How do you know where your land ends and your neighbor’s begins? How much of your land belongs to you, and how much is municipal property? Most of us don’t know the exact lines that define the boundaries of our property, and if we do, it’s because we’ve had a professional land survey done.
For those who work in the land surveying or Civil Engineering business, it is common to hear of property boundary horror stories. A boundary survey may be done wrong, or a topographical survey may contain an error. These mistakes can lead to additional construction expenses, property line confusion, and even legal disputes. This is why it is so important to do your research when it comes to land surveying companies.
Continue reading “Adam Hoffman Featured in Westfair Online as Land Surveying Expert”
Land surveys are crucial to the process of responsible land development. They are commonly used to determine the boundaries and features of properties, to determine easements and encroachments, to develop or build on land, and to satisfy local building codes and regulations. There are many different types of land surveys.
Property line disputes among neighbors are a common reason for land surveys, as are property sales and purchase contractual agreements. The American Land Title Association, the National Society of Professional Surveyors and the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping regulate land surveying in the US and determine the specific criteria for land surveying. These include:
When we leave the grocery store most of us check our receipt to make sure we got what we paid for. When we buy cars we make sure we get all the options we paid for. But, when many people purchase real estate, they feel comfortable knowing “about” where the property lines are and “about” how much land is involved. The purchase of real estate is perhaps the biggest investment most of us will make. Deciding to protect that investment with a boundary survey is one of the wisest decisions your client can make. The following paragraphs explain in detail the steps necessary for producing an accurate survey that conforms to state statutes.
Continue reading “What is a Survey and why should I advise my clients to pay for one?”
There is one issue that seems to come up consistently when discussing the southern border of the United States – where does American end and Mexico start? Fences do line many areas of the border, but at other intersections of the land there is no barrier because of poor planning. Whether or not you agree with the idea of a fence lining our southern border, it must be understood that surveying this area of land is difficult and that many citizens find it hard to deal with.
Continue reading “Stuck on the Border: Surveying the US-Mexico Border”
This phase was started a couple of years ago with surveying for the road which was roughed in. Catch basins were laid out and installed then the job was put on the back burner waiting for a better housing market. With these first few houses it’s a positive sign, we will add more as we go.
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, a leading organization in the standards of land, property and construction, released the results of some land surveying that found that the land under our feet is being polluted at a faster rate than some would have us believe. The only way to maintain any sense of sustainability is to begin going green in all aspects of life.
There are many ways to help stop the pollution that is affecting the land. Here are a few ways to do so:
• Unplug your portable electronic chargers when not in use
• Buy eco-friendly rated appliances that save on overall electricity usage
• If you remove trees from your property, make sure to replant trees or other plants in their place.
• Turn off the water as often as possible when completing daily activities like washing dishes and brushing your teeth.
This kind of study sheds light on the importance of land surveying in the fight against pollution and other harmful environmental concerns. The depth with which surveyors can investigate particular swatches of land is crucial to the survival of our world and its atmosphere.
In the past, the instruments used to survey land were simpler in design, but harder to use in practice. These included chains, solar compasses and compasses. For instance, chains with a specified size linkage would be used to measure distances from point to point, while compasses would determine the distance of that line.
As time progressed, newer technologies were developed to remove some of the manual calculations needed to progress with surveying. One such tool is called a planimeter – planimeters measure asymmetrical land eliminating the need for charts and manual calculations.
One of the main tools used by land surveyors today is a gadget that is also quite prominent in the lives (and cars) of millions of people – the GPS system. A GPS (or global positioning system) works with satellites that scan the earth from space and very accurately graph the view and transmit it into data to view on the small GPS or computer screen for surveyors to look at. The only downside to GPS systems is the difficulty they have reading land coordinates in dense forest area and the surroundings of concrete structures.
Of course, there are hundreds of other tools that land surveyors use on a regular basis, but these few examples should give you a good idea into how these people do their jobs.
If you haven’t seen this already, it’s a great show on the History Channel called “How the States Got their Shapes”, and it is worth watching an episode. Filled with interesting facts and interviews, the show focuses on a surveyor trying to re-trace the footsteps of the famous surveyors Mason & Dixon. Click here for more information.