· gospel according to dan · 7 min read

You Deserve To Be Paid For Your Work

If you do what you contract to do, you deserve to be paid a fair fee. It's a simple rule, but it's the foundation of a professional surveying business.
💡The following is an excerpt from Dan Beardslee’s “The Management Handbook for Land Surveyors”.

Rule 16: If you do what you contract to do, you deserve to be paid a fair fee.

One obvious corollary here is that you don’t deserve to be paid if you don’t perform.

Once again, you don’t know what a fair fee is. The marketplace determines value, and your clients will tell you whether your fee is a good value or not. A fee that is determined by the market may not seem fair to you. It sometimes happens (at least in the rural west where I practice) that the cost of the survey may approach or exceed the value of the property. In such a case no deal will be struck between client and surveyor. There will be no meeting of the minds.

Once there is a meeting of the minds, however, you deserve to be paid – but – you must perform. Don’t expect to be paid if you don’t. Remember that you are selling a relationship as well as a survey, and if you don’t do what is expected of you, you shouldn’t expect to be paid.

The other obvious corollary is that there must be a contract. Preferably a written contract. That way each party to the transaction knows what’s expected of them. In addition, if you are complying with rule 12, you will certainly be expected to provide a written contractual guarantee that you will perform the work requested. Also, if a written contract is executed, then each party knows what the other is expected to do. An oral contract on the other hand is subject to the vagaries of memory and innuendo.

Always have a contract, and perform.

More Than a Rule, It’s a Mindset

At first glance, Rule 16 seems obvious. But as Dan Beardslee makes clear throughout his “Gospel,” it’s a rule that many surveyors struggle to live by. The real challenge isn’t in the doing of the work; it’s in the believing that you deserve to be paid a fair fee for it.

Too many surveyors operate with a technician’s mindset, focusing solely on the technical execution of the survey. They are afraid to ask for payment, shy away from confrontation, and ultimately devalue their own expertise.

Rule 16 is a call to adopt a business owner’s mindset. It’s a declaration of professional self-respect. It means seeing yourself not just as a surveyor, but as the owner of a business that has employees to pay, rent to pay, and taxes to pay. A business that, like any other, needs to be profitable to survive and thrive.

The Unspoken Rules That Make Rule 16 Work

Rule 16 doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s supported by other principles from the “Gospel” that turn it from a nice idea into a practical business strategy.

  • Rule 15: For clients, delivery is the most important part of a survey. “Doing what you contract to do” isn’t just about technical accuracy. It’s about delivering on time, communicating proactively, and managing the client relationship. When you do that, clients feel the value, which makes them more willing to pay your “fair fee” without complaint.

  • Rule 12: When a surveyor gets hired, someone has to not trust someone… This is the ultimate tactical application of Rule 16. Why should you, the professional, be the one to carry all the financial risk? The best way to ensure you receive your fair fee is to get paid upfront. Let the client trust you to do the work, so you don’t have to trust them to pay.

From Theory to Practice: Processes and Contracts

Dan’s rules provide the philosophy, but how do you implement it in a busy practice? It comes down to two key elements: having solid processes and using a solid contract.

Standard Processes are Key

A crucial first step is developing Standard Business Processes (SBPs). A fantastic resource on this topic is the Mentoring Mondays’ episode, “Why Standard Business Processes are Critical to the Success of Your Land Surveying Business”. In the episode, Landon Blake of Redefined Horizons shares his firm’s internal documents, which you can access via the episode link. These include:

  • Graphical Workflows for processes like boundary research.
  • Written Guidelines for tasks like control surveys.
  • Detailed Checklists for research and map creation.
  • Document Templates, such as a Chain of Survey template.

Sample Contract Templates and Resources

Seeing real-world examples is one of the best ways to develop a contract that works for you. Below is a curated list of sample contracts, ranging from simple letters to comprehensive commercial agreements.

💡While these resources are excellent starting points, you should always seek legal advice from a lawyer specializing in contract law to ensure your final contracts are tailored to your jurisdiction’s laws and regulations.

From Contract to Cash: Tools to Ensure You Get Paid

Dan’s advice is timeless, but modern tools can help you apply it more effectively. A contract is a promise, but in a busy surveying firm, tracking the fulfillment of that promise can be chaotic. This is where having a system becomes critical—not just for doing the work, but for proving it’s done and getting paid.

1. Defining and Tracking the “What”

A contract outlines the scope of work. To ensure you “do what you contract to do,” you need to break that scope down into actionable tasks. Technology like Cyanic Job Book is designed for this, allowing you to create Task Templates for standard job types. This ensures every job follows the same consistent, high-quality process that fulfills your contractual obligations.

As the job progresses, tasks are checked off by your team, creating a digital paper trail. This isn’t just for internal management; it’s your proof of performance.

2. Eliminating Billing Errors and Delays

The second part of Rule 16 is that you “deserve to be paid.” Yet, many firms lose money due to slow or inaccurate invoicing. Common problems include:

  • Forgetting to bill for specific items or expenses.
  • Taking weeks to assemble timesheets and create an invoice.
  • Under-billing because of inaccurate time tracking.

A project management system built for surveyors solves this. In Job Book, all time, equipment, and expenses are logged directly to the job from the field. When the work is done, an accurate, detailed invoice can be generated in minutes, not weeks. This closes the gap between “work complete” and “invoice sent,” dramatically improving cash flow and ensuring you’re paid the “fair fee” you’ve earned.

3. Knowing if Your “Fair Fee” is a Profitable Fee

Finally, while a contract might secure a “fair fee,” is it a profitable one? Dan Beardslee’s ultimate goal is for surveyors to run profitable businesses. The only way to know if your fees are truly fair to your business is to have accurate job costing data.

Job Book’s real-time reporting shows you the financial health of a job as it’s happening. You can see if you’re on budget and, after the job is done, analyze its true profitability. This data is invaluable for future estimates, helping you bid jobs that are not just fair, but profitable.

Cyanic Job Book - Timekeeping, Invoicing, Project Management, Built for Surveyors
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In the end, Rule 16 is the bedrock of a healthy surveying practice. It’s about having the courage to charge what you’re worth, the discipline to deliver on your promises, and the systems to ensure you are paid for the value you create. Are you running a business, or a charity? The choice is yours.

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