FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

If an insurance company is involved, they will make the determination as to what inspections are required in or out of the water. It is important to get a commitment from the insurer before signing a contract with your surveyor. Your broker or surveyor can help guide you through this determination. 

The buyer is responsible for making payment to cover all inspections, haulouts, and bottom cleanings unless otherwise specified in the purchase agreement. Minor repairs made during inspections in and out of the water are normally negotiated between the buyer and seller. 

Scheduling the day and times for the survey is the most trying aspect of the survey because there are so many people involved. Often times the buyer sets the schedule based on their location and availability. If a broker is involved, they may be willing to help coordinate scheduling.   As for scheduling the surveyor, the buyer will be responsible for scheduling their day and time as part of the contract between them. 

For insurance-only surveys, a haulout is not always required. The insurance company should be consulted as to whether or not an out-of-water survey is necessary. For Appraisals, it is always easier to assess a vessel's value when it is out of the water. Count on it.

Almost any marine survey is at least a two-day proposition. It usually takes a full day for the inspection and another full day to complete the written report. Those two days may not always be back to back. The buyer should expect any surveyor to be booked to capacity usually leading to a 3-4 business day delivery of the final report or more in unusual circumstances.

We do marine surveys in all of Eastern North Carolina including Elizabeth City, Washington, Belhaven, New Bern, Oriental, Beaufort, Morehead City, Jacksonville, Wilmington, and even Raleigh and Durham, NC. We also serve Tidewater Virginia including Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Hampton Roads, VA.

Rates, billing, and payment vary from surveyor to surveyor. There is no industry standard. It is mostly determined by region. But due to the nature of the work, marine surveyors are most likely to be paid in advance before starting a survey. Formal quotations are sometimes prepared but verbal agreements are most usually included as part of the written contract between the buyer and surveyor.  Expenses such as travel, meals, and logging would be included in the verbal agreement and detailed in the contract. Favorite payment methods for marine surveyors usually include local checks, cash, and apps such as VIMEO, ApplePAY, and Zelle (as a favorite). Credit Cards, due to their expense, are often not accepted.