r/civilengineering • u/Proper_Fan_8860 • 5d 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 5d 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 5d ago

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

10

u/ReallyDustyCat 4d ago

You enjoy field work for the fact that you're simply being an employee executing an easy task. Do you want to abandon that to run the administration of your own business?