(July 2024)
There is a wide variety of mapping and measuring activities performed by surveyors. Here is a brief description of several survey types:
Related Article: Surveyor Location Report
A comprehensive land survey performed at the written request of banks, and other residential/commercial lenders. The survey request must be accompanied by all deeds and easements that affect the property to be surveyed as well as those that affect immediate neighboring properties. The survey should contain the items that are required by American Land Title Association and America Congress on Surveying and Mapping standards, such as boundaries, indication of true north, drawings done to proper scale (with scaling identified), map oriented to north, created on paper no smaller than 8.5 by 11 inches, identifying information of person performing the survey, etc.
Refers to mapping
and measuring underwater areas, specifically seabeds.
A survey of the boundary of property
according to the information appearing in the applicable, recorded deed. Improvements
along the boundary that affect land use or property title are located (building,
drives, fences, other structures, utilities, etc.). Improvements in the
interior of the boundary do not typically appear in the survey map.
A
resurvey of lands located in the
A survey to determine and physically mark
(stake out) the location of roads, structures, utilities, land grading, etc.
A survey that
establishes accurate horizontal and vertical points to facilitate aerial
photography, boundary determinations, construction staking (marking) and
mapping.
See judicial survey.
A survey or map that indicates the position of existing or proposed easements with existing boundaries, improvements, features (such as buildings driveways, roads, surface utilities, visible bodies of water) other record easements and unresolved conflicts with record deed descriptions and maps. Such surveys must include information on the category of Boundary Determination used in the survey.
A survey that establishes a building’s or a parcel of land’s elevation to determine whether a property is in a flood zone and to assist with construction plans.
A type of survey which depicts or notes the position of all buildings on the property with respect to boundaries, record easement lines, pertinent municipal setback requirements and deed restrictions. No other improvements or features are required to appear in the survey.
A survey, typically of a large or unusual land area as well as shorelines, which must include information on the earth’s curvature as well as astronomical observations.
Where data is collected on a body of water such as depth, bottom contours, current movement, water levels, and various navigational markings. It can be used for maritime purposes or for engineering or power plant projects.
Like a zoning location survey, it indicates the horizontal and vertical positions of improvements (both existing and proposed) with respect to municipal or statutory requirements. Only features that are of concern need to appear in such surveys.
A
survey of legally filed descriptions and maps that a court orders to prepare an
exhibit that is to be used in a courtroom.
A type of survey
that is usually required during property loan transactions. It is a boundary
survey that also includes location (marking) of all the property’s interior
improvements. During surveying, missing corner markers are replaced and a map
showing the boundaries and improvements is prepared.
See
site plan survey.
Surveys performed when a site owner wishes to divide the parcel. The process creates new plats and legal descriptions for proper registration.
A stripped-down version of the Boundary Survey where a surveyor merely locates and places stakes at the four corners of a given property.
A
three-dimensional survey that locates and documents a given underground area,
including all natural and artificial (man-made) features.
These
are inspections, not surveys, which are usually part of a mortgage loan
application process. They are NOT sufficient to rely upon for any construction
or site improvement project.
Refers
to surveys used by lenders and title companies to clear a property of
encroachments on neighboring properties or easements. Again, they help
facilitate loan and title processing but ARE NOT legally sufficient to support
property use decisions.
See
site plan survey.
A combination of boundary
and topographic surveying to create a starting point to allow for site
improvements. Also used for obtaining permits.
A type of survey
used, primarily, in construction and land recording. It includes a topographic
survey of land that will be divided into smaller parcels.
See
mining survey.
A survey that
identifies land features such as its contours, elevations, grades, embankments,
depressions, courses of water, roads and utilities.
See judicial survey.
Wetlands are,
essentially, any areas that are inundated with water for, minimally, two weeks
during a growing season. There are a plethora of laws and regulations
concerning wetlands, focusing on their protection. A host of factors, such as
soil observation, erosion patterns, hydrology, vegetation, etc., helps to determine the existence of wetlands. Once
boundaries of wetlands are determined, this information is made available so
that any private or public construction being proposed (and permitted) near
such areas can take the wetland’s existence into proper consideration.
This survey indicates the position improvements (both existing and proposed) with respect to applicable municipal setback requirements. Its purpose is to either assure or to attain compliance. The survey usually only shows the area of property affected by compliance concerns.
Other types of
surveys/activities include the following (representative, not a comprehensive
list):
|
Aerial Photo Surveys |
Engineering Design Surveys |
Subdivision Survey |
Route Surveys |
|
Building Permit Surveys |
Financing / Refinancing Surveys |
Plats (Preliminary and Final) |
Right-of-way Surveys |
|
Computer Aided Design / Drafting |
Global Positioning Systems (GPS) Surveying |
Preparation of Legal Description |
Studies/Research |
|
Construction Staking |
Hazardous Waste Site Surveys |
Property and Easement Descriptions |
Utility Staking |
|
Quantity Surveys |
Mapping Surveys |
Registered Land Surveys |
Utility Surveys |