Each engineering project begins with a land survey. A land survey is a process performed to obtain a graphic layout of a given property. It’s meant to capture all the various facets of a specific parcel of land. This often includes property lines, elevation and other relevant geological features.
A land surveyor hired by a civil engineering firm can conduct several different kinds of land surveys. Various projects require specialized variations of land surveys.
In this article, we’ll cover a few different types of land surveys and what they’re used for.
Topographic survey
This process is usually conducted by land surveyors from a civil engineering firm. The goal of the survey is to locate and map assorted topographic features in a given area. These features include but are not limited to roads, ditches, utilities, embankments and contours.
Land surveyors often use a combination of aerial photography and field methods when performing topographic surveys. This type of survey is usually conducted when a new building is slated to be constructed on an already-developed piece of land.
Boundary survey
As the name indicates, a boundary survey is performed with the goal of establishing the boundary lines for a particular piece of land. Land surveyors typically use both field and record research with the goal of determining how to set the boundary lines to be in compliance with state laws. Boundary surveys can also entail the location of any easement lines or encroachments on a singular parcel of land.
ALTA/ACSM survey
This type of survey is usually carried out for the purpose of buying or selling real estate. The accompanying acronyms stand for American Land Title Association (ALTA) and the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM).
This is one of the more extensive and thorough types of surveys, detailing everything from zoning classifications to waterfronts and rights-of-way. It’s one of the more expensive types of land surveys and can take anywhere from two weeks to multiple months to complete.
Construction survey
An integral part of each construction project is a construction survey. This form of land survey requires land surveyors to stake out roads, walls, utilities and any buildings within the scope of a construction project.
A construction survey will also note the slope and grading of the land in addition to providing construction workers with instructions for completing the work shown on the project plans. An as-built survey is also frequently performed as part of the construction survey process.
Subdivision survey
Most suburban developments are referred to as subdivisions. How are large portions of land divided into smaller parcels? A key part of that process is the subdivision survey. Local governments commission these surveys to plan how to divide bigger plots of land into smaller lots that all fit together functionally.
Street location and drainage are key factors that can be illuminated by subdivision surveys, and the local zoning board must make sure those requirements are adequately satisfied before signing off on the final subdivision plan.
Call for your land survey today
Land surveyors at civil engineering firms can administer several various forms of land surveys. If you need one for your commercial or residential property, call us at Mason & Associates. We have over three decades of civil engineering and surveying service experience, so call us to carry out your land survey today.