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As-Built Surveys Are Going Nationwide

Mar 112013

When PPM was founded in 2002, we were a small company in Huntington Beach with no employees and only a handful of landscape architect clients. At the time, we had no idea if there were any other companies doing As-Built surveys, or how many people even needed the service, all we knew was that our clients seemed to be happy with what we were offering them. As PPM has grown and been fortunate enough to serve a large group of clients with a diverse range of projects, we have learned so much more about the market for As-Built measuring services.

Over the last 3 years, a new trend we have noticed is that there are more and more clients looking for a company with the ability to provide professional site surveying for high volume projects on a nationwide basis. These clients include retail chains, restaurant franchises, government agencies, real estate portfolio managers, and more.

As-Built surveying has not been around for very long as a stand-alone business. Traditionally the building measurement has been done in-house, by the architecture firm that is working on the project. As a result, it is still very much a regional industry. There are As-Built companies in many of the major U.S. markets, but until very recently there have been none with the nationwide workforce and project management expertise necessary to handle the biggest multi-site projects. So in the absence of a nationwide solution, the client has 2 options, neither of which are particularly attractive:

Find a local architect/surveyor in every market where you have a physical presence. This strategy requires spending a lot of time and effort to develop and build relationships with potentially dozens of vendors. In addition, it is hard to maintain consistency in service, deliverables, and price when you are working with so many different firms.
Send an employee to every site. With this option, it is difficult to scale quickly for a large program. You have to hire and train new employees, or adapt existing employees to the job. As-Built surveying is a highly technical job that is difficult to do correctly, and accuracy is critical. Not to mention potentially significant costs to travel all over the country.

At PPM, we have seen the need for a nationwide As-Built solution, so we are building the infrastructure necessary to service the biggest nationwide clients. We have a network of over 75 professional surveyors spread throughout the United States and Canada. So this means that in almost every case, we can send a local surveyor to your location and avoid travel costs. It also means that we have the manpower to handle high-volume projects with tight deadlines. In addition, we have a Project Management and QA team in California that is experienced in working with multi-site projects.

We will standardize the site survey process for you so that you will always receive a consistent deliverable, done exactly the same at every location. We will communicate with you throughout the project so that you always know exactly what is going on with every site. We offer fixed cost pricing for nationwide site survey programs that, in most cases, are cheaper than the amount you might pay just to travel to the site.

If you have the need for As-Built surveys on a regional or nationwide basis, please give PPM a call at 855-AS-BUILT.

Andy McFarland, President

How Accurate do YOUR As-Built Plans need to be?

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Feb 062013

At Precision Property Measurements, most of our clients are architects, designers and facility managers that work on remodel projects. For every new project, one of the first decisions they need to make is how to obtain an accurate set of a As-Built drawings. Many times, there are no existing drawings to start with, and so it is an easy decision to call PPM for a professional As-Built measurement service. Other times, our client will come across some existing plans, created either by the original design architect, or by a subsequent contractor who worked on the property. When this situation occurs, a choice needs to be made: Use the existing drawings? Or re-measure and make sure the As-Built drawings are accurate?

In the last ten years, we have field-checked hundreds of existing As-Built plans for accuracy, with a wide variety of results. Sometimes, the plans are structurally sound, with only minor dimensional errors to adjust and missing elements to add. Other times, the existing drawings are worthless, and we need to scrap them and start from scratch. Whenever we run across one of these, I can only wonder how often existing plans are assumed to be “good enough” and used without being verified, and what kind of problems this creates.

Recently, we had a client confronted with just such a dilemma. The project seemed simple enough, just a redesign of a small backyard. The homeowner was a professional engineer, and he offered to measure the site plan himself to save money on the project. Our client was hesitant but ultimately agreed, not wanting to question the ability of the property owner, and figuring that it would be relatively easy to work around any minor errors.

After completing the design and starting the installation, our client started to notice several problems that were too big to fix on the fly. After several days of frustration, they broke down and called us. PPM visited the property and fixed the As-Built site plan, so that our client was able to move forward with a design that fit the space.

Although the project was back on track, many hours of labor and materials were wasted as a result of this simple, yet critical error. Our client assured us that they would never again try to cut corners by using a questionable As-Built base plan!

When you choose to work with PPM, you can be assured that you will be starting your project with accurate As-Built plans. Whether you have existing plans that just need to be checked, or require a complete re-measurement of your project from scratch, we will make sure that your As-Builts can be relied on, allowing you to focus your efforts on what you do best!

To view a comparison of the PPM Site Plan with the original Site Plan referred to in this post, and see what a difference a professional As-Built service can make, please click here.

Tell Us How We Did!

