Category Archives: land surveying

How Important is Land Surveying in Today’s World?

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Most of you have probably never thought about land surveying until you needed it at some point. Many of us hear about land surveying all the time but never really give it much thought.

Since an investment in land and/or a home will likely be the largest investment you will ever make in your lifetime, knowing where your property lines are becomes very important indeed.

The art of land surveying was developed centuries ago. In fact, it’s one of the oldest professions in the world. The fact that it was used by man at such an early time and is still being used now shows how important surveying is to our survival.

The Many Uses of Land Surveying

Surveying land has many uses. Boundary surveying, for instance, allows you to know where your property corners or property lines are. This is especially helpful when disputes with a neighbour or with other people arise in terms of where your property ends.

If your family wants to divide a tract of land and transfer ownership to other family members, a boundary survey is the first step to do so.

If you’re having a building constructed, it is very important that you have the land surveyed to make sure that you are not encroaching onto other peoples’ property. A mistaken building location is very expensive to fix so you might as well invest in a boundary survey to prevent this.

A topographic survey, or topo survey for short, is another important type of land surveying. A topo survey is done to locate natural and man-made features on a particular parcel of land.

A topographic survey is different in that the elevation of the land is surveyed which means it can show man-made underground features, retaining walls, utility lines and etc.

Before you start any kind of construction activity, it’s important to have a topo survey done in the area so they’ll have an accurate record of the land’s existing conditions. Yes, that spot with the new mall in the neighbourhood had to have a topo survey done first.

Now, a flood survey or flood determination – this is very important too. It isn’t evident just looking at a property whether you are at risk of flooding or not. And, in some cases, even looking at the flood maps doesn’t give you an accurate answer.

The flood survey determines the elevation of the home and compares that to the base flood elevation. This is the only way to be sure you’re not in a flood hazard zone. If you’ve just been told that you live in a flood-prone area, having that confirmed by a professional land surveyor would let you know how to best proceed.

When getting flood insurance, insurance companies would require an elevation certificate from you. A land surveyor would be able to assist you with this.

If a company wants to invest in another state, or if there is a national lender on a commercial project, they will likely need an ALTA Land Title Survey done before anything is constructed.

An ALTA Land Title Survey is a lot like a regular boundary survey except that nationally accepted ALTA Standards are used to guide the surveying effort.

Land surveying standards vary widely from state to state and an ALTA Land Title Survey is used to cut down on this variation. Also, an ALTA Land Title Survey typically is more involved than the state standards variety.

Because of this, an ALTA survey can be more anywhere from 50% to 200% more expensive than using the state standards only. If you need this type of survey, I suggest seeking an experienced land surveying company who is familiar with these additional requirements.

In summary, there are many uses for a land survey and for seeking the services of a land surveyor. If you’re unsure of your situation, consult Troy Land Surveying at (334) 403-4503 today or go to the Contact page and send us an email.

Land Surveying: Estimating the Cost

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Land surveying, in summary, is the science and art of establishing or re-establishing property corners, property lines and/or boundaries. There could be different reasons why someone needs a lot surveyed.

The most common would be to determine if a piece of land is at risk of flooding, to subdivide a property to sell or deed to members of the family as well as to determine if there are any encroachments. This may happen if a neighbour disputes you are using a piece of his lot or viceversa (for more about this, check this page).

How much does land surveying cost?

If you have to have a piece of land surveyed, the first thing that will come to mind is “how much will it cost?”

There are several factors determining just how much land surveying on your land would cost. The fact that this kind of service has to be performed by a professional contributes a great deal to the overall cost of the service, but choosing a non-professional to survey your land is dangerous and probably illegal for the non-professional.

Because of this you really should to take a good look around before settling with a surveying company. If you must work within a particular budget, discuss this with the surveyor up-front.

Very often he may be able to offer cost saving steps to get the work you need done within these cost limits. The form of the land should also be considered.

A square or even a rectangle piece of land is somewhat easier to survey than an odd shaped parcel, or one with many different sides.

With the latter, the surveyor will need to take more time in surveying the curves as well as the bends meaning the cost of the service would increase. The overall measurements the land is also key factor here.

Keep in mind that the cost of land surveying will likely be proportionate to the time and effort that the land surveyor would spend on the project. If the land that you’re having surveyed isn’t accessible, or has thick vegetation, then the total price of the survey could go higher.

This is true of the climate conditions which could affect the work. Surveying in hot weather is somewhat slower to keep from putting the crew members in danger. Also, most surveying cannot be done during the rain.

