A Boundary or Pin Survey requires research of the county records as well as a field search of all evidence on or near your property that may affect property line determination. Property pins are found and or set and clearly marked with a combination of wood stakes, 4' wood lath, colorful flagging and or paint. The goal of a surveyor is to follow in the footsteps of the original surveyor that created your parcel of land. If your property was created more than 20 years prior to the current date, a land survey plat is required to be filed with the county surveyor or county clerk and recorder. A land survey plat typically is a map showing all pertinent mathematical information depicting your property, descriptions of monuments found and set as well as platted (subdivision) easements, prescriptive easements conflicting boundary information and encroachments. Please note that a title commitment is necessary if record (non-platted) easements are to be shown on the land survey plat. A boundary or pin survey is necessary if you are installing a fence on your property boundary, or if you are planning any improvements such as a building addition or significant landscaping near your boundary line. In addition, it's always good to know for sure where your property lines are.
A Land Survey Plat typically is a map
showing all pertinent mathematical information depicting your property,
descriptions of monuments found and set as well as platted (subdivision)
easements, prescriptive easements, conflicting boundary information and
encroachments. Please note that a title commitment is necessary if non platted
record easements are to be shown on the land survey plat.
An Improvement Survey Plat is a
land survey plat with additional information shown such as buildings, concrete drives,
roads, walks, retaining walls, overhead utilities, fences, water meters, utility
pedestals etc. Improvement survey plats are very useful to architects when
planning additions to an existing dwelling. Contour line and/or elevation
information can also be shown for the purpose of designing positive drainage
away from existing and or proposed structures or if the final elevation or
building height of the proposed improvement is critical.
A Subdivision Plat is required when a
larger parcel of land is being divided into 2 or more parcels. Each county and
city has a platting procedure to follow when one wishes to subdivide their land.
Usually there is a preliminary plat that is also required. Often an engineer is
required to prepare drainage reports, drainage designs, soils reports, etc. Upon
completion of the platting process, the actual subdivision plat map is recorded
with the county clerk and recorder's office at which time the lots are legally
able to be sold. This type of platting process can take as long 6 months to
complete depending upon the size and complexity of the project.
A Topographic Survey shows
topographic features of a parcel of land including fences, landscaping, trees,
concrete, improvements, utilities, asphalt, drives along with contour line
information and spot elevations where requested. Topographic surveys are not
generally recorded.
An ILC,
Improvement Location Certificate or Mortgage Survey is a scaled drawing
of a parcel of land showing the approximate location of the improvements
relative to the lot/property line. An ILC can be useful as an overview of a
parcel of land or to determine the presence of encroachments. Although they are
not "real surveys" they can be helpful in giving a new buyer a rough
map of the
property he or she is purchasing. Some municipalities require an ILC prior to
obtaining a building permit for a proposed building addition. Additional
information can be shown on an ILC such as setback lines, building heights,
adjacent structures, etc. Because an ILC is not done to the high accuracy
standards of a boundary survey/land survey plat or improvement survey plat, an ILC should not be relied upon for the establishment
of fence or other improvement. Our ILCs are
prepared, signed and stamped by a Professional Land Surveyor.
Improvement Location Certificate Order Form (.pdf)