5 Major Benefits of Topographical Survey

There are many different types of services offered by seasoned civil engineering and land surveying firms, and one of these is the topographical survey, a specialized area that is used to determine both natural and manmade features of a land. Other types of surveys may help you make maps where specific landmarks and stakes are depicted, but the topographical survey will show contour lines and help you see the various changes, which have occurred in that land over a given period of time. Professional land surveyors use modern technologies like EDM and GPS to conduct this type of survey. Here are the five major benefits of a topographical survey:

It can provide the necessary data you will need about the land before making any changes to it – Whether you are building a completely new structure or making changes to an existing property, a topographical survey can help you identify all the important features on, around, and under the land.

It can tell you if there were any changes made to the land prior to being used – In case you purchased land, a topographical survey can reveal any information that might be hidden from plain sight, including the changes that have occurred on the area over a period of time. That way, you and your engineers can properly plan the structure and make sure that it is appropriate for the land before starting construction.

It provides a complete and clear image of the land and the surrounding area – The information from a topographical survey can be crucial to homeowners, builders, and business owners who are planning to renovate or expand their property. Hence, it is typically ordered before beginning any form of construction project.

Topographical surveys let you understand the land’s topography – Knowing the topography of the land around and under any type of structure is important to ensure a durable construction or an efficient modification. 

It gives an exact idea on where existing features are located – Topographic surveys can map existing features on the land, as well as those that are slightly below or above it, like trees, retaining walls, walkways, manholes, buildings, streets, and utility poles. They can show lines of easements and perimeter boundary lines on or across the property, too. You can use that as basis when designing a building, driveway, road, or any other kind of project that will be done on that land.

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How Land Surveyors Can Solve the Boundary Issues of Your Property

Many people try to be good neighbors, but sometimes, disputes over boundaries and property lines can cause a lot of trouble, leading to bitter rivalries and costly legal procedures. If you find yourself facing any boundary issues on your property, the best way to deal with it is by working with a reliable and reputable land surveyor. It is recommended that you get in touch with experienced land surveyors if you want to prevent boundary issues in the future, too, especially if you are thinking of expanding your property or building a fence. With their help, you can get the proof or the information that you need to prove that your neighbor has encroached boundary lines, or you have the necessary data to know exactly where your property’s boundaries lie.

Homeowners typically ignore their property lines until issues arise or a land survey has been requested by a financial company or bank. Most homeowners assume that their boundary is where the tree line or an existing fence is. Property disputes may arise when there are changes in the home’s ownership. A new owner may want to build a new fence, do some landscaping, or build a driveway that may encroach upon neighboring lots, leading to boundary disputes between neighbors.  Hence, it is essential to order a boundary survey from professional land surveyors before building or adding anything, or making any renovations on your property. Some municipalities will only grant a building permit only after a land survey has been conducted on the property.

Only licensed and professional land surveyors are qualified to help resolve boundary issues and lot line disputes. They can research existing property deeds and descriptions, conduct physical assessments, mark land boundaries, and record every data accurately while following state, national, and local guidelines and laws in conducting boundary surveys. A survey may be ordered by court if the conflict has been escalated to it.

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The Importance and Standards for ALTA Surveying Services

Most of the lenders need a little research before financing the acquisition of any commercial property. In such cases, the survey requirements are not as common as they are for other requirements. In a property which is not obtained with enough research may disclose some issues later. There are many surveys that should be considered for the purpose but boundary surveys and ALTA (American Land Title Association) surveys are the most preferred ones.

ALTA surveys and boundary surveys are performed with some minimum standards adopted jointly by the ALTA (American Land Title Association) and ACSM (American Congress on Surveying and Mapping). The surveyor has to depend on these standards for preparing a survey that correlates with the rights and needs of the property purchaser, financer and title insurer.

ALTA surveys are costlier than any type of the survey but they are more intensive and offer comprehensive and detailed information. It provides information about property boundaries, easements, and improvements like fences, trails, roads, and other features which may affect the future ownership of the property. These features may need further investigation as there may be the potential for errors to result in the possibility of adverse rights and infringement. An ALTA survey also shows modes of access, zoning classification, and flood zone classification of the property. Common surveys like boundary surveys often lack the level of detail that is required for the evaluation of property which is necessary for commercial real estate purchasers and lenders.

Lenders and real estate purchasers use ALTA surveys to ensure that their security interests and investments are protected from adverse claims that cannot be discovered by a common survey or research. The information generated through ALTA surveys assist the lender and the purchaser with the information about potential risks and benefits that come with the ownership of the property.

In the process, the lender may want the surveyor to draft a legal description of the property so that the drafted legal description can be compared to the legal description in the title commitment. If they do not match then there is a problem that needs to be addressed.

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Environmental Land Survey and Its Utilities

Environmental surveys are performed to identify and investigate the impact of environment factors on construction and real estate projects. It also determines the effect of the construction on the environment. The activities associated with the survey depend completely on the surveyor and the project itself. Environmental surveyors have different approaches and peculiarity in different areas. The field of environmental survey is entirely different from environmental consultancy. However, if required, it may be involved in the process.