When asking for a quote, bear in mind that surveyors base the estimate on expected conditions at the site. These conditions could change, leading to additional costs. Always inquire about these potential additional cost scenarios.

All that being said, competitive prices are also to be expected, and that’s why we recommend choosing a surveyor according to his experience and reputation rather than on the price he writes on a piece of paper.

Usually, it is better to invest a good amount of money on a survey that’s well-done rather than select a company with a very “affordable” price but have the survey repeated because the results were wrong

.In conclusion, it is best to discuss the expenses of the survey before you decide to ask the surveyor to begin his work. It’s also wise to obtain a contract that lets you know what is expected of the land surveyor. This is one of the most important steps in having your land surveyed.

To get a free land surveying quote, call us at (334) 403-4503 or send us a message by going here.

Land Surveying: Ethics of a Land Surveyor

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land surveyorNot a lot of people realize that land surveying is actually a fusion of art and science. Yes, different equipments are available for the surveyor’s use, but the land surveyor still has the last say on the results.

Despite this though, a land surveyor still has several guidelines to follow. If you’ve had an experience with a dishonest surveyor, or are wary about hiring one, this article should be able to help you out.

Ethics of a Land Surveyor

A surveyor should always start a project with fairness in mind. Your client as well as everybody party involved in the project is expecting you to be fair and just so make the best possible assessment with the evidences handed to you.

Before a project commences, the surveyor assigned to the project should come forward if there’s a possibility of conflict of interest. This is very important to preserve their relationship with the client. A surveyor should avoid professional impropriety by declaring involvement or any prior affiliations with any of the involved parties.

It is also the surveyor’s responsibility to keep any information regarding the project as well as the client confidential even after the project is done.

Several cases were reported where the surveyor overcharged the client. This usually happens when the client doesn’t know anything about land surveying. A land surveyor running his business with ethics will never do this. Fortunately, there are more honest land surveyors than dishonest ones.

A surveyor should charge a project according to the length of time needed to get it done as well as the level of technical complexity required for it. For the surveyor’s sake as well as the client, one should never sign plans, certificates or reports unless these are personally supervised by him.

Not only is this unfair on the client’s side, doing so could put his reputation in danger should the results get disputed and he doesn’t know anything about them.

Just like with other industries, a land surveyor should never undermine the capability of other surveyors or the people from the land surveying industry.

New technologies come up for land surveying all the time. When a surveyor knows that a project is beyond his skills, he should tell the client about it. There’s no sense accepting a project only to come up with a subpar result. It will only hurt your business and your reputation.

Surveyors should also be responsible enough to study, do a thorough research, practice and utilize his skills before offering clients a new service. If a surveyor is new to flood determination, for instance, then he needs to make sure that he knows how to perform it before offering it to his clients.

Surveyors do not work alone. They usually have a staff to support them. The land surveyor needs to be responsible for their actions at all cost, for actions or work carried out by them.

For the best land surveyor to help you with your land surveying needs, contact us at (334) 4503 or send us a message by clicking here.

Land Surveying History

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land SurveyingLand surveying is among the oldest professions on this planet. From the time that man has decided that a part of land should be owned by a tribe, the necessity of surveying began.

Land surveying is fascinating. The strategies used aim to decide which portion of land is owned by whom, hopefully ending arguments permanently.

The bottom line is, surveying is really a process using mathematical ways to survey land.

The very first accounts of surveying land dates back to ancient Egypt. Experts found evidences that the ancient Egyptians used basic geometry to redraw the lines of boundary when the Nile River overflowed. An Egyptian land register dating back to 3000 BC have also been found.

Following Egyptians, the Romans – also probably the most powerful civilizations belonging to the ancient world – practiced land surveying. They took it a stride further and made “land surveyor” a state position within the Empire.

These people were called agrimensores, also called Corpus Agrimensorum Romanorum. While they used simple tools, they were very thorough with their jobs and would create straight lines and proper angles while using these tools.

After the lines were measured, they’d create shallow ditches to mark the lines. Actually, a lot of the furrows they created still exist today.

Among the recorded land surveying in the “modern” times belongs to William the Conqueror who wrote the Domesday Book in 1086. This book serves as a directory of names of land owners, the amount of land they owned in addition to other information regarding the land.

Even though it was a fabulous amount of information during this time period, the pieces of information weren’t 100% correct. The locations just weren’t accurate and the maps had not been made to scale.