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Dec 122012

I think that a common mistake of most small businesses is to assume that no news is good news. In other words, if they don’t hear anything bad from their customers, than everything must be good, right? But the reality is that the most customers won’t say anything, unless something was really bad. They are more likely to just keep silent about a minor problem, and then quietly take their business elsewhere the next time the need for that particular service arises. It’s a lose-lose situation for everyone: the customer has to keep searching to find the level of service they really want, and the business remains oblivious to a easily fixable problem which is costing them business. At PPM, we are guilty of this mistake all the time. When we deliver a completed As-Built project, it is much easier to move forward and turn our focus to the next project, rather than making the extra effort to solicit feedback from our client.

So what is the small business to do? If you really want to hear what your customers think about you, you need to ask! You can call them, email them, send them a form to fill out – whatever it takes. The point is that your customer needs to know that you want to hear their feedback. This is particularly important with a new customer who just used your service for the first time. Since they are not already familiar with what it’s like to do business with you, new customers will usually be your best source of honest feedback with a fresh perspective. Never assume that a client will just offer to tell you about a problem – it is your job to give them a mechanism to do just that.

Asking for feedback is only the first part of the solution though. What matters after that is what you do with it. Do you really care about what your customers are telling you? Or are you just trying to make them think you care? You need to be ready to hear what your problems are, and then take the necessary steps to fix them. If a new customer tells you about a issue that they had on their first job, and then the same thing happens on their next project, you have lost that customer forever. On the other hand, if they see that you have fixed the issue, you will have earned the loyalty of that customer. There are few things more satisfying than knowing your feedback is valued and actually caused the company to make a change based on your suggestion.

At PPM, we encourage feedback from our customers by inviting all new clients to fill out a feedback form on our website after their first As-Built project. We incentivize them to take their time and give us this information by offering a $10 gift card upon completion. In addition, for the first time this year we are sending out a general online survey form to ALL customers that did a project with us in 2012. Constant Contact makes this very easy by providing a customizable survey template you can use and email to all of your clients. We think that the information obtained from these initiatives is well worth the time and expense. We look forward to hearing what you think!

When You Screw Up – Make it Right!

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Nov 202012

At PPM, we work on approximately 800 – 1,000 projects per year, and most of them involve thousands of measurements and multiple As-Built drawings as part of our deliverables. Despite our best efforts at utilizing fail proof survey techniques and extensive quality control, every once in awhile we deliver a plan that has an error in it. We are not perfect. A mistake is especially critical for a service like As-Builts, where the entire product is based on a promise of accuracy. Over the years, we have learned a few things about how to handle those rare circumstances when we make an error in one of our plans:

Deal with the problem head on. Never make excuses. Regardless of how the error actually happened – it was our fault. Admit the mistake to the client and apologize. This allows us to focus on the solution.
Do whatever it takes to fix the problem. We ask the client what we can do, if anything, to make it right. Maybe the mistake was caught early and no harm was done. Or maybe the client has already spent some time and money as result of the error. Whatever the situation, we make it our first priority, ahead of all other business and without regard to cost, to fix the problem that we have caused.
Figure out exactly what went wrong. After the client has been taken care of and made whole, then we turn our attention to the cause of the problem. What breakdown occurred in our systems which allowed this error to happen? What changes need to be made to prevent it from happening again? Most errors are not problems with people, they are problems with systems – so we try to keep the focus there.

Unfortunately, we had just such an experience last week – our first plan error in over 500 projects. We had recently delivered a retail As-Built to a brand new client for a remodel project in a Las Vegas mall. They contacted us on Friday afternoon to let us know that they suspected we had incorrectly drawn the angle of one of the store walls. After an internal review, we were able to confirm that there was sufficient reason to believe they were right – we had likely made a mistake. We had a surveyor on a flight to Las Vegas the very next day, Saturday. We fixed the error on the plan and delivered the corrected plans to the client right away. I don’t know if this client will choose to work with us again, but I do know that we made our best possible effort to remedy the situation as soon as possible, and they seemed to appreciate the effort.

Someday, we will be able to achieve our goal of 100% accuracy in every single one of our plans. When that day arrives, the only use for our “Error Recovery” system will be to prop up our projector at company meetings. But until that happens, we owe it to our clients, and ourselves, to face our mistakes head on and do whatever we can to make things right.

The BOMA Standard – Usable Square Feet, Rentable Square Feet and Load Factor

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Oct 312012

At PPM, our As-Built measuring company, we get calls all the time from business owners who think they are being overcharged for their lease. Usually, these tenants are paying for a certain amount of square feet, but they suspect that the actual amount of space in their office is less. They want us to come out and measure their space and tell them what the real square footage is, per BOMA standards. Whenever we get a call like this, the first thing we do is have a conversation with our client about the different terms that BOMA uses for square feet, how each is derived, and how they are typically used in office leases.

