Land surveys are helpful in the home improvement industry. They help plan projects like building fences or adding onto homes. They are important when buying or selling homes, refinancing loans, or resolving property line disagreements.
Based on what we’ve seen, homeowners often hesitate to get this important service because they’re worried about how much it will cost. However, it’s usually cheaper than you might think.
And not only does it save you money by preventing expensive mistakes, it also gives you peace of mind, which makes it a good investment. In this article, We’ll talk about how much land surveys cost and why you might need one.Â
What Is A Land Survey?
A land survey is a careful look and measurement of a piece of land to figure out its boundaries, size, and physical features. The aim of a land survey is to make an accurate map or description of the property’s legal boundaries and details.
Trained land surveyors do these surveys, and the information they gather is often used for different things, like buying or selling land, building projects, and legal issues.
Important Parts Of A Land Survey May Include
Boundary Identification: Finding and marking the legal borders of a property is an important task for a land survey. This helps avoid disagreements about boundaries between nearby property owners.
Topographic Mapping: Making a clear map that shows the different parts of the land, like hills, slopes, water, and plants. This is really important for building things.
Elevation Measurement: Finding out the height of the land at various points, which is important for knowing the landscape and organizing building projects.
Location Of Structures: Finding and accurately marking where things like buildings, fences, and roads are on the property.
Legal Descriptions: Giving a written explanation of the property, including details about its size, borders, and any restrictions or limitations.
How Much Does It Cost To Get Land Surveyed?
The cost of a land survey varies according to the type of study and the size and shape of the property. The cost of a property survey will also vary according to how far the surveyor must travel.
Based on information from HomeAdvisor, the majority of land surveys typically range from $200 to $800, with an average cost of $500. The price of a land survey increases for properties that have a larger size or more corners.
ALTA surveys are more expensive because they require extra research and provide more details. The average cost is between $2,000 and $3,000.
Please note that these costs are typical across the United States. The price of a survey for a residential property can vary greatly depending on the local market and the availability of public records. For example, in California, the cost of a survey can range from $5,000 to $10,000. The price can be even higher if the survey is more complicated.
When Do You Require Land Surveying Services?
There are several reasons why people today choose to hire a professional land surveyor. Here are some of the most common reasons for hiring a surveyor.
Settling Property Line Disputes
This is a primary reason because there is no way to settle a disagreement without thoroughly surveying the land that borders the two properties in question. These surveys also assist in determining the property boundaries for other legal purposes.Â
Starting Construction Projects
If you are starting a construction project on your property, like building a pool house or a veranda, you should do a land survey. The cost of the survey upfront is much lower than the cost of mistakenly building on your neighbor’s land. This is also necessary when building a house on newly bought land.
Understanding A Home Or Land Purchase
If you are buying a piece of land, you need to know the exact limits of that purchase. The legal document probably describes these limits, but it is always good to confirm it yourself. A survey shows the land’s natural features so you can identify the ideal areas to construct in the future.
Finding Utilities
Topographic surveys determine the position of every natural and man-made feature on a property, including any existing utility components. Carry out a survey to locate the water main, different plumbing fixtures, and other utilities.
Making Smaller Sections
If you bought a piece of land and want to divide it into multiple homes, a land survey gives you precise measurements to help you plan accurately smaller sections.
Types Of Land Surveys
The kind of survey you receive will vary based on why you need a land survey. Whether you just want to find your property boundaries or are attempting to divide pieces of land, trained surveyors offer property surveys to meet your specific real estate requirements.
The types of land surveys include:
1. ALTA SurveyÂ
An ALTA survey is conducted when purchasing a home or investment property. A title company usually needs an ALTA survey before giving title insurance. An ALTA survey is sometimes called a mortgage survey because lenders often ask for it before giving a loan.
2. Boundary SurveyÂ
A boundary survey is done to find the exact position of property borders and corners of a piece of land. It can be used to solve legal disagreements, find easements, or for personal documentation.
3. Location Survey
A location survey is similar to a boundary survey, but it includes details about the buildings and structures on the property. It shows where these improvements are and their sizes. It also includes measurements of the distances between the improvements and the property lines. Property owners often use a location survey to obtain permits for zoning.
4. Subdivision SurveyÂ
A subdivision survey divides a parcel of property into many lots for subdivision purposes. A subdivision is used to generate subdivision plats and must be recorded in the land records at the recorder’s office.
5. Site-Planing Survey
A site-plan survey is done to plan how to improve a site. It shows where the proposed building or improvement will be located within the property lines. This survey is usually needed when applying for permits to build.
6. Construction Survey
A construction survey is when a surveyor marks out where buildings and improvements will be made. They do this to guide construction workers and show how far apart things should be.
7. Topographic Survey
Topographical surveys show where things are on a property. They show buildings, fences, utilities, ponds, rivers, trees, and how high things are. Engineers and architects use topographic surveys to plan changes to a site.
In simple terms, a land survey is a way to figure out the details of your property and where it is. It helps banks know what they’re lending money on and helps construction crews know where to begin building. It’s important to keep your land survey current and make sure it includes any new changes or features on your property. A land survey is only helpful if it’s accurate.
Thanks for reading. I hope you find it interesting.