One among history’s greatest icons had also been an avid surveyor – Napoleon Bonaparte. The interest in surveying land was actually just a product of his wish to conquer the world. Napoleon Bonaparte founded a registry referred to as cadastre.

This includes a registry of properties of a county, ownership details, locations and as many details concerning the land’s value. Yes, Napoleon Bonaparte can be considered a land surveyor – plus a very smart man.

The strategy used for land surveying have also evolved over the centuries, over time. Once, people would use whatever may help them determine the distance from one place to another.

It indicates using chains with links and even ropes. Naturally, this didn’t give accurate results but they didn’t have the technology we now have in those days.

Today, land surveyors enjoy the best technologies in order to help with their job. There exists GPS, or Global Positioning System, which is one of the more accurate technologies used today.

Total stations are also very important to a land surveyor, which employs the use of an EDM or Electronic Distance Measurement device together with a theodolite which enables for further precise angle and distance measurements.

For all your land surveying questions, call us at (334) 403-4503 or send us a message by going here.

Why You SHOULD Have a Land Survey Completed Before Purchasing Land?

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Buying land, whether commercial or residential, is always a financially demanding endeavor, despite that prices have eased somewhat lately. Because of this seeking out for a lot which you like and making a deal for it without performing a land survey within the area might well be the biggest mistake that one can make.

Here’s why it’s important that you have land surveying done first:

Land surveyors can analyse if you’re actually getting what you’re likely to pay for. This simply means uncover whether the sidewalks, trees, driveways and even the bird bath is part of the property you’re planning to buy.

Land surveying would also see whether the neighbors are encroaching into your property, which will then mean you’re gonna have problems at some point with your neighbors. Signing on with land surveyor doesn’t only mean they know what you’re getting or otherwise not getting – land surveyors are the experts, and they can help with building regulations, wetland regulations, etc.

Be aware that these regulations can change anytime, but land surveyors ought to be updated on these regulations, or they can refer you to somebody is.

Suppose the existing landowner (the one selling the land) can present you with old land survey documents? You should still hire your own land surveyor to verify that the boundary monuments are still in position.

Also, land surveying done a long time back might not exactly show recent changes to the land. When the existing survey is older than about 10 years, you must get a whole new survey. Technology and surveying standards are way better now and may give you more confidence in the survey work.

Second, that survey was completed for that owner. He could have instructed the surveyor not to show specific things on the drawing. At least have a land surveyor get out there and review the parcel with this survey in hand. We have witnessed numerous instances when a whole new land survey would save the client thousands so don’t be a victim.

Land SurveyI’ve heard many people say employing a land surveyor is nothing but unnecessary expense. I’ll show you what’s unnecessary: the worries caused by paying lots of money for something and ending up not getting whatever you were expecting. If you’re smart, you’d hire an approved land surveyor prior to any land purchases.

For any land survey concerns, call us at (334) 403-4503 or send us a message by going here.

Important Things to Know When Building Your House

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Land Surveying

Land Surveying in Building your house

It is a very good idea to build your home because you will be able to get exactly what you want instead of when you buy. Of course, you may need to add some things or you may not know what you are getting yourself into.

It is a huge decision choosing the right builder since it is one of the largest personal investments that you will make. Be sure to give an interview to all of the possible contractors and then pick the one that will help make your dream home come true.

While you are talking to the possible contractors be sure you ask all of the pertinent questions that will help you choose the best; their how long they have been in the business, experience,  what are the kind of buildings that they have experience building and it would be great if you can see some of their work.

It is also crucial to pick house plans which may lead to a good home now and in the future. This is something that your contractor should be able to help you with and they may call on the services of an architect.

Budget in building your house

Before to planning your house design consider these factors; your budget, the size of the home to be built, location of the home, wall finishes, design features that you would like, ceiling height, number of stories, fixture types, exterior finishings, also your time frame.

If you happen to be uncertain about any of these items, your contractor or architect should be able to guide you through this very important process. They will help you choose the details that are right for you down to the very smallest detail.

They may refer you to other consultants for things like finishes, colors, and the like so be prepared to sit and discuss with them for a few hours to talk about all these choices that you may have.This is the reason that your choice of a builder is important.

If your builder isn’t able to advise you on home location they should refer you to a real estate agent. A real estate agent is familiar with important details like neighborhood home values, school districts, traffic issues, funding options, etc.

Land Surveying: avoids future problems

Another stop you should make is to see a land surveyor. Land surveyors are trained and experienced in identifying features of the land that might have an impact on your new home – called land surveying.

