When buying a used boat, one of the most important decisions you will make is hiring a boat surveyor Ft Lauderdale. It is the duty of a boat surveyor to help you understand the fair market and replacement value of a boat as well as report on its overall condition. Without the input of a surveyor, you may end up buying a boat that costs you more headache than you can imagine. The big questions, however, is this, who should you hire?
The market is filled with so many people who claim to be experienced and dependable boat surveyors. The problem is the majority of them never deliver on their promise. Bearing in mind a marine surveyor evaluates a boat by simply observing, you have to be very careful before settling on a surveyor. Here are some important things you should do when choosing a boat surveyor Ft Lauderdale to hire.
Ensure they are certified
Anybody can come up to you and tell you they are surveyors. While they may do a great job evaluating your target boat, if they are not certified, their survey report will be useless. Dependable surveyors certified and required to participate in continuing education to retain their certification.
It is good to note that the seller of your target boat will not be of much help when searching for a surveyor. This is because a marine surveyor usually works for the hiring party. If you are the one who needs a survey done, you will be the one paying for the service. The surveyor will only report to you.
Check their experience
The most important thing to do when hiring a boat surveyor is to ensure they have many years under their belt performing marine surveys. To get a great service, make sure the surveyor has surveyed many boats that are similar to the one you are interested in. A dependable surveyor will be willing to speak with you on the phone to answer all the questions you may have about the boat survey process. Don’t forget to ask the surveyor for references and samples of their past survey reports. The reports will help you evaluate the thoroughness of the surveyor when performing a survey. You must not expect a surveyor to answer specific questions about a boat they haven’t seen.
Compare their services with other surveyors
Last but not least, before you choose one surveyor you should compare their services with at least two other surveyors. That way you will be able to know if the boat surveyor Ft. Lauderdale you are considering offers the most comprehensive services.