When most tenants think about the space they are paying for, they only consider the area of the space within their office demising walls. BOMA calls this area your “Usable Square Feet” (USF), which is the area within the demising walls reserved for the exclusive use of that tenant. But this is NOT the number that most office leases are based on. For a multi-tenant building, there will also typically be some “common” areas that are shared by numerous tenants – such as hallways, lobbies, bathrooms, utility rooms, etc… In addition to their Usable space, each tenant in the building will also be responsible for paying for their share of these common areas. BOMA provides for a method for determining the allocation of these common areas, and dividing them up amongst all the tenants in a proportional way.

The amount of “Common” area in a commercial office building, relative to the amount of Usable Square Feet, is called the “Load Factor“. Load Factor can be expressed as a percentage (such as 20%) or as a decimal (such as 1.20). So for example, if a building has a total Usable Square Feet of 10,000, plus an additional 1,600 SF of Common area, then the Load Factor of that building is 16% (1,600 / 10,000). That means that for every 100 SF of Usable space that a tenant has, they will also be charged for an additional 16 SF of common area. When you add up your Usable space, plus your share of the Common areas, that equals your “Rentable Square Feet” (RSF: per the BOMA method). This is the number that most leases use to determine the amount that a tenant must pay.

So the final equation is: USF x Load Factor = RSF

The problem that many tenants have is that they don’t know what their Load Factor is. Sometimes the Load Factor is expressly listed in the lease, but many times it is not. So this creates a potential problem when the tenant wants to verify their Rentable Square Feet. We explain to our client that they can hire PPM to measure the unit, create an As-Built plan, and calculate the USF – but without knowing the Load Factor, we can’t calculate the RSF – which is what their lease is based on. In order to calculate the Load Factor from scratch, we would need to survey the entire building – an expense which is prohibitive for most small tenants. So in the absence of that, the best we can do is use a standard Load Factor. We have found that for most office building, the Load Factor ranges anywhere from 8% – 25% depending on the configuration .

After our client understands how the different square footage numbers work together, and we understand their specific situation, than we can decide if PPM can be of service to them. If you have similar questions or needs regarding BOMA square feet, please give us a call!

Why You Need Accurate As-Built Plans – Every Time

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Oct 092012

At PPM, we get calls all the time from architects and contractors in various stages of their construction projects. The circumstances vary but the problem usually doesn’t – they just discovered an error with their existing plan dimensions. As a result, they are having a problem making the new design fit in the field. Worse, the discovery of the first error is causing concern that the rest of the dimensions could be wrong as well. So now they need PPM to come out to the site, measure the space, and provide true As-Built plans.

Whenever this happens our client has made a common mistake – they based their entire design and construction documents on base plans that were never professionally re-measured to verify accuracy. The client may have sent a junior staffer out with a tape measure for a few hours to check some dimensions, or worse they may have just assumed that the old drawings provided by the owner were accurate enough to use. Whatever the reason, construction is on hold until PPM can get out and solve the problem, a delay that is now costing our client time and money.

This is why having true As-Built drawings on every remodel project is so important. To eliminate costly surprises and help ensure a problem-free construction experience, As-Built measuring should always be the very first part of the process. Even if you have an existing set of plans, they should be fully verified in the field to eliminate the potential of any major dimension errors or other oversights. The cost of professional As-Builts is tiny in relation to the total project budget – typically less than 1%. It’s a small price to pay for the peace of mind that comes from knowing you are starting your project with accurate plans. And it’s a lot better than discovering an error when you are halfway through construction, as many of our clients will attest to.

PPM completes As-Built plans for Silverado Resort and Spa

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Sep 212012

A few weeks ago, we wrapped up the final touches on some As-Built drawings for the Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa. The project included a complete survey of the 50,000 SF mansion and event facilities, as well as a separate building which houses the pro shop, restaurants, locker rooms, and other facilities. The project took 5 weeks from start to finish and included floor plans, RCP, MEP, exterior elevations, and section drawings. The new ownership, which includes former professional golfer Johnny Miller, plans to begin a remodel of the resort facilities in the near future. PPM was hired to kick off the process by documenting the existing conditions and creating a complete set of As-Builts.

PPM was thrilled to be involved in this exciting and high-profile project, involving a truly legendary property in the Napa Valley. The history of Silverado Resort stretches back to the mid-1800s, when retired military general John L. Miller built the Southern-style white mansion near Atlas Peak Road. It is now the largest resort in the Napa Valley, with amenities that include two 18-hole championship golf courses, 415 guest condo suites, 15,000 square feet of meeting space, 10 swimming pools, 16 tennis courts, three dining facilities, and a 16,000 square foot spa. I had the pleasure of staying there for 2 days during the project, and I will testify to the beauty and luxury of this wonderful property.

