Q. Can you just come out and mark corners or lines only? I do not need a full survey!

A. By law we have to produce a map or report for any survey work we perform.




Q. Why do I need a survey?

A. Getting a survey before you purchase a new property is always a great idea. It will show if there are any encroachments such as a fence, building, driveway, well or even if the house is over an easement or property line. And "yes", I have seen a case where the property line went directly through the middle of a house. The two previous owners had never known because a survey was never performed after the house was built. It was discovered only when someone bought the vacant ( not really vacant; it did have half a house on it!) lot next to it and had that lot surveyed. If there are any encroachments found by the surveyor, those issues can be resolved before you close or take possession of your new home or lot. Having a land survey performed will also verify your acreage. For larger tracts of land we have found cases where the county's tax records reflects more acreage than what you actually have. This is a product of the way acreage used to be calculated a long time ago. On the other hand, we have also found cases where the acreage of the land is smaller, than thought. In these cases, you can show the survey to the tax department and they can adjust your taxes. We have seen as much as an 8 acre difference in surveys performed back in the early 50's & 60's on 90 acre tracts. In the past eight years lot surveys have not been required for loan closings, so there are a lot of new homes that have never had a survey performed after the house was built. This means there are a lot of driveways, walkways, decks, wells and maybe even homes that may be over property lines! I guarantee you, it is cheaper to have a lot survey performed than to pay to relocate a fence, driveway or out building.

 

 

Q. What is included in our surveys ?

A. Our surveys will show all existing structures with dimensions to each property line, All property line dimensions and bearings or " directions ", Road Right of Ways & Easements, Driveways, Walkways and Fences. Our surveys also include six full color photos of the property corners so you can relocate your property corners at a later date without having to pay for a surveyor to find them. The only thing you will notice at the property is that the property corners will be marked with flags.



 

Q. Why does the counties GIS ( Geographical Information System ) website show the property line running through my house, garage, driveway, fence or yard ?

A. The Counties GIS websites are NOT AN ACCURATE SOURCE FOR PROPERTY LINES! They are great sources of information for ownership and land records but the property lines shown over the aerial photography are just not accurate. The only way to know exactly where your property corners and property lines are is to hire a Land Surveyor.

 

 

Q. Why is there a property corner in the middle of my yard?

A. 99.99% of the time you are seeing a traverse point or " reference point " set by the surveyor to be able to locate structures and property pins without having to cut bushes or trees. These reference points are nails set into the ground usually with pink flagging around them. They have absolutely nothing to do with your property lines or property corners; they are just a reference point for the surveyor.



 

Q. How do I find my property corners myself?

A. Generally property pins are 18"+/- long iron pipes or rods drove into the ground. They are usually anywhere from as little as 1" to as deep as 2' under ground. You could try to use a metal detector to find them but be very careful.  You could easily find a " bad " or miss-set iron or even a ground rod maybe even your neighbors corner who lives behind you and their lot is offset from yours! Its always best to hire a surveyor as they will not only find your property corners but will also check to make sure the corners found are correct and if not set them in there rightful place! Its a lot cheaper to pay a surveyor to properly mark the corners and property lines than to pay to move a building, fence or driveway!

 

 

Q. How long will the survey take to complete?

A. We usually can have a map complete within a week or two for lots under 4 acres. It usually takes us around an hour or two to complete all the field work for an average sized subdivision lot. It's not required that anyone be home when we perform the survey as all of our work is done outside.



Q. What payment methods do we accept?

A. Cash or check or PayPal.