Corners Staked / Mark Property Lines

When a surveyor is called to mark the corners of a piece of property the end result is seen in the field. All the corners of the property will be marked with a wooden stake (lath) and when requested lath will be placed on the property lines as well. Typical Circumstances: Buying/selling a home, building, landscaping and logging. If ownership is in question and you want to be certain that where you are working or what you are buying is yours this is a good place to start.

Certificate of Survey / Boundary Survey

The end result of a boundary survey is that the corners of the property will be marked in the field and a drawing, called a Certificate of Survey, will be done showing the property. The drawing will contain the legal description of the property and show items such as easements, houses, driveways, and other improvements as the circumstances require. What exactly is to be shown on the drawing is easily discussed at the start of the job. Typical Circumstances: The same circumstances as mentioned for marking corners apply here. The difference is that in the end you will have a drawing graphically showing the property you are interested in.

Land Divisions

The end product is a Certificate of Survey showing the boundary of the property and the new division(s). All of the corners will be marked in the field, and legal descriptions written for the new parcel(s). The Certificate of Survey will also show any houses driveways, or easements for the property. If easements are necessary to access the property they will also be written along with the legal descriptions. Typical Circumstances: Land Divisions, Land Transfers. Any time a new parcel is created to be bought, sold, transferred, etc… a Certificate of Survey and legal description for the property is needed.

Mortgage Report

A Mortgage Survey is typically done for a lending institution to insure that the property has no encroachment issues. It is not a boundary survey and the corners are not marked in the field. The end result is a drawing showing the boundary of the parcel as it is recorded in a deed and any improvements such as houses, driveways, wells, etc… that may be on the property. Typical Circumstances: Buying/selling, building a home. Normally the bank will request that you have this type of survey done or just order it themselves. However, when building or looking for a loan you may be asked to have this done.

Site Plan / Topographic Survey

The end product of a site plan is typically a drawing of the property and the corners marked in the field. What is shown on the drawing is very dependant on the project you have in mind. Most often any visible improvements (houses, driveways, utilities, etc.) are shown. What makes this different from a boundary survey is that is can be shown on paper other than legal size and items such as setbacks, contours, and trees are shown. Typical Circumstances: Building, landscaping, planning, site design. Site plans are very discussion oriented surveys. The bottom line is let us know what your needs are and we can create the site plan to match. They are not recordable at the courthouse like a Certificate of Survey.

eLOMA/Flood Elevation Certificate

FEMA issued a new set of flood insurance maps in 2018 that put many areas in zones that require flood insurance or a letter of map amendment to have their homes/property removed from the zone. After doing a site visit and some elevation measurements – we can tell you if your structure is able to be removed from this zone and fill out the online eLOMA (Letter of Map Amendment Application) to get you the FEMA determination letter.

ALTA Survey

An ALTA survey is done for title insurance purposes and has to meet a specific set of standards as set forth by the American Land Title Association (ALTA). These standards create a product combining the elements of a Certificate of Survey and mortgage report with a list of optional elements that you might see on a site plan. Typical Circumstances: Buying or selling a piece of property with a chain of title that results in a questionable boundary, gaps, overlaps, easements, access, or waterfront issues. Many times a realtor, title company, or other agent will notify you if this type of survey should be done.

Construction Staking

Mark corners, property lines, setbacks, stakeout buildings, wells, and just about anything else you might be building, need for building, or just planning on. The end result is often stakes in the field to be used by a contractor or home owner to build whatever they may have in mind and be certain that it meets any setback requirements and stays safely on the property. Typical Circumstances: Building/landscaping near a lot line, small lots where setbacks are close to buildings, building around easements, etc…