Troy Land Surveying

Land Surveying: Estimating the Cost

Posted on April 7, 2019 by Troy Surveyor

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

Posted on January 7, 2019 by Troy Surveyor

Not 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 a land surveyor to help you with your surveying needs, contact us at (334) 403-4503 or send us a message by clicking here.

Land Surveying History

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Troy Surveyor

Land 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.