Tips for Finding the Best Land Surveyor in Arizona

Land surveying is a specialty and technical field that needs the expertise of a certified surveyor. Only a professional and licensed land surveyor must be allowed to conduct surveys in Arizona. Hence, you must remember to hire only the best surveyors that have the experience, credentials, and the right technology to conduct any type of land survey. Surveyors are typically hired before buying real property, before starting any construction project or renovation, when splitting parcels of land to be adjusted or sold, when property ownership disputes occur, and when you need to investigate historical survey and written records about your property. Here are some tips to finding the best land surveyor in Arizona:

• Consider the qualifications of the surveyor – Look up the land surveyor's previous experience and work. Remember to ask for references and verify them. If you are hiring a land surveying company, make sure that it is a registered business in Arizona and that it has a good standing with the Better Business Bureau.

• Do not hire the cheapest land surveyor without looking at other options – Requesting a quote is mandatory to find out if the service is affordable to you. However, do not instantly hire the first or the cheapest surveyor you find. Look up others in your area and compare them. That way, you can make a more informed decision and the land surveyor who can be cost-effective for your needs.

• Hire someone with at least a decade of experience – Choose a land surveyor only when you know that the professional has the necessary skills, tools, and experience to conduct the survey that you need. Skilled and experienced land surveyors can offer many different types of surveys like ALTA/ACSM land title surveys, environmental surveys, geodetic and boundary surveys, and GPS land surveying.
  
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Boundary Survey - Mark the Boundaries of your Property

Boundary surveys aim to find, identify, measure, analyze and report the location of a land's boundary lines and reveal any encroachments that are present on the land. The purpose of these surveys go beyond merely accurately determining the measurements of your land. They can retrace and map the title and be helpful when you need to meticulously analyze the physical evidence of the boundaries according to local land standards, legal principles, and state board requirements.

A boundary survey must be conducted in accordance with industry and technical standards. Hence, you need to hire reputable and experienced land surveyors to do it instead of measuring your land by yourself. Professional land surveyors will observe your parcel of land and go the extra mile by conducting surveys at county, state, and local agencies or offices to locate maps, plans, wills, deeds, and other documents that may define the rights and location of the land. With their help, you can have detailed results from a thorough investigation of your land. Licensed surveyors can help in boundary adjustment and land subdivision procedures, too, making their services valuable to property and real estate developers.

Boundary surveys may be conducted if you are selling a property, buying property, building a fence, adding a new room or outdoor leisure area, expanding your home, or if you are dividing a parcel of land. They can be conducted when obtaining or refinancing a mortgage. In case of a dispute, the professional who will conduct the boundary survey can serve as an expert witness in court as he or she assumes the full responsibility for your survey's accuracy.

As the boundary survey marks the boundaries of your property, you have an accurate way to establish what size and area of land belongs to you. The results illustrate the data about the property and any encroachments or easements, too. Professional land surveyors use different methods to do a boundary survey based on the requirements and size of your project.  

Things You Should Know About Boundary Surveys

The boundary survey is one of the typically conducted surveys for both commercial and private properties. Its purpose is to determine, establish, re-establish the boundary lines of a parcel of land. The data can be useful when you need to accurately determine your property's boundary lines before you build anything on your land. Here are some of the other things you must know about boundary surveys:

1. It provides important information about your land – The results of a boundary survey will contain the exact number of acres or measurement of the parcel of land. Moreover, it will determine any encroachments, provide a description of your land, and offer a defining statement to pinpoint the location of the land. The information can be useful when the location of your boundary line is being disputed. It may protect you against losing your property to a third-party who may wish to obtain your land, too.

2. It is needed before you build a fence – Boundary surveys will reveal exactly where your property ends and beings, so you do not end up building a fence on your neighbor's land. Likewise, they can provide information as to how high your fence should be, so you can be sure that it is built according to the local zoning laws.

3. Boundary surveys must be conducted when buying land – If you are planning to purchase parcel of land from a longtime owner, hire a land surveying company for a more accurate measurement to confirm the data on the title deed. The information can be crucial before executing or creating mineral leases and other land-use agreements. Land owners who are compelled to sell portions of their land to the commercial land developers and to the state must conduct a comprehensive boundary survey, too.

4. It must be performed by a licensed and qualified surveyor – It is very important to hire a reputable and experienced land surveying company that follows acceptable codes and standards that were set by the industry, government, and other authorized entities. A seasoned surveyor uses state-of-the-art equipment like 3D laser scanning, along with proven knowledge to provide an updated survey of your property. He or she can research about your property to backup the information from the survey, too.

Benefits of Using Environmental Surveys

An environmental survey is typically conducted to identify and understand the possible impact of environmental factors on construction and real estate developments, as well as the potential impact of these developments to the environment. You can hire a professional and licensed land surveying company to conduct this survey for various reasons. Many different industries could use an environmental survey to determine the topographic qualities of their land or property, as well as for determining boundaries. For the environmental industry, the survey can be conducted for monitoring well, earth quantity calculations, construction staking, as-built surveys, and GeoTracker reporting.

