For thousands of years, societies have understood the importance of secure land boundaries. Whether it is a residence, office building, retail center or an industrial plant, the purchase of real property is a major investment. That’s why it is important that a thorough boundary survey be done of the property prior to closing. Surveys can be a rather simple drawing of the property, or may entail very detailed depictions of every aspect of the property.
If you are purchasing property, you should discuss with your attorney and lender exactly what type of survey you will need.

An accurate and detailed Topographic Survey is a great benefit for many types of projects. Architects, Engineers, Urban Planners, and others depend on the Topographic Survey as the basis for their work. Whether the project is an addition to an existing structure, new building construction, road, water and sewer design, or hydraulic studies for flood plain determination, it all depends on having an accurate depiction of the site as it exists.
The Topographic Survey allows Engineers to determine volumes of materials needed for fills, the amount of cut required on a site and provides the information needed to tie the grading of a new site into its surroundings in the most economical way, by balancing the cut and fill. After excavation, Topographic Surveys are used to determine the volume of material removed or placed on a site. Depths of underground utility lines can be determined prior to construction, as well as their grades, allowing the design to conform to local municipalities standards and to avoid conflicts and potential disruptions to service.
The Topographic Survey also shows the Designers important features of a site that may need to be preserved, such as existing utilities and items of historic or environmental importance, such as cemeteries and unique plants or trees on the site.

A “Flood Elevation Certificate” is often required by lending institutions when financing a new or existing home, and by municipal authorities prior to issuing a building permit for new construction.
In the case of existing dwellings, the certificate, which must be completed by a Licensed Land Surveyor, indicates the relationship between the structure and any flood zones that may be shown on the Federal Emergency Management Agency Flood Map of the community in which the dwelling is located. The information on the form is used by lenders and the insurance provider in determining if flood insurance is required, and if so, how the insurance rates will be set. For example, a home that is one foot below the flood elevation will have a lower insurance rate than one that is ten feet below the flood elevation. Other information besides elevation which the surveyor must furnish on the certificate include the type of building, ground elevations around the building, and elevations of any machinery or equipment serving the building. These factors are also used in determining the flood insurance rate.
Often when applying for a home loan, the purchaser is told by the lender that he or she is required to buy flood insurance. Because the cost of flood insurance can run into thousands of dollars per year, it is advisable under these circumstances to have a Licensed Land Surveyor perform a Flood Elevation Certificate Survey.

If you are attempting to develop a large parcel of land, you may be required to Plat the property. This is a process of dividing real property into three or more lots, parcels, tracts, tiers, blocks, sites, units or any other division of land. It also includes establishment of new streets, easements and alleys, additions and re-subdivisions. On average, the platting process takes approximately 9 months to one year to complete.