Whether you own a home or have plans for renovations or a remodel, you will likely need a land and topographical survey regardless of whether the mortgage or titleholder asks for it. The added details can be beneficial as a homeowner and worth the investment.

These surveys are graphic depictions of the property, with the land survey denoting the outline, including the legal boundaries and the topography depicting the elevations and planes of the land.

These professional UK surveyors are skilled in math, physics, and engineering to make their assessments to relieve property owners of any confusion. These aren’t the only two surveys available but are the two most common for properties. Let’s go more in-depth reviewing surveys and why these are important.

Why Do Property Owners opt for Land and Topographical Surveys

When buying a property, land and topographic surveys are vital to essentially learn every aspect of the parcel, the outline of the property, where the boundaries are, the elevations and planes, getting to know every aspect.

These, however, are only the two most common surveys that property owners tend to invest in. There are a few more that will provide more significant details. These include the following:

1. A monumentation survey would be done for an owner adding a fence to the parcel.
2. When property lines are determined, an “as-built survey” goes a step further by depicting where improvements can be made. For instance, a sidewalk is needed, the driveway must be added, and on.
3. A property mortgaged will have mortgage surveys outlining the property boundaries for the entire parcel.
4. The flood hazard zone will be shown with the floodplain survey.

Primarily homeowners like to have land surveys to know precisely where their property lines lie since many people like to have pets which will mean putting in a fence row. No one wants to go to that time or trouble only to have to pull it down if it goes over the line causing a dispute.

Land and topographical surveys are usually required when investing in a plot and determining where to build the home. Usually, the surveyor will do their homework on the property before coming to the site. The professional will research the deed’s history along with the parcel and likely do a title search.

The surveyor uses the deed in an effort to lay out the property dimension for those already in possession of the plot. The landmarks will be different after so much time has passed. The surveyor, however, will be physically measuring to get distinct boundaries to establish monumentation.

Every state has its own standard for what has to be done when marking boundaries. For optimum survey results, the more details provided to the surveyor, the more exact the surveyor can be with the outcome. If you’re doing a house extension, check the procedure a surveyor uses at https://hoa.org.uk/advice/guides-for-homeowners/i-am-buying/what-sort-of-survey-should-i-have/. Information on the property, such as:

• Monument locations
• Land maps
• Previous surveys
• Title reports

These will help make the surveyor’s job much smoother and more straightforward. The person you hire to do the survey work will also ensure to keep accurate documentation for your records and those who will need it in the future.

The professional is a good resource when disputes lead to court hearings where the surveyor can intercede with expert testimony on your behalf.

Final Thought

A land and topographical survey can range in price point based on the surveys’ complexity and the parcel’s size, with the potential for as high as $1000+ or much lower. Go here for details on surveying costs. The priority is to research, check reviews and testimonials, and ask people you’re close with for recommendations.

When you find a trusted, reliable, and experienced professional, it’s important to work diligently with them by providing as much detail as you’re able to offer. The more you can locate or request from various resources, the better the surveyor will be able to perform their service.

The more successful the expert is with their outcome, the greater the benefit is for you and those living in close vicinity to you. No one wants to have property disputes. Plus, if you’re building, you want to locate the house in the best possible place for the safety and integrity of the structure.