Thinking about getting my first sand boa

[Evenstar]

Should the probe from the thermostat rest directly against where the uth contacts the glass or the substrate surface above it?

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The t-stat probe should be situated BETWEEN the glass and the UTH - sandwiched, so to speak. This is the MOST important piece of equipment you can have. I like the VE200's, but the VE100s are good too and so are Herpstats. But if those are a bit out of your price range, a Hydrofarm off Amazon works pretty well too. http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-MTPR...arm+thermostat

And the UTH really does need to be on the bottom. Snakes need that warm belly heat.

You should also have a thermometer to measure your temps. Accurites from Walmart are a great choice - choose the ones that show an indoor and outdoor temps and humidity all at the same time. You would place this inside the enclosure and put the probe for this on the hotspot (this will show as the "outdoor" temp). Place the unit on the cool side (this will show the "indoor" temp and the humidity).
http://www.walmart.com/ip/AcuRite-Di...nitor/16888914

Incidentally, I highly recommend an Ultratherm from Reptile Basics for your UTH. These are much much safer and more reliable than Zoomed or Zilla brands. They don't get as hot and it's easier to "sandwhich" your t-stat probe. They also don't self-stick so you can easily move it or reuse it on another enclosure. Just use aluminum heat-safe tape to tape it down. http://www.reptilebasics.com/ultratherm-heat-pads