Some of these features are flood zones, property line encroachments from neighbors, lot dimensions, and building setbacks. Land surveyors are measurement experts. And, since your home is your most valuable asset, land surveying should be one of your first steps in any new construction.

Avail Land Surveying service from your local surveyor:

Call us Troy Land Surveying today at (334) 403-4503 or contact through our contact form.

What Is A Land Surveyor?

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A Land Surveyor is essential whenever you plan on building a house, buying or selling a property, or dividing your property amongst your children. Many land surveyor made it down to history. In fact, three of the four faces carved in Mt. Rushmore are land surveyors (Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln were all three surveyors, Teddy Roosevelt was not.).

Others popular names were Daniel Boone, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark (Lewis & Clark), Sir George Everest, Charles Mason & Jeremiah Dixon (of the Mason-Dixon Line fame) and author Henry David Thoreau practiced for a time in Concord, Massachusetts.>

What is a Land Surveyor?

Aland surveyoris a person with the academic qualifications and technical expertise to measure and plot the lengths and directions of boundary lines and the dimensions of any portion of the earth’s surface (including natural and other structures). That definition is quite a mouthful, but in actuality the field of surveying (geomatics) includes many other facets.

If you plan to purchase a lot, build your dream house, divide your property to your children, or simply want to know the details of a land property, a land surveyor is the best person to help you out.

A land surveyor locates theboundaryof your property and the location of your home within that boundary to determine if there are any encroachments by your neighbors onto you or vice versa. Common encroachments are fences, driveways, etc.

These days a land surveyor in the United States is regulated and licensed by the various state governments. In Alabama, theAlabama State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyorswas established in 1935 to protect the public.  A land surveyor’s duty is “to safeguard life, health, and property, and to promote the public welfare by providing for the licensing and regulation of persons in the practices of engineering and land surveying.

This purpose is achieved through the establishment of minimum qualifications for entry into the professions of engineering and land surveying, through the adoption of rules defining and delineating unlawful or unethical conduct, and through swift and effective discipline for those individuals or entities who violate the applicable laws or rules.”

How to become a land surveyor?

As of 2007, a newly licensed land surveyor is required to finish a four year degree in surveying or a closely related field, a four to eight years of on-the-job training under a licensed practicing surveyor.

In addition to that, licensed land surveyors are mandated to attend 15 hours of continuing education annually to ensure that they are kept updated with the new know-hows that would help them on their professional growth.

What does a land surveyor do?

As part of a standard lot or mortgage survey of a property, expect your land surveyor to review tax maps, aerial maps, deeds, subdivision plats, zoning ordinances, subdivision regulations and possibly even flood maps.

For a typical lot survey, the subdivision plat is the most important of these because it tells the exact dimensions of your lot and the relative location of your property corners. The surveyor uses this to locate and/or re-establish your property corners.

In the field, a land surveyor will search for your property corners along with some of your neighbors’ corners. If yours can’t be found, they’ll measure the distances and angles between all of the points, locate the improvements on your property, including your house, pool, out-buildings, retaining walls, fences, driveways, sidewalks, and other home improvements.

Other improvements like sanitary sewer mains, storm drainage ways, overhead power lines and the like are located because these might indicate an easement across the property. The plat should show these, but may not in all cases.

Once all of the field information is gathered, the crew chief takes the field notes and prepares a preliminary sketch of the work. This is passed along to a draftsperson who prepares the final outline for your use. The draftsperson will check all of the maps mentioned earlier to make sure that all building setback lines and easements are shown on the draft.

The surveyed distances and directions are compared to the plat distances and directions as well. Any discrepancies or encroachments are shown on the drawing. Your lawyer may use the draft to determine if any other legal work is needed during the closing. The mortgage company or the bank may also use the survey for their records.

So now, what do you have for your money. You have a drawing which shows your house on your lot. You should have stakes and/or flagging by all of your property corners. Make sure you know where they are located.

The actual corner is marked by an iron pin or pipe of some sort. (The type of monument should be shown in your survey drawing.) You might also want to take a look at them at least once a year to make sure they’re still there. (Even animals mark their territory more often than that.)

What You Need to Know About Land Surveying

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What is Land Surveying?

Land surveying is the art and science of accurately measuring parcels of land. Measurements such as dimensions, lengths, boundary lines, including structures within the area are all precisely determined through a land survey.

These measurements are used to establish land maps, boundaries for ownership or for governmental purposes. It is a detailed study of every physical and cultural property of the land, whether above or beneath it, to illustrate it in usable form.

