Please feel free to contact us if you have any additional questions.
Should I simultaneously request pricing from multiple engineers or surveyor for the same project?
No. Engineers and Land Surveyors are bound by Alabama Laws to participate in Qualification Based Selection (QBS) procedures for selection to provide services on a project whether it is Federal, State, local municipality or private.
What is Qualification Based Selection (QBS)?
QBS is the selection of an engineer or land surveyor based on their qualifications to perform services on a project and not selection based primarily on fee (bidding).
How, as a client, do I engage in Qualification Based Selection?
The following are the simple steps to follow in choosing your consultant based on qualifications:
- Request or discuss qualifications with potential consulting firms. Do not discuss price or fee for the project at this time. Project goals, scope and other non-fee related items are acceptable to discuss with multiple consultants prior to obtaining a fee. (See “What qualifications should I base my selection on? and “How do I determine the qualifications of a land surveying or engineering firm?”)
- Evaluate and choose a consultant that best meets your qualification criteria.
- Engage in contracting with the selected consultant to include obtaining a fee and negotiating fee if necessary. If you are unable to negotiate a reasonable and acceptable fee, you may then negotiate with the next most qualified firm, so on and so forth. (See “How does Bailey Land Group engage in fee negotiations?”)
Will Bailey Land Group provide me with a bid?
No. Bailey Land Group cannot and will not knowingly provide you a bid on your project. Doing so would violate state law with repercussions of losing our individual professional licenses and our corporate authorizations. We can provide you with a Scope for Professional Services on your specific project in order to help you determine if our firm meets your desired qualifications for an engineer and/or land surveyor. Upon being judged as the most-qualified to provide services for your project, we can then provide fee information and can negotiate that fee.
What qualifications should I base my selection on?
Bailey Land Group recommends that you make your selection based qualifications that are important to you for your project. Qualifications you may consider: experience, area of expertise, practices and procedures (RTK GPS, State Plane Coordinates, CADD, QA/QC procedures, etc.), project approach, client service, availability to perform services (schedule), professional liability insurance, etc.
How do I determine the qualifications of a land surveying or engineering firm?
Qualifications could be determined based on a formal statement of qualifications submittal, personal knowledge of the services provided, recommendations/referrals, or your own due diligence or research. Bailey Land Group will gladly answer any questions you may have regarding our qualifications in order to help assist you in your selection.
What can I expect when I call Bailey Land Group to discuss my project?
Our staff will discuss what your project goals are in order to determine what services will best meet your project goals, our qualification and address any questions that you may have. Our staff will then provide you with a scope of services and should you choose to select our firm at that time, we will provide you with our fee which can then be negotiated should this fee not align with your reasonable expectations.
How does Bailey Land Group engage in fee negotiation?
Bailey Land Group determines project fees based on the scope of services, site conditions, location, jurisdictional requirements, etc. These items translate into the amount of time our staff members will spend completing a project, which then translates into a fee based on hours times an hourly rate. While in some cases fees are based on an estimated time a project will take, our project experience has provided us with the expertise to determine the time it will take to complete any given service task, therefore we do not arbitrarily lower fees to meet a client’s budget or preconceived project fee. We will however engage in an active dialogue regarding changes in scope, schedule and subsequently fee in order to more accurately align our fee with the project needs.
I have selected another firm and I could not successfully negotiate an agreeable fee. Can I call Bailey Land Group?
Yes. If you were unable to negotiate a satisfactory fee with the original firm that you selected and you have chosen to move on from negotiations with the original firm, you can contact Bailey Land Group, choose our firm based on qualifications then enter into fee negotiations for your project.
Can you price match for services?
No. That is bidding and/or supplanting and Bailey Land Group does not knowingly engage in bidding and/or supplanting.
What are the laws governing Qualification Based Selection?
State of Alabama Administrative Code, Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 330-X-14, last amended January 2011:
330-X-14-.05 Practice. (Canon IV) The engineer or land surveyor shall endeavor to build a practice and professional reputation on the merit of his or her services as follows:
(f) The engineer or land surveyor shall not participate in procurement practices (bid submittals) which do not first determine the qualifications of the engineer or land surveyor prior to entering into fee negotiations for services being sought. An engineer or land surveyor having submitted a statement of qualification and performance data, and having first been judged as the qualified individual or firm to provide the services required for the proposed project, may proceed to negotiate a contract with a client and establish compensation or fees for the required services.
Should the engineer or land surveyor be unable to negotiate a satisfactory contract with the client for any reason, the engineer or land surveyor shall withdraw from further consideration for the engineering or land surveying services. Another engineer or land surveyor may then be selected for negotiations of a contract for the services on the stated project.
and:
330-X-14-.06 Ethics. (Canon V) The engineer or land surveyor shall contribute to the maintenance, integrity, independence and competency of the engineering or land surveying profession as follows:
(a) The engineer or land surveyor shall not:
14. Participate in procurement procedures for engineering or land surveying services either by providing bids or in requesting bids from other professional engineers or land surveyors where bidding is the primary consideration.
and:
State of Alabama Law Regulating Practice of Engineering and Land Surveying, Code of Alabama 1975, Title 34, Chapter 11, Last Amended – August 1, 2009)
Where can I find more information on Qualification Based Selection?
Additional information can be obtained from the Alabama State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors . Click the following link: Quality Based Selection (QBS)
or go to http://www.bels.alabama.gov/ and follow Board Opinions to the Quality Based Selection document.
My project is not in Alabama. Can Bailey Land Group provide a bid?
While the answers to the FAQ predominately refer to land surveying and engineering services in Alabama, other states which we provide services have similar laws, therefore we engage in Qualification Based Selection on most all project unless we can determine that a particular project is exempt from the procedures of QBS. Please feel free to contact us and we will help determine if we can engage in non-QBS procedures for your project.
Disclaimer: No representation is made that the quality of the land surveying or engineering services to be performed is greater than the quality of land surveying or engineering services performed by other professional land surveyors or professional engineers. The hiring of a land surveyor or engineer is an important decision that should not be based solely upon advertisements. This Web site is not intended to be an advertisement or solicitation.
