For these items we recommend getting a lot stakeout. A lot stake out is exactly what it sounds like. A surveyor will arrive at your property and search for property corners on your lot and surrounding lots. The deeds and plats for all the lots in that area will be drawn in CAD using the bearings and distances provided in the records. The surveyor will compute the boundaries by taking what was found in the ground and comparing it to the documents. We not only mathematically compute the lot size, but look at the history of the lots to make the determination. Once the determination is made the surveyor will stake the lot, making the lot lines visible and defined.
If you are getting a fence or a structure installed the local governing agency may require a drawing to be submitted during permitting. Typically this drawing is a location survey that the contractor or homeowner applying for the permit can draw the new improvements on. The location survey is not a boundary survey and cost much less in most cases. The location drawing is an approximate location of the structures on the lot. These drawings are not to be used in the construction of a fence or other improvements unless it is clear you are not near a lot line or a lot stakeout was performed.
If a dispute with a neighbor is not going well and problems continue to rise a boundary drawing is recommended. Documentation can become very important when neighbors do not agree. It is usually best to get a ahead of the game and contact a surveyor. many time the result of the survey can solve the dispute. It may not always smooth things out, but a boundary line is a good start to a separation between you and a bad neighbor.
No, not necessarily. A lot stakeout may be helpful if lot lines are not well defined and potential buyers are getting turned off due to uncertainty, but in a typical real estate transaction the lender requires either a location survey or a boundary survey. Generally the party acquiring the property will pay for this during closing if no closing help is being provided by the seller.
Absolutely, this is very common. Many people own property for years with questions about what they actually own. Sometime it is good to get things sorted out before new neighbors move in or someone builds something next door that may be encroaching. When a boundary survey is completed, unmarked property corners will have an 18" rebar is driven into the ground and capped with the surveyors license number. This helps preserve the survey so that if there is a dispute down the road, your property corners can be recovered and the lines reestablished. Many times having the lot surveyed can deflect issues before they even happen.
Yes! We can complete everything from minor subdivisions to topographic surveys to solve drainage issues and much more. Check out our services page to see a list. If something is not on that list, give us a call or send us an email. We would be glad to help, and if we can't, we are happy to share some trusted recommendations.
