• Mortgage Surveys
A mortgage survey is a comprehensive report that details everything you need to know about the property you are purchasing. It is often required by a mortgage lender before they will approve your loan. The main benefit of a mortgage survey is that it helps to satisfy the lender that the property is worth at least as much money as they are lending you. This will ensure that they are not wasting their time and resources on the property. However, the survey is also a valuable tool for homebuyers and can alert them to any problems that they may not be aware of. This could save them a lot of time and money later on when they need to make a decision about re-mortgaging or selling the house.
• ALTA/ACSM Surveys
When a property owner, lender or title insurance company needs to insure title to land and improvements, they may request an ALTA/ACSM survey. These surveys meet strict national standards developed by the American Land Title Association (ALTA) and the former American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM). One of the most important benefits of an ALTA/ACSM survey is that it eliminates title exceptions. These exceptions are matters that are not covered by the property’s title insurance policy. Having an accurate survey can help a title insurer remove these exceptions, making it easier to insure the title to the property and its improvements.
• Boundary Surveys
A boundary survey is a physical evaluation of the property that includes taking measurements and field notes. It also involves locating or setting property corners and creating a plat of survey document that shows improvements, easements, and rights of access. The main benefit of a boundary survey is that it allows you to legally establish your boundaries. For example, if you’re planning on erecting a fence or shed and don’t know where your property lines are, you could end up encroaching on someone else’s property and violating their building code which is costly to fix in the long run.
• Construction Surveys
Construction surveys are a type of land survey that’s used to determine the locations of roads, bridges, buildings, and other man-made structures. The process is essential for civil engineers because it ensures that construction projects are erected in the best places and have the least impact on the environment. The survey also helps the civil engineer prepare for construction and ensure that everything is done in a safe manner. It can even help determine the value of a piece of property.
• Location Surveys
Typically, property owners and builders use location surveys to plan the layout of improvements on a plot. These can include fences, landscaping, and other construction projects. A location survey can also be useful in determining a plot’s size and boundaries, which can help buyers and sellers negotiate when buying or selling land. This information can also be important for avoiding zoning violations or other issues.
• Site planning Surveys
A site planning survey is a type of land survey that helps plan design improvements and developments. These surveys often include a boundary and topographic survey. They are commonly used to design house lots, subdivisions, stores, playgrounds, commercial & industrial sites, and streets and highways. The main benefit of a site planning survey is that it shows how an additional structure or addition will relate to existing structures on the property. This can help building officials follow all local zoning codes during construction and avoid costly legal action.
• Subdivision Surveys
When a property owner wishes to divide his or her land into several lots, it’s often necessary to hire a land surveyor. The subdivision process includes the planning of a map that shows the new boundaries and monumentation of the land, as well as the location of streets and drainage systems. This type of survey also determines the exact size of each lot, which is useful for a number of reasons, including building a house or reselling it later. It also helps to locate any encroachments or concealed conditions that may exist on the land.
• Topographic Surveys
Topographical surveys provide accurate measurements of the terrain of a site. This data helps to guide decisions when it comes to the planning of new buildings, re-positioning of current boundaries, and the design of drainage schemes for a site. The information gathered in a topographic survey can be represented as spot height maps and contour maps. It can be used by architects and engineers to create a 3D model of the site, which makes it easier for decision-makers to review plans before starting construction.