Why it’s a good idea to have your property surveyed

by | Jun 20, 2018 | Real Estate

Using a professional surveyor can help resolve a wide variety of property issues before they become major headaches. From establishing where the true boundary line is located to figuring out if there is an old cemetery on your property, a survey can provide a wide range of eful information. This can be particularly useful if you are planning on buying or selling a property or even want to understand your obligations as the landowner.

A list of potential reasons a survey is useful

Common examples include:

  • Property lines: This will be helpful for knowing where to put a fence, but it can also ensure that a new structure will be on your land and will not need to later be moved or destroyed. It also ensures that the legal description of your property is accurate.
  • Easements: Sometimes a property will not have direct access to a road, which usually means that an easement is place to allow property owners access to their land. These can be an express easement granted from one party to another, or they can be implied easements that granted by operation of the law when certain facts are involved.
  • Water: A typical survey will detail ponds, streams, wells and surface water. Underground water surveying is handled by hydrologist.
  • Utilities: It is always a good idea to know where underground sewage, power lines, cables, gas lines and other utilities are located. This avoids the nightmare of accidently damaging them and/or injuring people working on the property.
  • Zoning classification: Owners generally need to know if their land is zoned as industrial, residential or mixed use. This can impact the value and use of your property.

An attorney can answer questions or address discrepancies

An attorney can help you to determine if the property owner is compliant with zoning ordinances. He or she can also help resolve difficult and sometimes extremely contentious disagreements that neighboring property owners may have. If you have questions about a survey or dispute, it is often helpful to speak with something who understands the laws and regulations involved in land ownership.