There are two types of survey services that you could choose from, both would be conducted after the land was purchased except in rare cases. One is a boundary survey to mark and record the actual edges and corners of the property. The other is a topographical survey that will mark all of the slopes, trees, existing structures, etc. on the property. You may need one or the other, neither or both depending on the complexity and history of the land. We could give you an additional services agreement for those as an add on to an original contract that you would have with us.
A Boundary survey will determine the location of your property based on the legal description. The process of preparing a boundary survey entails: determining where on the ground a particular parcel of land is in relation to other parcels and the surrounding features. During the process, survey crews will use various surveying tools and techniques in their work. Stakes and or markers, sometimes called monuments, may be placed to indicate locations and or information. Only after proper evaluation and documentation by the Licensed Land Surveyor, can these markers be judged "boundary" items. After this, these markers should usually be preserved. The location of property corners will trigger a Record of Survey to be recorded with the governing county the property is located within.
We can typically get your property corners set within 2 weeks following a signed contract with our company. However, this time frame can vary depending on various conditions outside of our control. We will keep you informed of the schedule.
A Record of Survey is a legal document that will certify the location of your property and the markers that were set for your property corners. It is necessary for any legal action regarding the location of property lines.
Per RCW 58.09.040, it is mandatory that a record of survey be filed with the county auditor within 90 days after the property corners are set. This recorded document also serves as proof that your property corners were set under the direction of a licensed professional land surveyor and shows the methods, existing monumentation, mathematical geometry, and supporting evidence that was used to determine where the property is in relation to other parcels and surrounding features.
A title report will give us a certified legal description for your property. Legal descriptions provided on the county assessors site are not guaranteed to be accurate. For this reason, we will often request that a title report, subdivision guarantee or plat certificate be obtained, as this report will show who the property is vested in and encumbrances (including easements, covenants, restrictions etc.) affecting the property.
Underground utilities are everywhere and affect the placement of new construction improvements, structures, grading, and new utility connections. For this purpose, utility locates are required for all land use actions and design projects. The jurisdiction will need to see them to approve these projects.
Depending on the size of your property, vegetation coverage, and the degree of difficulty to determine where your property is in relation to other parcels and surrounding features, the costs can vary. We have a quick and easy process for providing you with a quote.
All jurisdiction review times vary greatly depending on the type of permit you are submitting for. Most jurisdictions will require a pre-application meeting before you submit for any type of permit at which time, they can give you a rough estimate based on your proposed project. We generally advise our clients to complete a boundary and topographic survey that can be used for the pre-application meeting as to give the jurisdiction an accurate depiction of the current conditions of the property.
Most building inspectors will need proof that your foundation is not encroaching into the required building setbacks from your property line. This also means that they need to see the physical locations of the property corners. We can provide the property corner staking in addition to the foundation staking. It is best construction practice to have the foundation staked by a surveyor in order to accurately locate the foundation in the correct position on the site based on the approved plans. In cases where there is a height restriction, a land surveyor can provide foundation staking with cuts and fill references to the finished floor that will assist the contractor in construction the foundation at the correct height.
GIS, or Graphical Information Systems, are a repository for all sorts of data including things such as elevations of land, who owns it, where landslides may occur, wetland locations, etc. This information is only as good as the source and since the satellite mapping of topography and locations varies significantly it cannot be relied on for detailed information gathering or anything that relates to legal lines on a property.
