How to Choose a Land Surveyor
Frequently Asked Questions About Land Surveying
The following information will help guide you through your decision of hiring a Professional Land Surveyor.
Q. Who can survey my land? Why do I need to hire a surveyor?
A. In Nevada and California Only a Professional Land Surveyor licensed by the Nevada State Board of Engineers and Land Surveyors or the California Board of Professional Engineers Surveyors & Geologists, is legally permitted to perform land surveys in the State of Nevada / California.
Q. When do I need to Hire a surveyor?
A. Typically you should hire a surveyor any time you purchase real property, divide a parcel of land for sale, and before construction of improvements.
Q. How much will it cost to survey my land?
A. While there is no set fee for any particular survey. The cost of most surveys is determined based on the following factors:
- Size and Shape of the Property: An irregularly shaped parcel will take longer to survey than a rectangular parcel of the same size.
- Accessibility: The size of the parcel, and the relative ease or difficulty in reaching the property corners will impact the time required to conduct a survey.
- Amount of boundary evidence: property corners may be marked by an iron, wood, or stone monument. Old fences and occupation lines are also a valuable boundary evidence for the surveyor. Absence of such evidence may cause difficulties in retracing the original survey.
- Local Knowledge of Property: It is very helpful if someone is able to point out accepted occupation lines and survey monuments.
- Terrain: A level parcel of land is easier to survey than a mountain parcel.
- Vegetation: the surveyor may need to clear dense vegetation prior work. Shrubs, flowers, and trees on home sites are normally not disturbed, but may require additional field time to perform work around them.
- Land Records Search: This can play heavily in the cost of a survey. In general a lot created by a Subdivision Plat will cost less than a parcel created by a deed description. Other factors may include: the number of parcels to be surveyed; and the number of past transactions.
Q. Will a land surveyor tell me what I own?
A. No, the client must provide the surveyor with a legal description and current title report / policy for the parcel to be surveyed. The surveyor will locate the property corners on the ground with survey monuments and provide the client with a record of survey map and or surveyors report. Any boundary conflicts will be disclosed and referred to a title company or attorney to resolve.
Q. What if there are encroachments?
A. The surveyor will show any encroachments discovered in the course of the survey. Areas of concern should be discussed with the surveyor before work starts.
Q. How will I see what was surveyed?
A. Survey monuments such as steel rods or pipes tagged with the Professional Land Surveyors license number will be placed at the property corners. If monuments are set in the course of your survey a record of survey map or corner record will be filed with the County per State Law.
Q: Why are there conflicting boundary and easement lines?
A: Boundary and easement line disputes are fairly common. Gaps, and overlaps are often the result of poorly written legal descriptions which were written and recorded without consulting a land surveyor. A competent surveyor will properly survey and describe your boundary lines. Any newly created or adjusted boundary lines requires a surveyor set property corners and file the required documents and maps with the proper agency.