Do I need a survey or a FEMA Elevation Certificate?
A property Boundary Survey will result in a drawing showing boundary lines of the property, structures, and dimensions. A survey is generally used for building permits, fence construction, real estate transactions, etc.
An Elevation Certificate will give the Base Flood Elevation and information of the structure. This is typically used for flood insurance, and also may be needed for building permits.
Why does my FEMA certificate have an expiration date?
The current version of the NFIP Elevation Certificate (National Flood Insurance Program) shows an expiration date of July 31, 2015. It is expected that FEMA will allow this form to be used until they provide an updated form.
Can a Land Surveyor Tell Me What I Own?
No. It is your responsibility as a client to furnish the Land Surveyor with a current title and legal description of your parcel of land.
How Much Will A Land Survey Cost?
Most Professional Land Surveyors in your geographic area will have competitive rates. The cost to survey your property most often will not vary greatly by which Land Surveyor you choose to hire. The best solution is to select your Land Surveyor based on their performance and reputation, not the price estimate given on a survey.
The following is a list of various factors that can affect the cost of a survey:
- Type of Survey – Each service offered requires a different scope of work. Therefore the cost will vary based on the time it will take to perform the services, the actual information that is needed from the client, and the time involved with processing and drafting in the office.
- Research/Records Search – Land surveys often require a records search on the parcel of land. This step can sometimes become complicated by the way past land transactions have been handled, often times resulting in incomplete, vague, and contradicting land records and legal descriptions.
- Shape and Size of Property – Rectangular parcels of land generally are cheaper to survey and contain less corner monuments than do irregular shaped parcels containing the same amount of land.
- Existing Evidence on Property – Existing evidence such as monuments, fences, occupational lines, witness trees, etc. help the surveyor. The absence of such existing evidence may make it difficult for the surveyor to retrace the original survey.
- Accessibility – The location of the parcel from our office plays a part in the amount of time that it takes to perform the survey work.
- Vegetation – Wooded and swampy/marshy terrain can greatly hinder the survey process.
What services can a Land Surveyor provide?
- Perform a Boundary Survey verifying that a house, additions, and visible improvements are on the property as described in the deed
- Subdivide property
- Complete a FEMA Elevation Certificate for flood insurance
- Determine if one property encroaches on another
- Set property corner markers, or layout proposed construction
- Complete a Topographic Survey to represent the slopes and elevations of property
- Perform a wide range of services related to all types of land development