Data is gathered through observations, research, field measurements, and data analysis for establishing property boundaries. Records from previous surveys and government records will strengthen the reports made after the survey.

What covers land surveying?

A land survey is classified according to the purpose or why the survey is being performed. Some of the common types of land survey are boundary surveys, topographic surveys, partition or subdivision surveys, flood elevation survey, property line adjustment survey, and extended title insurance coverage survey.

Other services such as mapping, construction layout surveys, judicial surveys, registered land surveys are all part of land surveying. It is an essential element in every development of the environment especially in the fields of construction, transport, communication, mapping, and most especially in the definition of legal boundaries for ownership.

The key component in the field of land surveying is the land surveyor. A land surveyor is a person that takes charge of every activity that transpires during a land survey. It is the surveyor who makes the research and data gathering and even interpretation and analysis of all data wherein translation of all data gathered is crucial and should be checked, attested, and sworn in the law to be true and correct.

It is important then for you to choose a land surveyor with the highest degree of expertise and who can assume responsibility for the complex tasks at hand. It should be emphasized that only a surveyor who has knowledge of the elements of geometry, trigonometry, engineering, mathematics, physics, and the law are expected to have the best land survey outcomes.

Land surveying – dated back in history

Land surveying is a profession as old as the Egyptian times yet its importance to the human race still lives on. It is the best method to settle disputes over land ownership, it gives a clear picture of what buildings are suited to be constructed in a given land area, and it’s a convenient way to determine the exact dimensions of real estate to be purchased or sold.

Optimum potential of the land you own can only be defined once you have a land survey. Whether you are planning to put it on the market, or should you want to use it for commercial purposes, a land survey must back you up if ever questions regarding everything about the land arise. Land surveying will provide a sense of security and peace of mind to every land owner and even to the future buyers.

Land surveying will always be an integral part in protecting real estate and upholding of laws governing the utilization and distribution of your land assets.

 

The Basics of Land Surveying

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Land Surveying

What is Land Surveying?

Land Surveying dates back to ancient history. Surveying is used for multiple projects.  A survey is done to establish a specific location of a parcel of land along with its exact acreage.  It is used to ascertain boundaries for defining an area of ownership and tax liability.

It is also used to identify a piece of property by a written legal description or to provide a review of the accuracy of an existing description. Data from land surveying is of the utmost importance with regard to buying and selling land, and is also used to insure a clean and marketable title.

Other types of Land Surveying

There are many different kinds of surveys that can be performed. Boundary surveying is typically done for undeveloped land. This type of survey measures the actual physical extent of the property in question. Most surveys progress through the basic procedures regardless of the type being done.

Any pertinent deeds, contracts, maps or other documents that contain a description of the property’s boundaries are located, studied and interpreted. A determination is made of what the actual property description is deemed to be, along with the locations of any physical evidence of the boundaries. This can be in the form of both natural and man-made monuments or markers that exist in the field.

The property is then measured to establish the boundaries, not only using the appropriate existing monuments but with the creation and referencing of new markers where necessary. Measurements are accomplished using a total station and other land surveying tools.

A total station measures both vertical and horizontal angles, as used in triangulation networks. After these steps are accomplished, the property description and plat are prepared.

Results of land surveying

Interpreting the results of a land survey is not as difficult as it may first seem. For instance, a property plat will usually contain a directional orientation which is typically indicated with an arrow pointing north. It will contain the bearing and distance of each boundary line, the property lines of other properties shown on the plat, and the names of adjacent property owners listed in the areas of their property.

Corner monuments, along with the names of any natural monuments (such as “Smith’s Creek”, for example) or a brief description of any unnamed natural monuments (such as the “30-inch pine tree”) are on the plat. There is also a title block containing the property’s location and name of owner, the surveyor’s name, the date the survey was performed, the scale of the plat and any other relevant data.

If you need the services of a surveyor for your land surveying needs, ALWAYS be sure that you’re hiring an experienced, certified, and highly competent professional surveyor. You can find out if the surveyor is licensed by visiting the Board of Licensure’s website.

Estimate The Costs Of Flood Damage To Your Home

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Why you need a flood survey before building a home?

The tool below allows you to calculate the costs of flooding. Select a home size that approximates yours and then slide the blue button up or down for the expected depth of flooding.

What can a flood survey do for you?

A flood survey can be done by your local land surveyor. This will help you in making important decisions such as buying a property and building your home. Through a flood survey, you get to save thousands of dollars worth of property. Also, you get to protect your family and achieve that peace of mind that everything you’ve worked hard for is safe.