Surveying Zone

Description
Most land surveyors determine their rates by comparing what others are charging (the "guy down the street" method), or by using some multiplier of hourly wage rates they heard from someone might be a good idea. It's a bit of struggle to look at rates analytically, but it can be done. This 1-hour online course gives you the analytical tools to determine the costs of operating a land surveying business and converting those costs into hourly rate fees to cover the expenses.

There will be a multiple-choice quiz at the end of this course.

At the completion of this course, you will be able to:

■ Analytically determine the costs of doing business

■ Translate costs into the necessary fees to cover those costs, as compared to "charging whatever you can," or using a poorly understood "multiplier."

Description
Many land surveyors are excellent at land surveying, as you would expect, but completely helpless when it comes to operating a business. Surveyors, like other professionals, should not be expected to be expert business people. However, many surveyors are engaged in private practice, or intend to be at some point in their careers, and it is vitally important to understand how to measure the success of the business enterprise. Thus, they need to know about financial statements, the measurement of business success, and the analytical tools to accomplish profitability; they are the measurements necessary to determine the health of the business and to guide managers in making changes to allow attainment of financial objectives.

This 1-hour online course is an introduction to the basic financial statements needed to operate a small land surveying business, and a brief overview of their use. This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end. This course also includes a downloadable Excel file.

At the conclusion of this course, you will:

■ Understand common financial statements

■ Be able to plan and manage your business better based on your financial statements

■ Be familiar with:

------ the Balance Sheet

------ the Income Statement

------ A Cash Flow Report or Statement

------ A Cash Worksheet or Pro Forma Cash Budget

Description

This 2-hour online course gives the student a strong background in fundamental principles of managing a land surveying business that are commonly not applied. These are basic rules that are more common sense than anything else, but represent 30 years of business experience by the Author.

At the conclusion of this course, you will:

■ Understand often overlooked principles that will give you a market edge.

■ Be able to compete in the marketplace, enjoy business, and turn a profit.

Description

This 6-hour online course includes all three Change Order courses as follows:

Change Orders- Block 1, What is a Change Order?

Change Orders- Block 2, Is this Really a Change?

Change Orders- Block 3, How to Execute?

"Change Orders- Block 1" covers all aspects of change orders as a part of the construction process. This section outlines the definition and importance of change orders. The benefits and fairness of change orders to everyone involved including the Owner, the Architects, the Engineers and the Constructor are also clearly explained.

When it is alleged that a change order is required, it may or may not be appropriate. The first question should be: "Is this a clarification or a change?" If a change order is found to be necessary, what is the reason for the change? This section "Change Orders- Block 2" lists an outline of a construction process and indicates where change orders fit in.

"Change Orders- Block 3" examines procedures and forms involved in the execution of change orders after the Owner, Architect and Engineer have decided that work items do in fact require a change order.

There will be a multiple-choice quiz at the end of each section of this course.

After completing this course, you will:

■ Understand what change orders are, why they are necessary and how they fit into the construction process

■ Understand how Architects and Engineers may be paid for change order design work

■ Determine whether an alleged need for a change order requires a clarification or a change order and determine the reason for the change

■ Determine the difference between a Change Order and a Clarification

■ Collect work items as appropriate and request a Change Order Proposal from the Contractor

■ Prepare Change Order Proposals with cover letter, summary page, and well- prepared "breakdown" sheets

Description
This one hour online course is a general overview of the easements that are encountered by the Land Surveyor while preparing property surveys. A discussion of the different methods of creating easements, both written and unwritten is made. There is a multiple choice quiz at the end of this course.

At the completion of this course, the student will:

■ Be much more aware of the importance of keeping a lookout for any evidence of easements affecting the properties they are surveying.

■ Be knowledgeable in how easements are created

■ Know what clues to look for in the field in order to establish whether or not easements exist.

Description
This 3- hour online course is Part 1 of a three-part series covering easements and reversion rights. This course deals with the basic elements of easements and rights in land, particularly those interest which are less than absolute, or fee simple, ownership. This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end of each section.

Part 2 deals with rights-of-way, and discusses several types. Part 3 covers reversion rights that occur when an easement is terminated. In order to have a full understanding of the existence of easements and their resulting reversion rights, the three parts of the course should be taken in sequence.

At the conclusion of this course, the studen will:

■ Understand the nature of easements and how they relate to land ownership.

■ Be familiar with Rights-of-way, being that they are the most frequently encountered and troublesome.

■ Understand how to divide the easement rights among the owners entitled to the reversion when the need arises.

Description
This 2-hour online course contains information on the creation, alteration and termination of public highways and other types of roads. This is Part 2 of a three-part course concerning Easements & Reversion Rights. As Part 1 contains introductory information, including terminology, it is important to complete Part 1 before beginning Part 2. Part 3 contains the action of reversion as a result of easement termination and focuses on roads and streets.

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end.

At the conclusion of this course, you will:

■ Be familiar with the different categories of roads and highways in the U.S. and characteristics of each.

■ Understand the ways a public way can be created over a parcel of land

■ Be familiar with highway abandonment

■ Know how to research a road or highway

■ Understand how to survey and locate roads, streets and highways

Description
This 3-hour online course contains the elements of reversion and the results when reversion takes place. It also includes diagrams of the methods for the division of vacated streets. This is Part 3 of a three-part course series offered on RedVector.com concerning Easements & Reversion Rights. In order to have a full understanding of the existence of easements and their resulting reversion rights, the three parts of the course should be completed in sequence.

Part I deals with the basic elements of easements and rights in land. Part II deals with several types of rights-of way. Part III covers reversion rights that occur when an easement is terminated.

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end of each section.

At the completion of the three parts, you should understand:

■ How to deal with reversion rights, whether from an ownership or a surveying point of view.

■ How boundary lines, relative to easements, are created based on the existence or non-existence of an easement.

Description
"Ethics" is defined as principles of conduct governing an individual or a group of professionals. Dr. Sauser teaches codes of ethical standards in today's hectic world. He gives you examples of ethical issues with approaches for analyzing and resolving issues. The course's in-depth coverage as it relates to those in the field and the real-life examples of issues are extensively covered.

Description
An additional three hours of relevant examples of ethical situations and the best way to deal with business in today's hectic world.