MapMakers - Rick Wills
 
Established since 1980, serving both North and South Carolina in general, and more specifically Mecklenburg, Union, Lancaster, and York Counties.

Historical Perspective

     The skills for measuring and defining property have been an important asset to every society from the time that man first decided to settle and develop regional lands. Without someone who could reasonably mark its corner positions, and then be able to demonstrate its division line between those markers, people had great difficulty in trying to maintain what they were claiming as property. Through the practice of surveying, even with crude science, territories and kingdoms were established. Moreover a well marked boundary line was an effective mechanism for maintaining peace.

      You read in the Bible that Abraham walked through the land of Canaan to review the land that God was promising to give to him and his descendants. That was the beginning of Abraham's private perspective as to what should become the limits and extent of his property. Later with Moses, the property boundaries of Canaan were described with detail and was also written into their Torah (Bible) as an instrument of their law.

      In America's early start, aristocrats were the ones who measured and documented properties for themselves and the community. George Washington, who became our first President, and besides being a General to the colonial militia, was also a Public Surveyor. As with his additional offices, his time spent surveying had provided a needful community service.

Surveying Today

     Today there is hardly a brick set, or a post driven, that hasn't required the assistance of a Land Surveyor to insure that private rights and community restrictions will not be infringed upon. Likewise our society is becoming more technical, and that means that their constructions are more complicated and more valuable.

     This has made the properties that contain such projects more valuable as well. Consequently it has mandated that Land Surveyors must be equally technical and equipped with advanced instruments to measure and layout these improvements. To do this a Surveyor must also perform his service with a level of sophistication that will match the cost and risks that are involved.

Pricing our Service

• Each project is always priced on its own terms. Most are priced on a cost per foot basis of the property's perimeter. Others by the length of run for the construction project, or by the acreage with topography sites. But occasionally a job must be estimated on an hourly basis.

• Consequently, except with hourly situations, each job is privately evaluated. Its actual pricing is usually proposed as a lump sum or fixed fee. Additionally, our policy is to never modify a fee so long as the job description has not been changed by the client.

• So there won't be any added costs for what is contracted by verbal agreement or otherwise. And if the agreed upon service must be expanded, the expanded portion will be treated independently. As such, it is again subject to the client's prior consent.

• But if we have priced badly, and have had to do more work than we expected in order to accomplish a project task ... that will be at our loss. We will finish the project, and the client is only billed for the original fee that was agreed upon.

• You can always expect a professional and timely service from us, and we will do our work with diligence and consideration for you and your property or enterprise. Furthermore you are welcome to observe the work in progress, but doing so is never necessary, except for your personal assurance and satisfaction.