DID YOU KNOW?

PROPERTY LINES

One of the most common reasons a landowner seeks the assistance of a licensed surveyor is the location of boundary lines and other lines. These legal boundaries of occupancy or possession are critical pieces of information to have before you build a fence, add a sun-room, or pave your driveway. 

All too often, the survey shows that you and your neighbors were operating under the wrong assumption. You both might have the placement of the boundary line between your properties wrong. Before you have that fence erected, you want to make sure it will be built on your property, not your neighbor's property.

The boundary line certification will also tell you whether the legal description of your property is accurate.

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GORES, GAPS AND OVERLAPS

These issues are part of the boundary line certification. Most surveys include a statement that (unless the surveys say otherwise) there are no discrepancies between the property boundaries of your property and the adjoining property. 

This is especially pertinent if your property is next to alleys, roads, highways, or streets.

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WATER

The typical survey reports visible or surface waters only. Underground waters and wetlands are topics that are better covered by other professional inspections.

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JOINT USE

Unbeknownst to you or your next-door neighbor, you may have an obligation by law to support your neighbor's driveway by maintaining your own. This could lead to boundary disputes, so you will want legal documents to back yourself up.

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EXISTING IMPROVEMENTS

The surveyor will usually certify that the buildings and other improvements, alterations, and repairs to your property that exist at the time of the survey are not in violation of laws or other restrictions.

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UTILITIES

Poles and above-ground wires are obvious, but the surveyor can usually report on the existence of underground cables and drains as well. This information should be provided to them by your utility companies and municipality.  A utility company may have the right to use a portion of your property for the upkeep of utility lines and may have a say in how tall you let your trees grow, for instance