When you’re choosing a surveyor, it’s natural that one of the deciding factors will usually be price. Even the difference of just a few hundred dollars can feel like a quick win at the start of a project.
But what most people don’t realise is that choosing the wrong detail survey can end up costing thousands of dollars in holding costs, lost time, delayed approvals, and potential redesigns.
In so many cases, the biggest cost isn’t the survey fee itself. It’s the weeks of delay that come with it. Let’s talk about the hidden costs that no one talks about: time.
Most traditional survey firms are currently delivering detail and topographic surveys 4 to 8 weeks from order, while at Sonto, our goal has always been to have most projects completed within 2 weeks from order. That difference of just a few weeks might not sound dramatic – until you look at what it’s really costing your project.
Let’s talk the real numbers of surveying speed
Consider a simple subdivision or development project holding:
- $1.5 million in land, capital and debt
- At an interest rate of 6.5 percent per annum
That equates to roughly:
- $97,500 per year in interest
- $1,875 per week in holding costs
Now, multiply that by a 3 to 6 week delay while you’re waiting for a slow survey.
That’s $5,625 to $11,250 in holding costs alone… all because a survey took longer than it should have.
That’s money you’re literally throwing away by choosing cheap. By choosing the right surveyors, you can instead be saving thousands.
Why are Other Surveyors So Slow?
Most delays come down to outdated workflows and limited data capture, since so many firms still rely on:
- Manual total station methods only
- Minimal site data capture
- Separate field and office workflows
- Rework when designers request more information
The result? Slow turnaround, revisions, and consultants waiting idle while interest keeps ticking over.
What Sonto does to save your money
At Sonto, we understand all these issues relating to lost time and unnecessary costs. That’s why surveys are specially built for speed, completeness and modern design workflows.
Here’s how we reduce weeks off your program:
- Dedicated service line teams that work specifically on these projects, instead of diluting their productivity
- Advanced LiDAR and laser scanning that captures more data in a single site visit
- Point Cloud & 360 images included with every survey, not as an extra
- Designer-ready outputs reduce follow-up questions and redesign
- Integrated field-to-office workflows for faster processing and delivery
Instead of delivering the bare minimum, we deliver everything your design team needs and more upfront. That’s how projects move faster – and end up costing less in the long-term.
Remember, speed isn’t a luxury. It’s a financial strategy
Fast surveys aren’t just better because they get your project finished sooner. They directly improve project feasibility, since faster survey delivery means everything from earlier design commencement and DA lodgement, to fewer design pauses, reduced holding costs, and just an overall better use of your capital.
Saving $300 on a survey fee while losing $10,000 in holding costs just isn’t smart business, which is why Sonto works with designers, planners, builders and developers who understand the golden rule of development and construction: time is money
By delivering fast, data-rich detail surveys with point cloud on every job, we help teams design faster, reduce assumptions, and avoid costly rework.
So if your surveyor is quoting 4 to 8 week turnarounds, it’s time to ask a serious question: why are you waiting? Especially since Sonto saves you thousands in lost time.
If you want faster surveys, better data, and less money wasted on holding costs, contact us today.