| Frequently Asked Questions |
Understandably, this is one of the more common questions and there are a number of reasons. In most cases the time spent "behind the scenes" acquiring record information, researching deeds and maps, compiling field and record evidence, calculations, drafting, and preparing reports and deed descriptions far exceeds the time spent on the site. This ratio between time spent on the site and time spent elsewhere varies depending on several factors. For example, a small lot with several abutting properties may require less field time to locate boundary evidence because of the relatively close proximity, but may require the same amount of off-site work as a much larger parcel. It may take a day to find and locate field evidence, and 4-6 days of the "behind the scenes" work to complete the survey. In most cases surveyor's hourly rates are at or below hourly rates of similar professions and are more in line with that of trades like carpenters, electricians, plumbers, and auto mechanics, none of whom assume the kind of liability surveyors do. If a trades person makes an error, he/she will likely be required to go back and fix the resulting problem. The resulting problem from a land surveyor's error may be a multi- million dollar commercial building being built in the wrong spot, or a costly legal battle with an angry abutter. Rarely can we just return and fix a problem resulting from an error. If you are surveying my lot, why are you and your equipment several houses away? Depending on how your lot was created, evidence several lots away or even several thousand feet away may be more critical than a pipe at your corner. So while we will locate the pipe at your corner, it may be necessary to locate distant evidence in order to verify the integrity of your pipe. If it's not a camera, what is it? It is not uncommon when someone sees us with equipment on a tripod, to ask us what we are taking pictures of. Of course it is not a camera. Most instruments in use today are what is called a total station. A total station combines a telescope that has cross hairs, with an electronic distance measurer, and an electronic angle measurer. The poles with the mirrors on them are called range poles and the mirrors are actually prisms that reflect the infrared light beam that was emitted from the total station back to the total station to determine the distance. You set a pin in my driveway, that's not my corner!! It is likely not a pin, but a large nail with some flagging on it (so we can find it again). It is a point in a series of control points or a traverse. A traverse is a series of random points positioned so that we can set up the total station over them and measure to boundary evidence and/or significant features that we want to locate. We also measure the angles and distances between these points and calculate a closure of the figure. A traverse enables us to see what we need to locate, reduces the amount of brush and trees we need to cut (versus running down the boundary lines), and enables us to measure our level of precision (closure). While these nails are not boundary markers, they are very important to our field work and care should be taken not to disturb them. If they are removed or disturbed it may require that the traverse be repeated resulting in a large increase in time and cost. The pins that we set as boundary markers are 5/8" x 36" rebar with a 2" diameter aluminum identification cap stamped with "Bell Land Services, Boundary Marker". What is the difference between a boundary survey and a mortgage inspection? More often than not when someone says they have a survey that they got when they bought the house, they are actually talking about a mortgage inspection. These inspections are also referred to as a mortgage loan inspection or a Class D survey. These inspections have little in common with a boundary survey, which is why we surveyors would prefer that they be referred to as an inspection. There is much confusion surrounding these inspections and they are occasionally used like a boundary survey, sometimes with disastrous results. For this reason some surveyors elect not to perform these inspections. A mortgage inspection is usually requested by a bank or other lending institution and are intended to protect the banks interest in the property for which they are proposing to lend money. The intent of a mortgage inspection is to have a professional land surveyor inspect the property to look for anything that could adversely affect the title or value of the land. These things include:
To accomplish this the land surveyor locates boundary evidence and all the improvements on the lot, draws a sketch of these, and determines whether there are any of the above-described issues with the property. Unlike a boundary survey, the locations of evidence and improvements are made using methods that are approximate (a compass and measuring tape are commonly used for inspections), and there is no research done. The bank sends the surveyor a copy of the current deed and that is all that is used. We do not read the abutters' deeds or locate evidence on abutting properties. Usually if the surveyor can't find enough evidence to approximate the location of the boundaries, they will stop the inspection and report that a boundary survey is required to determine if there are any issues with the lot. No effort is made to determine the actual location of the boundaries - only an apparent location. Conversely, the intent of a boundary survey is to accurately determine the location of the boundary lines. In order to do this the subject lot and the abutting lots are researched back to a point where there is a good enough description of the properties to make a determination. This often requires going back to the creation of the lots. Sometimes there never was a good description of a piece of property. For example if you follow the chain of title back on a piece of property to its creation in 1823, and the 1823 deed reads "Bounded northerly by William Smith, Easterly by Benjamin Green, southerly by the widow Baker's lot, and westerly by the heirs of Eben Willard", it is now necessary to determine the 1823 boundaries of the Smith, Green, Baker, and Willard lots in order to determine the original boundaries of the lot you are surveying. Then it is necessary to make sure that you have found all the conveyances in and out of the original parcel ( pieces cut off or added to the original piece) from its creation forward, to determine the boundaries of the lot as it exists today. In addition to the research, a boundary survey is made with more precise field methods, an accurate plan is drawn, and corners are marked. While a mortgage inspection may only take a few hours to complete, it is unusual for a boundary survey to take less than a few days. How much will my survey cost? Surveyors usually wish we didn't have to answer this question. Not because we have anything to hide, but because it is often very difficult to predict. The field work is generally predictable. It is not hard to estimate how long you think it will take to layout and run a traverse around a given piece of property. What is unpredictable is the amount of time that will be required to research the property and/or determine the boundaries. Given two similar sized pieces of property, one may require a day or less of research, while the other may take a week or more. One piece may have evidence that matches the record description (deeds, plans) and have no conflicts with abutting deeds. The other may have deeds that were never recorded in the Registry of Deeds, vague or erroneous deed descriptions, descriptions that conflict with abutting deeds, and other issues that require large amounts of time to resolve. Furthermore, it may be necessary to have additional traverse to locate evidence far from the lot being surveyed. This in turn may lead to far exceeding the estimated time and cost for the field work. Of course most of us can not afford to hire someone to survey our land without having some idea what the cost will be. And as with any other service, it is usually wise to get estimates from more than one firm unless you have experience and confidence in the integrity of a particular firm. Estimates may be hard for us to nail down, but never proceed without one. Submit Your Question Here |
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