Professional judgment you can count on
Surveying the lands of California since 1982
Variables Affecting Boundary Survey Fees
Client needs
- What is the purpose of the property survey?
- What is the timeline for the project?
- Are there specific lender or title company requirements?
- What public agency requirements are in effect?
- What is the current rapport with adjoining land owners?
Original land partition
- How many decades have elapsed since the parent parcel was first partitioned?
- What was the standard of care in the performance of the original survey?
- Have subsequent land divisions occurred?
- Have previous boundary surveys been conducted in the vicinity?
- Are maps or notes of those surveys available?
Deeds of record
- Is a current title report available for the subject property?
- Will copies of the title papers be made available to the surveyor?
- Is the subject property described by a metes and bounds legal description?
- Are legal descriptions for the adjoining properties in conflict with the subject property?
- Is the vesting grant deed to the subject property senior or junior in title to adjoiners?
- Will the location of easements of record need to be plotted?
Survey monuments & field evidence
- Can sufficient original boundary monuments of record be recovered?
- If original monuments are found, how do they fit in the overall analysis?
- How do the locations of local improvements, fences and walls impact the survey?
- Is there material evidence of physical change?
- Are there encroachments of structures and improvements?
- Will a Record of Survey need to be filed with the county?
General site conditions
- What is the current land use of the area? Urban? Rural?
- What are the physical site conditions? Vacant land? Hilly? Overgrown?
- Can permission to gain access to adjoining lands be readily obtained?
- Will locked gates or dogs impede access?
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Highlights:
+ Factors that impact the cost of a property line survey
+ A boundary survey you can rely upon with confidence
+ The effect of old maps, deeds and legal descriptions
+ The importance of survey monuments and existing site conditions
Every parcel of land is unique, and a host of variables influence the time and cost of conducting each boundary survey. Every land surveyor who acts in a professional and responsible manner should be up front about the unknowns inherent in determining property lines.
At Bell Land Surveying, when we embark on a boundary survey, we keep sleuthing until we have enough evidence to hang our hat on. We're relentless in our pursuit of the facts. We don't know where our search for evidence will lead, or what our findings will be. That means that we don't know in advance how much time and effort will be necessary to arrive at a professional judgment. What we can tell you is that we have a 30 year record of delivering business results and are committed to conducting in-depth boundary analysis that our clients can rely on.
Here are some of the elements we consider on each project. If you think you need a property line survey, please don't hesitate to contact us to discuss the specific needs of your project.
About the Author:
Douglas Bell, PLS, is a Professional Land Surveyor licensed in four western states, and is a CFedS, a BLM Certified Federal Land Surveyor. He provides a range of property line, ALTA, boundary survey, topographic mapping, easement determination, encroachment investigation, and utility location services.
Mr. Bell provides land surveying services to engineers, architects, attorneys, and other land professionals in the private and public sectors in Southern California, primarily in Los Angeles County, Riverside, San Bernardino and Orange County. He can be reached via email: AskDoug@Bell-Land-Surveying.com.
Copyright by Bell Land Surveying
Diamond Bar, California, 91765
Bell Land Surveying is a certified Small Business Enterprise (SBE)
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