Environmental land surveys determine where your property premises begin and end. Environmental surveys are applicable in engineering, land development, real estate, and telecommunications industries. Environmental surveys support in subdivision planning and also contribute to ecological services. Environmental surveys are used in environmental industries for geo-tracker reporting as well as monitoring, earth quantity calculations, topographic calculations, as-built surveys, and construction surveying. With so many applications, professional surveyors are capable of dealing with any type of situations pertinent to the job.

Topographic surveys are an important aspect of environmental land surveys. The purpose of topographic surveys is to analyze the geographical condition of the land and provide relevant data which will be used for identifying the map and land figuration. Environmental land surveys, combined with topographic surveys, are an important part of any project’s planning phase. The survey is conducted on and above the ground level which includes the examination of all possible aspects such as walkways, soil density, manholes, and trees.

Environmental land surveys also cover a boundary survey which identifies, measures, analyzes and reports the location of land’s boundary lines. It can reveal the encroachments on the land. It is performed according to various technical standards. That is why you need professional and experienced surveyors for it. They will observe the land, perform surveys, and use resources available at state, county, and local agencies to locate maps, deeds, and wills that can define the location and rights of the land.

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The Importance of Boundary Line Surveys

The American system of private property refers to the boundaries between the parcels. Without the boundaries, disputes and misunderstandings are certain to occur. That makes it crucial for landowners to understand the limits of their property. If the knowledge of these limits is inconsistent or of questionable accuracy, a boundary survey is required.

A boundary survey is directed towards the formal establishment of a particular property. The most important aspect of any boundary survey is to define the corners of the property. But it should also outline the extent of the property. When a boundary survey is completed, the new map of the property is updated with the new boundaries. Depending on the local system and regulations, the surveyor can also create a physical record of the survey on the land. This can turn into an erected fence or series of stakes.

A boundary survey holistically determines the legality and integrity of any property. Its importance can be understood with following points.

• It determines the exact boundaries of any property which you are buying or selling.
• It shows easements for utilities like water, power lines, and sewers.
• It can identify encroachments such as driveways, fences, or buildings on the property.
• It can also identify and resolve possible boundary disputes.
• Boundary surveys help in dividing the parcel of the land.
• It proves helpful when expanding building structure or making improvements to the property ensuring that all the work is done in the correct area of the land.
  

Boundary survey meets the regulation of a particular state where the ALTA stands across the nation. The process of the boundary survey begins with the research and coordination of municipal, local, county, and state authorities.  The pre-survey may include the history of adjoining lands. This research can provide useful insight into possible conflict areas where the attention is needed. Once that is satisfactorily completed, the next step is to perform a physical ground survey.

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Hire Professional Land Survey Services in California

Getting the right kind of land surveying firm is not easy in a state like California. With so many different firms in the business, it is hard to pick the right one. Before planning on building a home or commercial property, it is of utmost importance that you get your land surveyed.

This will ensure that your plans will not cause any harm to the environment or that your building will not run into any trouble later on. Hiring professional land survey services can be hard if you do not know what you are looking for. Here are few easy tips:

• Location: It is better always to go for a service that is available in your locality or your state. This will make it simpler to communicate with the firm and get a good idea of the type, amount and time they will take to finish the survey. Having an office to visit nearby will also make you more confident in the team.

• Services Offered: Many types of land surveys can be opted for. Depending on the land and the type of use you want to put it for, a land survey firm will tell you what kind of survey will work out best for you.

• References: Before hiring a land survey team, go through their past work and see how well they performed. You can also look for testimonials and references for the firms before choosing the best one.

• Teams: A good firm will have a good amount of expert land surveyors such as project managers, professional surveyors, technicians, etc. A good and well-rounded team can be trusted to give you useful and accurate data.

• Cost: When you are planning to hire a team, the land survey team should be able to offer you services at a reasonable price. Look at the amount they charge for surveying and ensure that the prices are competitive.

With these basic tips in mind, anyone can hire a professional land survey team to come and get data from your land. This will help you understand the success rates of your projects as well.

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Top Reasons for Performing ALTA Survey on Commercial Properties

Working with commercial properties will need you to do land surveying a little differently than usual most of the companies that do commercial land surveys go for ALTA surveys as it ties in with the law and provides the exact results that one needs to present to the government and banks.

Working with ALTA surveys is great as it gives you very accurate data and understands the zoning laws and setback requirements of the property and the land. You also get to know your property boundaries and height requirements, making it easier to know what kind of building would be feasible on the land.

Here are some of the top reasons why you should have ALTA surveys on your commercial properties: 

• Uniform standard: Since it has a uniform set of standards and ethics, the review of the land will be easier for the title company to present for the investments on the property. It can easily be understood by everyone as well.

• Familiarity: As it was mentioned above, it is important that ALTA survey is done so everyone can understand its results. Since the financial matters are of utmost importance in commercial properties, the ALTA survey is transparent and gives all the investors the same footing to work from.

• Potential encroachments: Knowing the limits of your property will help you draw up the right blueprints for your building. This will, in turn, make sure that you do not fall into any unnecessary lawsuits by encroaching on your neighbor’s property by accident.

• The scope of work: When you understand the land, you will be able to comprehend the scope of work that is presented in front of you. With ALTA surveys, you get an in-depth knowledge of the land. This means that you can understand the scope of work required to get the job completed on time. 

These are some of the main reasons why ALTA surveys are preferred for commercial properties. You can also say a lot of time and money thanks to the accurate data provided by ALTA surveys.

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