You don’t think about land surveying until you need it. Property lines and features require it. ALTA, construction, and site planning are forms of land surveys. The survey you get depends on why you want one.
Let’s look at when you could require land surveying services and what type you’ll obtain.
1. Property Sales
If you’ve never sold a house, you may not know that you need a current survey. Some customers will likely ask for it because it will boost their confidence.
It will also verify the property’s size and assist them to avoid legal issues over insufficient property descriptions.
2. Property Buying
Buying a property requires a land survey.
A home or piece of land are some of the most valuable things you can buy, so you must know what you’re purchasing. Ask a qualified land surveyor in your state for a survey map to aid with certain things.
A professional surveyor will undertake research and generate a map that shows the placement of roads, swimming pools, workways, and fences. It will also identify potential encroachments with neighbors and the property’s legal description. It will also show if others have rights to the land through utilities or right-of-way.
You must know the property boundaries before buying. Land surveys identify encroachments and abnormalities that might lead to legal problems.
3. Fencing
If you’re thinking about erecting a fence or similar addition to your home, now is a good time to employ land surveying services to guarantee you build on your land. Misplaced fences, driveways, or carports can cause legal issues with your neighbors and cost you a lot of money to fix.
Before construction, use licensed land surveying services. They’ll set land borders.
The land surveyor works with your contractor and the municipality to ensure property improvements are built correctly. This eliminates conflicts from poorly positioned enhancements.
4. Mortgage Refinancing
If you’re looking for a mortgage, the lender may want an up-to-date property survey.
Some lenders need this to protect their investments. They want to verify sure the properties they invest in match the documentation and that the transaction is legal.
5. Elevation Certificate
In a high-risk region, your insurance agent may require an elevation certificate. This determines your flood insurance premium.
Know the building’s elevation and the height of floods in the vicinity. It’ll assist estimate your flood risk and the price of getting flood risk insurance.
Survey Types
Now you know when land surveying is needed. Know which survey you need. Seven types of land surveys are described.
- Alta Surveys
ALTA is used during house purchases. Before providing title insurance, a title company may request an ALTA survey. It’s the same as a mortgage land survey.
- Boundary Surveys
A boundary survey locates a property’s corners and limits. Boundary surveys can discover easements or settle legal conflicts.
- Location Surveys
Location surveys are like border surveys but incorporate site upgrades. A location survey reveals improvements in size, placement, and distance from property borders. A location survey can help property owners secure zoning approvals.
- Division Survey
Subdivision surveys split the land into many subdivisions, as the name indicates. The records should be submitted with land records at the recorder’s office.
- Construction Survey
Construction surveys show employees the distance between improvements and property borders to minimize problems.
- Maps
Topographic surveys determine human-made and natural property attributes. Rivers, ponds, trees, ponds, buildings, utilities, and elevations are examples. Architects and engineers employ topographic surveys for site upgrades.