The work of professional land surveyors is critical for responsible land development and management of private and public land. In fact, land surveyors can help with many issues beyond the boundary lines of your property.
Check out these five reasons to hire a land surveyor;
- Boundary and Property lines
One of the most common reasons a landowner hires a professional surveyor is to identify where the legal boundary lines of their property are. Also known as occupancy or possession boundaries, this information can help when installing a fence, adding a family room to your existing home, cutting down a tree, paving the driveway, and are often required for property titles, real estate financing, boundary disputes with neighbors, new construction and insurance coverage.
- Rights-of-way and Easements
A survey can determine if your property has a legal obligation for a right-of-way or easement. In some cases, an old agreement may include an easement that gives your neighbor the right to cross your property to access their own.
- Utilities
A surveyor can determine if utility companies have a right to use a portion of your property to maintain utility services or use your property to access neighboring properties with utility lines, sewer lines, or water lines.
- Cemeteries
An old family burial grounds may be lurking on your property. Unbeknownst to you, former homeowners may have buried their loved ones on your land centuries before you owned it. A survey will show the exact location of any cemeteries.
On the flip side, if you would like to have your own family burial plot in the future, a land surveyor can help with that process as well.
- Land subdivision
Suppose you have a parcel of land you want to subdivide and sell-off. In that case, a land surveyor can help map out the property corners, establish any easements that may be necessary to support the parcel being conveyed, evaluate the minimum lot size and dimensional requirements required by municipal land use ordinance and provide a description of the lot to be conveyed, and provide descriptions for each lot.
How do I schedule a survey?
Having clarity on your plot of land can help you avoid any misunderstandings in the future. If you think you need a land surveyor for your property, contact the team at Herrick & Salsbury.
