FAQs

• Prior to purchasing land to insure what you are buying.
• When purchasing Title Insurance.
• When you sell a parcel of land not previously surveyed.
• Before land is subdivided by deed or subdivision.
• Prior to installing a fence, building a house, or other improvements close to the property line.
• For drainage planning, topographical and subsurface utility studies.
• When required by local authorities prior to the issuance of a building or other permit.
• To verify the amount of land assessed for taxes.

• When the Property line location is in question and/or an encroachment is suspected.

• Type of survey required.
• Existing terrain and land conditions.
• Amount of information supplied by owner. 
• Surveyor's knowledge of the area.  
• Availability of record information.
• Conflicting deed calls, hostile or uncooperative neighbors.
• Existing monumentation.
• Time constraints by the client.
• Liability incurred by Land Surveyor.

Because of the varying conditions and requirements, it may be difficult to determine the exact fee in advance. However, based on general experience, the Surveyor can usually furnish an approximate cost. The lowest fee is not always in the best interest of the client or the Professional Land Surveyor. A well-prepared land survey will be the least expensive part of your total land investment cost.

• Review your deed along with other evidence and render a professional opinion as to the locations and conflicts of the boundaries of your land.
• Set or identify monuments at your property corners or at specific locations on your property line.
• Locate buildings, fences and other improvements in relationship to property and easement line 
• Prepare a plan of your property indicating boundary measurements, monuments found and/or placed, existing fixed improvements along with dimensional relationships of buildings, fences, land areas and newly created property lines.  
• Appear in Court as an expert witness.
• Prepare existing conditions mapping suitable for use by your architect or engineer as a basis for design of improvements.
• Prepare Flood Certificates relating to the property or structures located on the property.

How Do Land Surveyors Establish Boundary Lines?

While most of us may think that establishing boundary lines on a piece of land is as easy as getting a measuring tape and your deed out, the truth is much more complicated than that.

You should make your needs known to the Surveyor as clearly as possible and as soon as possible.  Be sure the Surveyor knows why you want the survey made, and exactly which services you require.  This will ensure that the fee estimate the Surveyor gives you is accurate.  Don't be afraid to ask questions if you are unsure of any aspect of what is required, and feel free to ask the Surveyor for suggestions as to how best to proceed with your project.

Most people would assume that the boundary survey starts with the measurement of the property, but in reality, the survey begins with the licensed surveyor searching for available records concerning the property such as abstracts, title opinions, title certificate, or deed.  You should supply copies of any survey maps, deeds, records of title, or any other pertinent information about your property to the Surveyor at your first meeting (if possible).

The land surveyor must investigate and take under consideration past surveys, titles, and easements.  Most properties today have been created from multiple divisions of a larger piece of property.  Any time a division occurred and was not properly surveyed or recorded makes the current surveyors job more challenging.

The surveyor will send a field crew to perform a field survey of the property. These trained professionals will locate any physical evidence that may affect the property boundaries, as well as locate any physical improvements to the property. In the past, buildings, trees, or other landmarks were used to describe property boundaries.  This creates problems when trying to resurvey, as those markers may no longer exist.  Surveyor can use several different tools when taking measurements, from using traditional transit and tape, or electronic distance and angle measuring equipment.  Increasingly, satellite positioning equipment such as GPS is being used, although the technology is not as effective in heavily wooded areas. The use of modern computer technology aids surveyors by gathering accurate information quickly, but does not replace the analytical skills and assessment of the surveyor.

With the research and new measurements complete, the surveyor will then advise on any encroachments or defects in the previous description of property.  The surveyor can address any specific concerns the landowner may have about these discrepancies.

When all of the concerns have been addressed, the surveyor will give a professional opinion of where the boundaries of the property are. If the new boundaries vary significantly from what the assumed boundaries were, it may be necessary for your neighbors to have a boundary survey conducted as well.

If there are serious legal concerns about the property, such as encroachments, easements or a significant difference between legal property lines and assumed one, a land surveyor will advise the client as best they can, but will also refer the client to a lawyer that specializes in property issues.

A good land surveyor will be able to guide the homeowner through the boundary survey process and answer any question they have along the way. While there is an expense associated with getting a proper survey completed, having one done in advance of any property issues arising will result in greater peace of mind regarding property ownership.

What is a Land Surveyor?

 A Land Surveyor is a design professional licensed and regulated by the State of New York, who, through a combination of education and experience, understands and is able to delineate the physical characteristics of land, and is also qualified to perform and depict a physical retracement of the legal history of that land.  A New York Licensed Land Surveyor uses applied mathematics and other technical and research skills to measure and plot: the dimensions of any portion of the Earth's surface, natural and Man-made structures, the lengths and directions of boundary lines, and the contour of the Earth's surface.  ONLY LICENSED LAND SURVEYORS MAY MAKE BOUNDARY LINE DETERMINATIONS IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK.  Land Surveyors are also knowledgeable regarding zoning regulations, planning, building codes, wetland regulations and general land use requirements.

How Can I Obtain the Services of a Professional Land Surveyor? 

•  Contact the New York State Association of Professional Land Surveyors. http://www.nysapls.org/ 
• Contact Eastern New York Society of Land Surveyors   http://www.enysls.org/  
• Contact a reputable real estate attorney, local municipality, banker or title insurer in your area.  
• Consult the yellow pages under the listing of Surveyor-Land.