Becoming a freelance surveyor requires registration, experience in surveying and CAD, financial resources, and willingness to take risks. It also requires extensive surveying experience to become a surveyor trainee, and significant upfront investment in equipment and licensing. Accurate financial record keeping is crucial.
To become a freelance surveyor, you must be registered in your state, province, or country of residence and have considerable experience in all aspects of surveying, including fieldwork and work with software aided drawing and drafting (CAD or CADD). A certain amount of financial support or resources and a willingness to take risks can also be helpful in becoming a freelance inspector. Starting a surveying business requires significant overhead, including office space, insurance and business licensing, and sophisticated surveying equipment.
The main requirement for becoming a surveyor trainee is extensive surveying experience. As a registered lead inspector, you need to be able to handle many types of jobs and situations that may arise. While some independent researchers may specialize in a particular type of research, it can be helpful to know other specialties. In the beginning, business can be slow, so a freelance inspector will often want to take on as many jobs as possible to keep the income flowing.
It takes a considerable upfront investment to become a freelance inspector. This profession requires sophisticated and expensive measuring equipment and a state-of-the-art computer with plotter and printer. Equipment can be purchased or rented, but even leasing equipment can be quite expensive. Inspectors often need to travel into the field or to government offices for research, so a reliable vehicle such as a truck is needed to transport equipment and supplies. Two trucks are even better, just in case one breaks down.
You will need to decide whether to operate as a sole proprietorship or a limited liability company (LLC) and obtain the appropriate business license from government authorities in that region. As a business entity, an independent inspector should consult with government authorities in that jurisdiction to determine what types of licensing requirements are needed to start a new business. It may be helpful to hire a lawyer and an accountant to help deal with legal and financial requirements.
If the business does well enough that additional staff are needed, options for providing health insurance, workers’ compensation insurance, and paying payroll taxes will need to be investigated. An accountant can be helpful in providing advice on these matters and can provide payroll services or referrals to companies that do. Even with help, you’ll need to keep accurate records to become a freelance surveyor. Knowledge of accounts payable, accounts receivable and financial record keeping is crucial for anyone looking to start a business.
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