One of the primary roles of the land surveyor is to find the boundaries of a property. That boundary is described in legal documents and the land surveyor follows that description and locates the boundary on the physical land and marks it, so the owner knows what land he owns. Having a land survey done can save a lot of hassle and cost in the future, but there are factors to consider when having one done including the up-front cost which is usually between $335 and $648.
Why do a land survey?
If you are a homeowner that is going to do some building like a fence, garage, patio, pool, etc., without a survey you have no recourse if at a later date it is found that your fences intrude on a neighbor's land or that there are rights to easement by one of the service companies (this means that an electric, sewerage or water company has access rights to your property to carry out maintenance and repair). Consider an example where a property owner has built a garage over part of the access rights and service companies have then been known to remove the garage to carry out maintenance.Most problems arise when improvements done to the property such as patios, pools, driveways, garages and building extensions are either outside the building limits or eat into the neighboring property. A land survey would define the dimensions of the lot and outline any improvements (garage, pool, patios, house, drive, etc.) and show whether they encroach upon a neighbor's property.
Survey Fees
Fees can range anywhere from $200-$800, depending on the size of the lot, your geographical location as well as the age of the lot. Over time, land does shift slightly and monuments (items such as trees or rocks that were used in initial land survey) may no longer exist. The surveyor will need to take these things into consideration when working on the home and may even have to re-establish boundary lines.When should you do a survey?
A boundary survey is not always required. Different states have different requirements, but, if you are the buyer, it is to your benefit to know exactly how much land you are paying for. Surveyors often find defects that could lead to renegotiating the price of the property you are buying. A fence that divides a property from a neighbor may not be built along the boundary line of the adjoining properties. The property's driveway may encroach on a neighbor's land. A neighbor may have built a deck that extends over the borderline. Issues like these should be addressed before you close a transaction.Refer a Pro who does this service and receive an Amazon Gift Card!
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Hello. I'm having "issues" with soon-to-be new neighbors who seem to think their property line is much bigger than it actually is. I need to have a survey done in order to resolve this dispute before it gets any worse (water rights are involved). I live in Arizona. Can you please tell me if surveyors must be accredited and licensed through the state or any other agency? This would give me a start in picking a surveyor whose work will be spot on and more than likely introduced as Exhibit "A" in an upcoming lawsuit if this can't be resolved any other way. Please, help me out here.
Thanks much and wish me luck with the people that think they "own" the river.
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I have a .25 acre in wolcott ct. Â i received an estimate if 1500.-2000 does this fair?
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I had my lot surveyed years ago, but new neighbors repaved their driveway and I lost a foot of real estate, I still have the survey spike in my driveway. what,s the cost on that?
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My neighbor to the North of is replacing the fence that was put in in 1983 an has torn down the old fence & is now moving the fence over one inch towards my property.  I have a covered  wood shelter near the fence & he has torn this down & tells me I have to replace it myself, or have my relatives that they have to do this.  This covered wood stack was in before the Hillsboro new rules are in affect.  Since He is the one constructing the fence & tearing down my cover of metal, shouldn't he be the one to replace it?
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My last neighbor was the original owner of the property. He told us where the property line was located.Â
The new neighbor has had his father-in-law over several times. This gentleman is cutting down trees that we believe are on our property, he does this when they are not home. We need to repair our fence, so I want the survey done first just to make sure we have the facts straight.
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Hi, I'm just trying to budget what the cost would be to change my Plot/Boundary Line at my Home Residence.
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I know I'm not a surveyor but from what I've been involved in the price can get pretty ridiculous for what is involved. I understand things can get hectic but to have to pay the prices some of these guys charge for what was done can be ridiculous!!!!
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good
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How does the charging go, do you pay by foot or what?Â
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Mr. Poole, How much will it cost me to have my property surveyed by your company? I want to know.Â
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Difficulty that might come into play when a survey is being done along a lake water front such as state rights to land due to change in high water mark, ability to do surveys during storm seasons, recourse available when boundaries change because county agree with Fish and Wildlife who says the sate now owns that land because the high water mark has changed...........
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I'm a Professional surveyor in Mississippi and The average lot survey will cost you from 400-600. That's for a subdivision lot and what we call a closing survey. When you buy a house and they require a survey it shows the lot with dimensions, the house and any other improvement. If you have say 2-3 acres, expect to pay around $1500 if it's cut and dry. Meaning, we go out and find all the property corners.
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I suggest we listen to Mr. Poole. On Saturday, March 8, 2014, Donald T. Poole, PLS was named Surveyor of the Year by the Mass. Assoc. of Land Surveyors and Civil Engineers during the 2014 Convention!
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did my side gate but had problem and i would like to see if i went to the other owners side he called code code compliance so they said i need to take it down
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Great info
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Please note that this is based on 2.324 "cost estimates.' As a Professional Land Surveyor I can tell you that this is a ridiculously low figure and that there really isn't any way to "average" a cost so you can budget without contacting a Land Surveyor. It's kind of like figuring a median cost to get a divorce, there are to many variables. The median fee for our services last year was closer to $2,000, but I did a lot of $1,000 projects and a few multi-thousand dollars, including 1 at $65K. How does that figure into a home owner wanting to know the cost of a survey? Have you considered the cost of NOT having a survey?
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