Property Surveys Prior to Real Estate Purchases

A property or real estate survey will assist the purchaser of real property to determine whether fences, trees or other such objects are properly located within the property being conveyed.  The survey will answer any questions as to property boundaries so the purchaser is aware of where their property lines are located. Having a survey will help resolve any boundary issues that may arise later with adjacent property owners.

Clear Border Definitions as Part of a Survey

Property boundaries are reflected in the survey so that the homeowner knows where their property lines are located.

Encroachments

Encroachments are buildings, fences and other structures that are located onto neighboring property.  Encroachments can be corrected by giving or selling the encroaching party an easement or by moving the encroachment if possible onto the owner’s property.

Flood Zones

Flood zones are geographic areas designated by FEMA according to varying levels of flood risk. The zones are shown on a community's Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) or Flood Hazard Boundary Map.   Each zone indicates the level of severity or type of flooding in a particular area.  For more information, you can visit the FEMA map website.

Elevation

The height above sea level.

Types of surveys

There are different types of surveys. The following is a list of the most common types:

• House location survey.  A plat map that shows all the existing structures and property lines located on a lot.  
• Disputed boundary survey.  If there is a boundary dispute, a surveyor will be able to retrace the title and legal description of the land and analyze the physical evidence of boundaries of the land to help the owners resolve the dispute.  If an original survey is available, the surveyor can retrace the steps of the original surveyor to locate the discrepancy. The boundary survey will also indicate the easements and encroachments showing any restrictions that might have been imposed on the property by state or local regulations or previous owners.
• Valuation.  A valuation survey compares the subject property with similar properties considering factors such as age, condition and location and indicates flaws which could affect the value of the property. It is not as detailed as a real survey.  
• Building survey.  A building survey takes into consideration the structure of the building and its current condition, but does not include the value.

A local Real Estate lawyer who specializes in construction law and in particular, survey law will work with you to select a licensed surveyor to ensure that the property of interest is well defined.