Commercial and residential site surveying services

A building or house location survey is typically conducted to determine general land boundaries and building location on a given parcel of land for title and transfer purposes. After a building location survey has been completed, the land owner or title company receives a survey determination that the structure they are purchasing meets current zoning and building codes and that there are no apparent encroachments on the property. Building location surveys are generally not used for permitting purposes as they do not contain the necessary details required by most municipalities to issue a permit.  

Permit surveys are similar to a building survey in that they locate and identify property fixtures but they also measure and provide the details required for issuance of general building permit, which can include location of visible utilities, building heights and depending upon the improvement planned, grade elevations.   

The boundary survey is a means of marking boundaries for sufficient definition and identification to uniquely locate each lot, parcel or tract. The purpose of a boundary survey is to establish, reestablish, or describe the physical position and extent of the boundaries of real property. Monuments or reference control points which were used to determine the original property lines are set or recovered on the ground to the extent possible and then shown on a plat so that the property lines can be determined or reestablished.  

Topographical surveys lay out the location of natural and man-made features on a property. These features may include buildings, fences, utilities, ponds, rivers, trees and elevations. Topographic surveys are often used by engineers and architects for planning site improvements and are often required for permits.  

An elevation certificate is used to determine a building's elevation compared to the estimated height that potential floodwaters will reach in a major flood. This is used by insurers to mitigate their risks and can help homeowners to lower their insurance premiums.   

An ALTA Land Title Survey is a type of boundary survey that adheres to the rigorous national standards set by the American Land Title Association and the National Society of Professional Surveyors. This survey is specially designed for the commercial development of real property and provides more comprehensive and detailed information. This type of survey is recommended for vacant parcels and fully developed commercial developments like apartments or business complexes. Lenders who are financing commercial real estate may require an ALTA survey to protect their security interests and investments from claims that are not disclosed by a title search.  

A drone survey uses an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to capture site aerial survey data using downward facing sensors. Maps are produced from this data which can then be used to extract information such as highly accurate distance or volumetric measurements. Drones can be used to document construction activities and perform site boundary measurements. Survey drones have quick data collection times, excellent positional accuracy, are compatible with ground measurement tools and they can provide access for larger parcels particularly areas that are difficult to reach, particularly those with water boundaries.