The upcoming remodel is being managed by the Resort’s Design Manager, Andy Miller: “We enlisted the services of PPM to assist with the Master Plan of the Silverado Resort and Spa, and they provided us with accurate, on-time drawings,” said Miller. “We have approached the project with a profound understanding of our responsibility to be good stewards of Silverado’s rich history dating back to 1870.” PPM will be sure to follow the progress of this project, and we wish the Resort continued success!

- Andy McFarland,
President – PPM

To learn more about the Silverado Resort, please visit their website:

http://www.silveradoresort.com/

Here is an article interviewing Johnny Miller and talking about the purchase in 2010:

http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/article_652ef870-84d9-11df-bc52-001cc4c03286.html

Ishqa and Taylor – Welcome to the PPM team!

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Aug 312012

In the month of August, PPM welcomed 2 new employees to our staff. In my last posting a month ago, I mentioned that we were looking for a new Office Manager to help us with customer service, bookkeeping, HR, and other administrative tasks. I am happy to announce that the process has reached a successful conclusion with the hiring of Ishqa Hillman, a talented and experienced office professional. Most recently Ishqa worked for the last 3 years as the Office Manager for Ollivier Corporation, a security services firm. Her boundless energy and optimism are a welcome addition to the office, and best of all she lives just a few blocks away – making her the 3rd current PPM employee to walk to work every day!

Taylor Ferry has been working with PPM for so long that I almost forgot he was a new employee! Taylor first started doing some contract AutoCAD drafting work for us in July 2011, and over the next 12 months he was a frequent visitor to our office whenever we had a large As-Built project that needed some extra help. We finally made it official and hired him as a full time drafter on August 1st. Taylor is working primarily on our commercial projects, and when he is not drafting he can usually be found eating whatever food the rest of us can’t finish. Taylor’s best feature? He is a fellow UC Berkeley alumnus. Go Bears!

All of us at PPM are thrilled to have Ishqa and Taylor join our team. We look forward to many years of fun and success!

- Andy McFarland,
President – PPM

New Project for Uncle Sam

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Aug 082012

Last week, PPM kicked off an exciting new project for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. We have been hired to measure and draw the As-Built floor plans of over 600,000 SF of office space currently leased by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The project is scheduled to last until November of this year, and includes surveys of over 70 ICE locations throughout the United States. In addition to measuring and drawing the floor plans, we will be calculating the square footage of each area using the BOMA standard.

Earlier this year, we surveyed a previous phase of ICE locations, sharing the contract with 2 other As-Built firms. For the current phase of work (Phase 2) we have been selected as the sole As-Built survey contractor by the lead contractor for the project, Deloitte. We are very proud to have won this high profile project!

This project represents a new opportunity for PPM, and we are eager to take on the unique challenges that it presents. First, of course, is the labor and logistical challenges presented by such a large and geographically spread out group of office surveys. Then, there is the added challenge of paperwork, tracking, and reporting required when contracting with the U.S. Government. Finally, since these are high security locations, all PPM staff have to pass a thorough government security clearance process.

We look forward to doing our best work for this very important client!

Andy McFarland
President – PPM

PPM is hiring! Do you know a Customer Service professional?

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Jul 222012

We are currently looking for applicants to fill a full-time position as our Customer Service Representative. Our current CSR, Lindsey Grey, will be returning to her studies at Cal State Long Beach at the end of August. She will remain with PPM in a part-time capacity, but we need a full-time professional to take over and provide the level of excellent service that we hope you have come to expect from PPM. Do you know anybody that would be qualified and interested in this opportunity?

Our Customer Service Representative is an absolutely critical member of our team. This person is responsible for all of the primary communication with our clients (phone and email), as well as project management tasks including proposals, scheduling and delivery. Excellent communication skills are a must. In addition, the position requires strong organizational skills and a proficiency with common computer programs. Finally, and most importantly, a positive attitude and friendly demeanor! We only have about 8 people in our office so there is nowhere to hide the grumpy person!

If you know anybody that you think would be a good fit, please feel free to forward my email address to them directly so they can apply: andy@ppmco.net. They can also view a complete description of the position, as well as other details such as pay and start date, on our ad posting on Craigslist:

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/ofc/3149540146.html

Thank you, and we look forward to introducing our new Customer Service Representative in about 3 weeks!

Andy McFarland
President – PPM

Older Entries

The AsBuilt Design and As-Built Services Blog

ppmcoadmin

As-Built Surveys Are Going Nationwide

How Accurate do YOUR As-Built Plans need to be?

Tell Us How We Did!

When You Screw Up – Make it Right!

The BOMA Standard – Usable Square Feet, Rentable Square Feet and Load Factor

Why You Need Accurate As-Built Plans – Every Time

PPM completes As-Built plans for Silverado Resort and Spa

Ishqa and Taylor – Welcome to the PPM team!

New Project for Uncle Sam

PPM is hiring! Do you know a Customer Service professional?

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