Welcome to Troy Land Surveying!

Welcome to the Troy Land Surveying website

This site is intended to provide you with information on Land Surveying in the Troy, AL, Auburn, AL, and Montgomery County area of Alabama. If you’re looking for a Troy Land Surveyor, you’ve come to the right site. If you’d rather talk to someone about your land surveying needs, please call  us at (334) 403-4503 today. For more information, please continue to read.

Troy land surveying

Land Surveyors are professionals who measure and make precise measurements to determine the size and boundaries of a piece of real estate.  While this is a simplistic definition, boundary surveying is one of the most common types of surveying related to home and land owners. If you fall into the following categories, please click on the appropriate link for more information on that subject:

Troy Land Surveying services:

  • I need to know where my property corners or property lines are. (Boundary Survey)
  • I have a loan closing or re-finance coming up on my home in a subdivision. (Lot Survey)
  • I need a map of my property with contour lines to show elevation differences for my architect or engineer. (Topo Survey)
  • I’ve just been told I’m in a flood zone or I ‘ve been told I need an elevation certificate in order to obtain flood insurance or prove I don’t need it. (Flood Survey)
  • I’m purchasing a lot/house in a recorded subdivision. (Lot Survey – See Boundary Survey)
  • I’m purchasing a larger tract of land, acreage, that hasn’t been subdivided in the past. (Boundary Survey
  • I need a survey of a commercial or multi-family site that meets the ALTA Land Title Survey requirements. (ALTA Survey)

Contact Troy Land Surveying services at (334) 403-4503 today.

What are the Differences between a Boundary Survey and a Flood Survey?

For some people, hearing the word “survey” only means one thing – a land survey. There are actually different types of land surveying, each designed for different needs.

In this article, we’re going to talk about the difference between a boundary survey and a flood elevation survey.

A boundary survey deals with finding the property lines and the monuments that mark the property corners of land described in a deed.

If you’re planning to purchase property, for instance, it’s important that you have the boundary surveyed so you’ll know exactly the size and location of the property you’re going to buy. Even if the seller has a survey drawing in hand, past survey results can be different from what a surveyor will find today.

Boundary surveys are used for different needs:

  • If you need to see the exact boundary of your property
  • If you’re suspecting encroachment and need it confirmed so you can take proper action
  • If you need to put up a fence around your property and need your property lines marked so you don’t encroach into another property
  • If you want to subdivide your property, either for selling it in smaller parts or dividing it among family, a boundary survey is the first step to make.
  • A boundary survey can also determine if your home is encroaching on any building setback lines if you are considering a home expansion.

A Flood Elevation Survey, on the other hand, is done to determine the elevation of your home and adjacent grades and how they compare to the base flood elevation. The results of this survey is an elevation certificate. An elevation certificate is required by FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) from property owners with buildings classified within a Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA).

A flood elevation certificate allows FEMA to determine the proper flood insurance premium rates. It may also be used by a property owner for requesting a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) or Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) from FEMA.

Very often, getting a flood elevation certificate through a flood elevation survey will reduce insurance premiums. This is why getting a flood elevation survey is considered an investment by many.

So, a boundary survey will determine the horizontal extent (BOUNDARY) of your property, and a flood elevation survey will determine the vertical extent (ELEVATION) of your property and if you are in a flood plane and if you need to get flood insurance.

How Important is Land Surveying in Today’s World?

land surveying

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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.