FAQ’s

• When buying land, to protect the investment you are about to make.
• When selling land, to ensure that you are selling the portion intended.
• When land is not clearly defined by a plat or legal description.
• Before land is divided by deed, will, or by a court.
• When a money-lending agency requires a survey, i.e. for mortgage purposes.
• Before a building, house, or fence is built close to an indefinite property line.
• Before a lot is conveyed from a larger tract and the lot has not been surveyed.
• Before timber is to be cut near a property line.
• When purchasing title insurance.
• When a line or corner location is unknown or in dispute.
• When you believe someone is encroaching on your land.

Surveyors’ fees, like those of other professionals, are dependent on the type of service required, which in turn determines the level of effort and the number of personnel and type of equipment necessary. The following factors help determine the final cost of a survey:

• Information available
• Research required
• Clarity (or vagueness) of the legal description
• Amount of land involved
• Number of property corners
• Improvements such as houses, outbuildings, fences, etc.
• Terrain
• Vegetation
• Accessibility
• Boundary disputes
• Personnel & equipment required

Yes. If the Surveyor knows why you want a survey, the Surveyor can recommend the type of survey you need, and how much detail should be shown on the map, plat, or exhibit, thus saving costs.

• The legal description of the property, (Lot, Block and Subdivision name, aliquot part description, or deed recording information)
• The exact purpose of the survey
• A copy of title search or title insurance
• A copy of plats or plans showing boundaries
• All available information regarding disputes over corners or boundaries
• All information you may have about the location of your lines or corners

Provide the Surveyor with as much information as you can about your corners, boundaries, or past surveys, even though you may believe that the information might adversely affect your holdings. It is important to understand that although you may really only want your own boundaries surveyed, the surveyor is also determining the boundary of the adjoining land, and must be impartial in the location of those boundaries.

• A drawing of the property surveyed, certified by the surveyor responsible for the work, showing what was surveyed, and, depending on the type of survey, such things as what corners were found or set, improvements, and encroachments across the boundaries.
• For boundary surveys, steel pins at the property corners, with a yellow plastic cap with the surveyors license number and marked with a flagged wood lath.
• Any information discovered in the course of the survey which indicates a conflict in property lines.

It is important to have lines properly surveyed and described. A well prepared land survey will likely be the least expensive part of your real estate investment cost, and a boundary dispute or flawed legal description can quickly become the most expensive.

Investing in your property by knowing and marking your boundaries is a good idea, especially to avoid any future conflicts regarding the use of your land.  Make sure you have a survey completed before:

• You sell your home or land
• You buy your home or land
• A will or testament divides the land
• You develop or subdivide your land
• You construct a building, fence or other improvements
• A boundary line dispute arises

When purchasing real estate, you acquire certain rights to land described on your deed.  Improvements you see on the ground such as fences, landscaping, buildings, and trees may or may not all be in conformity with your deed.  Under certain circumstances, the physical use of your property by neighbors can result in a claim of ownership.  Easements or other uses can restrict your rights.  The only person who can legally locate your property boundaries, easements, and other land rights is a licensed land surveyor.

• The purpose and type of survey
• The deed of your property or a copy of the deed with the legal description of the property
• Any survey documents or information related to the property

First, try to talk with the surveyor who did the work.  Most surveyors are willing to spend some time explaining the property line to a neighbor, although their schedules are often very busy.  In establishing a property line, a surveyor is always aware that it has two sides.  The surveyor will make every effort to locate the line in such a way as to respect the rights of neighbors.

Then, if you are unable to contact the surveyor who laid out the line in question, or if you don’t understand the explanation provided, you may need to hire a surveyor of your own to check the line.

Whenever there is a question or dispute about a property line, be sure to mention that to any surveyor you are thinking of hiring.  These situations often involve extra work, and it is best to inform the surveyor in the beginning. This will prevent a misunderstanding about the cost later on.