ABINGDON ARCHAEOLOGICAL GEOPHYSICS

COSTS

The method which is likely to give the best results will vary according to factors such as geology, type of site and soil and weather conditions.

It is therefore best that you contact us at an early stage so we can discuss your site and advise of the best methods to adopt. This is free of charge.

If it is decided that a survey using techniques which we have available is likely to be useful, we could carry out an initial appraisal of your site using our equipment to see if the results are worth having. This would be for only the travel costs and accommodation arrangements if an overnight stay is required.

If our apparatus is unlikely to be useful to you we will say so, rather than getting you to pay for a survey and then having to explain why the results were poor. We may be able to suggest other people who have other equipment which could be more useful to you - such as ground penetrating radar if your site is covered with tarmac.

 The costs of a survey will depend on each site, as areas which are obstructed with fences and trees will take far longer to survey than flat areas with short grass and no obstructions. Similarly the cost of producing a good earth resistance survey is about double in urban/suburban areas as it takes far longer to obtain each reading if electric currents and leakage have to be filtered out during the data collection stage. Small sites miles away from our base will cost more per hectare than large ones near Abingdon.

The price will also vary according to other factors such as the archaeological interest of the project and the degree of flexibility there is concerning the timing of the work. Local Societies and individuals carrying out research may not be charged the same rate as developers who need a survey as part of their planning application but they will be expected to provide assistance on site.

In the Winter the lack of daylight limits the amount of surveying which can take place and the prices will need to reflect this. Work on Scheduled Ancient Monuments requires a special licence and this can cause delays and costs in complying with the conditions attached to such consents - unfortunately we will have to pass these on.

 As a guide however, for a commercial survey carried out during the Summer on large flat unobstructed areas near our base, the price would be in the region of (December 2009) :-

Per hectare magnetometry at 4  or 8 readings per metre along lines 1 metre apart……..£350

Per hectare resistivity at 1m sample separation……………£600

(A hectare is an area 100metres by 100 metres i.e. 10,000 sq metres)

Alternatively a 30metre wide strip of magnetometry with lines 1 metre apart across an open field should cost just over £1000 per kilometre.

These are subject to a minimum charge of £150 per 7 hour day as it would not be worthwhile to go to sites where there were access or other problems which should have been resolved at the outset, (see the Requirements section).

We can give discounts for interesting sites, large areas and sites where we will have a good degree of flexibility over when the survey takes place.

We do not currently charge VAT

If multiple copies of the report are needed these will be at an additional cost. Our reports normally contain a CD with a pdf of the report.

If you are a local Society and need funding for a project then the Local Heritage Initiative may be able to help. Try their website, which is of some help.