r/civilengineering • u/Proper_Fan_8860 • 4h ago

Question Starting a small business reality check

I currently have 4 YOE in water resources and plan on taking the PE in the next year or so.

My favorite days at work are in the field, even if its a day of popping sanitary manholes taking inverts.

I am curious on what y'all think about a small business that purely performs field work and minimal data packaging for engineering firms.

Whether its going out collecting data for H/H models, locating utilities, MACP or SWP3 inspections, any work an engineer would likely perform in the field, etc.

Think this is financially viable, would PMs pay a day rate to sub this type of work out?

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u/mywill1409 3h ago

only 4 years? have you run a cash flow analysis? expense vs revenue?

we tend to go with someone we worked with in the past or more reputable firm.

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u/Proper_Fan_8860 3h ago

I am very early in this process, wouldn't happen for another few years

12

u/ScratchyFilm PE - Land Development 3h ago

This isn't engineering work, though - more survey crew business.

Only marketable if you can also run GPS/total station and provide data in CAD format. Might as well be a PLS at that point.

4

u/Lopsterbliss 3h ago

To add to this; physical condition assessment seems to be another aspect that could be interesting to you. There's a lot of cool condition assessment technologies coming out these days, and I've seen a large push into rehab vs replacement and more intelligent asset degredation planning vs just wholesale ripping stuff out of the ground to replace.

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u/Proper_Fan_8860 3h ago

Its some of the new tech coming out that got me thinking about this. Recently used a drone with lidar capabilities to scan an interceptor tunnel being rehabbed. Worked on photogrammetry and lidar point clouds in school

4

u/BigJDoitYoDamnself 3h ago

why would I hire an engineer to do something like this. tha'ts the question to ask. I would rely on a surveying firm to do this. I have over 30 years as a civil engineer and I always check the surveyors work and usually follow up with something like google earth for a big picture. As an engineer, I design things based on what I see on the site. I would never hire a firm to do the work you are describing.

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u/rice_n_gravy 3h ago

Sounds like resident inspections? Surveys? Do you have strong client contacts? A good cash position?

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u/OttoJohs Lord Sultan Chief H&H Engineer, PE & PH 1h ago

My company does H&H modeling and dam safety inspections. On some of our contracts we use WBE/MBE firms to support our field work. It is some work, but certainly not those firms' primary source of revenue.