What Is A Land Survey?

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Land Surveyors work both in the office and outside in the "field" in order to complete a land survey. Initially they research information from both private and public records that are already available surrounding the project, for example records, titles and deeds. Maps and paperwork, if they are available, will also be collected from the County Clerk's offices to establish boundary details and the locations of the property and other buildings.

The surveyor will then conduct more research but this time actually on site. Field examinations take place in order to scout out any physical factors which will affect the boundaries that already exist on maps and deeds, as well as to update any out-of-date records and to see if there have been any improvements to the property. Survey equipment, such as global positioning satellites (GPS) are used to confirm positions detailed on existing maps or surveys and if these are incorrect or have changed, then it is vital that the surveyor records this so that it can be used in the planning. Other tests like percolation testing, wetland delineation or site reconnaissance, to name but a few, might also be carried out by the surveyor if these will affect the building that is to be done.

All this information is then taken back into the office where it is gathered in order to create a land survey. Research from the initial and field parts of the process are collated together and examined to determine whether the property and boundary lines match. A final report is produced relating the findings and this is then sent to the appropriate government offices as well as going to the clients themselves so they can use it in the planning process.

What qualifications does a land surveyor need to have?

What area the surveyor is experienced in determines what qualifications you should be looking for. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is the board which governs surveyors which apply themselves to the more rural aspect of surveying. The Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors (ICES) obviously controls qualifications for those who specialise in engineering aspects of surveying, and the Chartered Institute of Building's (CIOB) Faculty for Architecture and Surveying accredits surveyors who are experienced in structural surveying.

When would I need a Land Surveyor?

Most simply a land surveyor is needed whenever a land survey is required. A land survey can range from an intensely detailed map of an area, including measurements and positioning of all property, to simply a skeletal plan with only the key features.

There are a number of situations when this might be necessary, firstly when you wish to buy a property or an area of land. Only a licensed land survey, produced by a qualified land surveyor, is able to describe exactly what the area that you are going to purchase includes or entails. It indicates the boundaries of the other properties in relation to your own, as well as determining where trees, outbuildings, fences etc lie.

The survey will also describe whether other people are allowed access to your property or land thus determining your legal permits and rights. Deeds to the house can often be outdated, previous owners might have made changes to the property and its land, and accordingly a land survey will also act as an up-to-date deed and can be used by a solicitor to produce an accurate, contemporary deed.

Land surveys are also required when alterations are planned to be made on a certain area; this includes land as well as property. If an extension is intended to be built then a land survey is needed to mark out the boundaries which the land occupies in order to establish the proprietor's ownership rights and make sure that you are only building on your own land. This will prevent any future disputes or problems. The land survey is an accurate model of the site that can be used by the possessor to design, create and position projects accurately. The surveyor will mark on the map exactly what the location of the building is proposed to be in order to guarantee that this is on your property.

One of the most important situations a land survey is required for is boundary disputes. Land surveyors can produce information which stops situations like these reaching the courts, thus saving a great deal of time and money. In these situations the surveyor acts as a professional witness who assumes qualified responsibility of the details even if the situation is ever taken to court.

Banks and trusts will often request that a survey is done before they authorise you with a mortgage to guarantee that all records are up to date and there is no likelihood of sudden demise or change to the building. If you re-mortgage or refinance your house then the bank may require a survey as the details surrounding the area and the house will often have changed somewhat since you purchased the property/land.

Are all the land surveyors the same?

In a word, no. Most surveyors will specialise in a certain area so you must make sure that you approach the appropriate one that will be able to deal with your specific request.

Geodetic surveying provides information about the size and the shape of the planet, thus ascertaining the framework for which all other surveys are then based on. All surveyors need this skill.

Cartography is the art of making maps, thus cartographic land surveyors provide information for the map user so they can process the details it provides sufficiently.

Cadastral surveying, by law, is one of the exclusive functions that land surveyors must provide. This involves measuring property and goes towards town planning thus has a key involvement within the socio-economic development of England.

Engineering surveying entails taking measurements of and providing plans for motorways, railways, bridges and large structures. Big companies or city councils when developing large areas will usually employ these types of surveyors.

Hydrographic and oceanographic surveyors map the underwater, marine world, often working closely with harbour engineers. This is the most specific of all types of land surveyors.

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What Is  a Land Survey | Land Surveys | What Is  a Land Survey - Find out about the land surveying process when you would need one and the different types of land surveyors

What Is  a Land Survey | Land Surveys | What Is  a Land Survey - Find out about the land surveying process when you would need one and the different types of land surveyors

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