Boundary Survey
A Boundary Survey is exactly like it sounds. This is an examination of the edges of one's property; the boundary. These surveys begin with a close examination of the previous boundary survey on file and then these facts are checked in the field to make sure the our professional surveyor is in agreement.
The corners of a property are determined by reviewing any legal documents or public records pertaining to the land. This information is then transferred to the physical space (the property) with stakes or a similar marker. The perimeter of the land, corners, and all relevant measurements to any type of landmark such as an existing fence are transferred onto the document known as a boundary survey. This helps the property owner, the potential buyer, a builder or a developer know precisely what is owned. Understanding what space needs to be maintained and what limits there may be for new construction are useful to nearly any type of owner whether residential, commercial or other.
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When Do I Need a Boundary Survey?
If you are a new home owner without fences along your or your neighbor's property, the area where your yard stops might be ambiguous. Boundary surveys help solve these types of issues. Having documentation for the edge of your property can also help with circumstances like trimming trees that you may not know if they are within your land. Or if a tree falls and you're not sure if you are responsible for the cleanup. Property managers will want the info presented on a Fresno boundary survey for similar reasons. Their jobs are to keep the land attached to a specific apartment clean and safe. In order to do that appropriately, they'll need to know what they're responsible for if the property line isn't marked. If a landscaper is hired, they probably won't ever ask to see your boundary survey, but you'll want to walk the property with them and show them where your land ends so you're only paying for the upkeep on your parcel.
The city has rules governing how close walls can be to any property line so to remain within code, you and/or the builder will want to follow that guidance as it pertains to your land's boundary. Home owners will also need to reference these surveys if they want to add an addition or entirely replace the home on their property. A new boundary survey in Fresno could turn up evidence that a neighbors fence is actually on your land or that some other type of encroachment is taking place. In these instances, it is common for a representative from our team to show and explain the findings to your neighbor. We can explain and show the evidence for how our survey was formed. If there is still a disagreement, the neighbor will be encouraged to pay another company for their own boundary survey. If those results do not match ours, then the matter may be taken to court and presented to a judge. In these instances, we will stand by the facts we have found for you and represent that information as needed.
What is a Retracement Survey?
This is a type of boundary survey. This name is used because when surveying is conducted upon someone's request, it is most frequently to confirm and reestablish property lines from records that already exist. Much like most other types of surveys we perform, a retracement survey begins with research like pulling the deed to the land before any field work begins. We are, in essence, retracing the work done by surveyors in the past to see if it is fully accurate. For developed land, this type of boundary survey will be the primary method. The other category of surveys within the boundary realm are original surveys. These mark new lines for a parcel and are less common in our industry today.
How are Boundary Surveys Conducted?
As mentioned above, the first step is to understand what the customer owns and what historical records can be found to show this information. Once public records have been reviewed to show the history of previous surveys, field work is then performed to uncover any new information and to ensure our team agrees with the previous records. Survey measurements rely on landmarks in the field. These are pins, stakes or markings done by professional surveyors that create a point of reference. They can be difficult to find if they've been relocated or disturbed and they can also be far from the site where the boundary survey is needed. For all of these reasons, researching other deeds, city streets and sidewalks as well as the land for the requested boundary survey become crucial pieces of the puzzle to gather evidence and show that our opinion is in agreement or disagreement with the lines of ownership.
I Already Have a Plat Map. Is This Good Enough?
Many home purchases come with a plat map as part of the paperwork you get at signing. A plat map will show the neighborhood or the adjoining properties on the street. It covers a larger area than the property of concern but it tends to show less detail about each of these parcels. Plat maps will also include city streets, public land, natural artifacts if any exist in the area, and surrounding properties. This information can be useful on certain levels but it is not the same as a boundary survey. In contrast, boundary surveys contain more detailed information and are specific to one piece of property. A plat map may serve as a general reference for the shape and size of the land, but the professional boundary survey will level up your assurances and knowledge of the property including more thorough analysis of easements or potential encroachments seen on a plat map. Another major difference is that the survey will contain particulars about constructed features such as homes or other buildings. Plats will list out the parcel or lot numbers but only show the shape of the land but not any features that have been erected within the boundary. So depending upon your specific need, a survey may still be required, like before a title company is willing to provide title insurance.
Contact Far & Wide for Any Surveying Needs in Fresno, CA
If you know that you need a boundary survey or you just have questions because you're not sure, please give us a call. We understand that these topics can be confusing. This is not something we expect everyone to know. So leave it to the professionals. We'll do the digging and present our findings, making sure that once our work is done, you have a complete understanding of the results. Should you hire us or any survey work, you'll also receive a copy of the signed and sealed survey to keep for your records.