared to make the payments for all the services that will be offered on the day of the survey. Have the money to pay the surveyor and for the short-haul. Some boatyards and surveyors may prefer a check rather than a credit card payment. Most vessels can be surveyed within a day while others will require a couple of days for the survey to be completed.