Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Will A Land Surveyor Tell Me Where My Boundary Lines Are?

A: Yes, your land surveyor will locate the boundaries of the property on the ground by evaluating evidence. This evidence consists of your deed, adjoining deeds, existing monuments, including other physical features that may establish ownership, and oral testimony. The final location is based the surveyor’s analysis of the evidence and their interpretation of State Statute and Case Law. The property corners will be marked with physical monuments if none exist, and a map and/or survey report will be provided to document the survey results. Required maps will be recorded with the County Surveyor in the county in which the property is located. If conflicts are recovered, your land surveyor will provide a detailed explanation and advise on appropriate remedies.

In most states, only a court of law can determine property ownership and what a boundary is. While only a land surveyor can determine where the boundary is.

Q: Will I Know If Encroachments On The Property Exist?

A: Typically yes. Your land surveyor will recover and locate the existence of encroachments as a result of research. Encroachments may not have to be shown on the map submitted for filing with the County Surveyor. A separate map may be necessary.

Q: Will I Know If Easements Exist On My Property?

A: It will depend on the type of survey. If the purpose of the project is a complete boundary survey, the answer would normally be yes. If the purpose of the survey is for one boundary line to verify the location of improvements or fence line, possibly not. Generally, the research necessary to survey one boundary line the same as surveying the entire parcel. If the property has not been surveyed in a long time or boundary monuments have disappeared, a complete boundary survey is the most cost-effective. Obtaining a current title report is typically the best option to know if any record encumbrances exist on the parcel.

Q: How Will I Know What Has Been Surveyed?

A: Your land surveyor will perform the survey in accordance with the scope of the project mutually agreed upon. If the scope calls for monumentation, property corners will be marked with iron pipe, rebar, nail or other permanent monument with the license number of the land surveyor stamped on it. The property corners should be shown to the owner upon completion. A survey map will be prepared and filed when boundary corners are set indicating dimensions of property lines and other relative data as required by state law.

Q: Should I Explain Why I Want a Survey ?

A: Yes, prior to beginning a survey, the owner should clearly define the scope with the land surveyor by clarifying needs, goals and expectations of the finished product. The more information the owner provides will allow the land surveyor to recommend the type of survey required.

Q: How Can There Be Conflicting Boundary and Easement lines?

A: Boundary and easement line disputes, gaps, and overlaps are sometimes the result of faulty legal descriptions that were originally written and recorded by persons lacking proper qualifications. It is critical to have property lines clearly described and surveyed when boundaries or easement lines are created of changed. Under current law, any newly created and most adjusted boundary lines require a survey processing through governmental agencies. A proper survey may reduce potential boundary and easement conflicts or resolve outstanding issues. The creation or modification of boundaries or easements should only be attempted using the expertise of a professional land surveyor.

Investment

How much will my survey cost? The cost for most land surveys is based on the following factors:

Survey Type

The complexity of a survey and the presence of any disputes are significant factors. The development of large industrial sites or rural land could require many hours of effort as compared to the survey of a residential lot; cost is proportional to the time needed to complete. Research, review of record information and other references, can be time consuming. More than half of the time spent on many projects is performed in the office. Gathering field data always requires additional office analysis as well. The remainder of the time is spent in the field to collect measurements, evidence, and locate physical occupation of structures, walls, fences, tree lines and the like. Additional time may be required to set the boundary monuments, final calculations and drafting of a map or other deliverables.

Research varies by (a) the number of parcels; (b) the number of past transactions; and (c) the quality of legal descriptions, which may require examining property ownership documents; e.g., deed records, road records, and planning reports.

An irregularly shaped parcel has more property corners to mark than a rectangular parcel containing the same area. The property size, along with features such as water boundaries, has a direct effect on the time required to survey the land.

Area

Rural boundary surveys are typically based on surveys that were performed more than 100 years ago by General Land Office (GLO) surveyors. Following in the footsteps of these “sectionalized” surveys (a section = one square mile) could require considerable effort. Looking for evidence of old surveys is an art and can require extensive fieldwork.

Branches, brush, and small trees must often be cleared near the property boundaries to provide a line of sight. Shrubs, flowers, and trees on home sites are normally not disturbed but may require additional field time to avoid when placing final corners.

The time needed to perform surveying work varies with the distance to and difficulty in reaching property boundaries. Your land surveyor may need to recover survey monuments on a neighbor’s property some distance away from the parcel being surveyed. These distant survey monuments may influence boundary location, affecting costs.

Complexity

Existing evidence left by previous surveyors may assist your land surveyor; for example, iron, wood, or stone monuments (markers), old fences or walls and other evidence of boundaries that have been constructed. Testimony of long-term residents may be required and valuable as well.

When neighbors are cooperative, a controversial boundary line location may be established through boundary line agreements at considerable cost savings. When neighbors dispute a boundary, access to important boundary evidence may be difficult, thereby affecting costs.

Seasons and weather can also affect cost. In the summer months, thicker foliage may result in more field labor, while winter weather may slow travel as well as conceal critical field evidence.

State law requires filing of a survey map with the County Surveyor whenever a boundary monument is established. Most counties charge review and filing/recording fees to maintain these records, which may be costly.

Your surveyor is here to assist and will discuss all potential costs with you during the estimate and contract phases to ensure you have a clear understanding of process and can budget accordingly.

SIGMA LAND CONSULTING