Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Do I need a survey?
A. Purchasing property or a new home will likely be the most expensive purchase you ever make. Are you sure you know what you are buying? Did the real estate agent tell you about the encroaching garage the neighbor built? Are you sure if they are your trees or your neighbors trees? Do you know if there is a utility easement crossing your land? Only an updated survey performed by a licensed land surveyor can answer these questions. In many cases the cost of the survey will be 1 or 2% of the purchase price.
Lawyers and legal litigation will be very expensive. Avoid potential issues by requiring a survey prior to your proposed purchase.

Q. How much do surveys cost?
A. The cost of your survey will depend on several factors.

• Size of the parcel
• Type of survey work needed
• Characteristics of the land such as how steep or level, how open or wooded, how wet or dry
• Do you have any information that may be helpful such as a copy of the deed, an old survey, or an old title abstract
• Is there any existing monumentation from older surveys or surveys of neighboring properties
• Integrity of your deed -every parcel of property has a history behind it. Our job is to investigate that history and warn the client of any potential issues.
• Amount of Time for completion of project

More Questions

Q. How do surveyors determine where the property line is?
A. A Licensed Land Surveyor is trained to examine your deed as well as the deeds of neighboring property owners to determine the location of the property line. Unfortunately for the public, lots of properties have transfered through the years without the benefit of a survey to insure the proper language in the deed description. This has led to deeds which are conflicting as to where the boundary is supposed to be. It is the land surveyors job to read the deeds and determine if any conflicts exist. If they do, the land surveyor will examine older deeds and determine the correct location of the line. These conflicts arise mostly from careless transcription of the deed from one owner to the next. Remember that not to long ago there were no computers, photocopiers, or for that matter even typewriters. Numbers were very easily written wrong when a deed was rewritten for a new land owner.