Remedial surveying is one of the aspects that can be covered by an environmental survey. It can determine the types of structures that must be built to prevent the spread, remove, or consolidate unwanted materials and contaminated soils. An environmental survey may be conducted to determine the type of structure that could work to cover historical landfills before reclaiming land.

As-built surveys are part of a comprehensive environmental survey and they can be useful when you need information on an environmentally impacted site before you tear it down or make some changes to it. A good example of the application of this survey is when you need to build a structure on rocky flats.

Environmental surveys can be conducted to monitor well locations. This way, you can track or identify contaminates and determine the correct placement of a well. Professional land surveyors and environmental engineers can map this system more effectively, precisely, and quickly.

You may book an environmental survey service from a qualified land surveying company for the purpose of determining the quality of a land that has been impacted by hazardous elements. The surveyor will assess the site and provide information to an environmental engineer, who will be tasked to come up with a rehabilitation and reclamation plan. 

How Can 3D Surveying Be Beneficial?

3D laser scanning is the most advanced and highly updated among land surveying methods. It is a high-definition survey technique that provides faster and more accurate results compared to conventional survey methods. A 3D high definition surveying service is beneficial for builders, engineers, architects, and project developers who need accurate information on land that has already been constructed on but may need to be further examined for destruction, renovation, remodeling, and other reasons. This surveying method is ideal for projects in any developmental stage, like planning, initiation, upgrade, and conclusion.

HD 3D surveying utilizes an updated scanning system that is highly accurate, flexible, and swift. It works with specially developed software for an easier way to view scanned 3D images. Software should provide panoramic views, measurements, and markups. High-end 3D surveying can provide 360 by 320-degree photo-realistic panoramic scans of the property, so you can have more precise and exclusive 3D images.

Working with a reputable 3D surveying service provider will allow you to create and update as-built documentation. This surveying method is helpful in assessing the condition of a property and any damage it may have. Advanced 3D surveying methods can exchange data with several CAD platforms and create 3D models semi-automatically. The method is ideal for clash and interference checking and useful for making 2D plans, too. This way, 3D surveying results can be useful for applications like inspections, deformation analysis, vessel/tank volumetric information, and weld peaking reports.

Reputable 3D laser scanning service providers can cater to a variety of businesses, government entities, industries, and residential clients who want a quicker and accurate way to survey their land and property. This way, 3D surveying can simplify the construction and upgrading process using cutting-edge technology. The survey method is capable of scanning large areas quickly and accurately, enabling you to save time and effort, and minimize disruptions in the job site.

Difference Between ALTA/ACSM Lands Title Survey and Boundary Survey

ALTA/ACSM land title surveys are also referred to as 'due diligence surveys', and they are conducted for commercial purposes. They are different from a conventional boundary survey where only easements, property lines, and other data as mandated by a state standard are shown. ALTA/ACSM surveys follow a uniform set of codes for construction purposes as set by authorized institutions and the government.

A boundary survey merely establishes the corners of a land or a residence. On the other hand, an ALTA/ACSM survey is required along with other important documents when going through any transaction involving commercial real estate. It is often included as part of the insurance or title certificate application. ALTA stands for 'American Land Title Association', and ACSM stands for the 'American Congress on Surveying and Mapping'.

The ALTA/ACSM standards require a highly detailed report that will include the easements encumbering or benefiting the property, zoning setbacks, possible encroachments across easements and boundaries, and flood zones that could affect the property. The survey may show whether there is any access to public roads, evidence of use by any other parties, evidence of cemeteries, water boundaries, and the names of the owners of an adjoining property.

Prior to measuring the property, professional surveyors do some in-depth research on it. This is done by examining the existing title commitment and searching for country and municipal records for any existing encumbrances. The research will provide surveyors with knowledge of the land, and will inform them of any possible conflict before doing an ALTA/ACSM land title survey.

An ALTA/ACSM survey may provide more information that is crucial to commercial real estate projects and transactions. It can suggest improvements on the land, like roads, fences, rights of ways, and trails. It can provide further improvements, ownership areas, easements, and encroachments on the property and its boundaries. The survey may provide information on the on the property.

Uses & Applications of Topographic Land Survey

There are many different types of surveys such as residential surveys, boundary surveys and topographical surveys. In this article we will explain the type of results you get with a topographical survey, their uses and applications.

A topographical survey allows you to establish the natural and man-made features of a certain land. The results of a topographical survey can be beneficial for property owners, industrial owners and owners of properties under construction because it includes the hills, trees, buildings, fences, ravines or any improvements being made on the natural features of the land. It provides us with the exact figures in terms of position, height and size of the different changes that have occurred in the land as far as its natural existence is concerned.

Remote sensing techniques and arial viewing of the land help topographic surveyors come up with accurate details while the map is being created. They use symbols colors and signs to designate details on these maps. Topographic surveyors make sure that the maps they create are as accurate as it can get.

For topographic land survey to be carried out, special equipment such as electronic laser stations need to be used by professional surveyors. The equipment used vary in accuracy. Surveyors also use GPS or Global Positioning System to get instant access to the National Grid coordinates available. Other standard equipment includes laptop computers, Distos and digital levels.

To achieve their objectives, surveyors need to use elements such as physics, trigonometry, engineering, law and mathematics.

Follow the link to learn more about topographic survey services by professionals!