What is a Land Surveying? - Definition & Types

Land surveying is the art and science of establishing or reestablishing corners, lines, boundaries, and monuments of real property (land) based on recorded documents, historical evidence, and present standards of practice. Land Surveying also includes associated services such as analysis and utilization of survey data, subdivision planning, and design, writing legal descriptions, mapping, construction layout, and precision measurements of angle, length, area, and volume.

Types of Land Surveying:

The type of survey you get will depend on the reason you need a land survey. Whether you simply need to locate your property lines or are trying to split parcels of land, professional local land surveyors provide property surveys to cover your particular real estate needs.

The types of land surveys include:

• Mortgage survey.

• ALTA survey.

• Flood Elevation Survey.

• Boundary survey.

• Construction survey.

• Topographic survey.

• Location survey.

• Subdivision survey.

• Site-planning survey.

Mortgage survey

A mortgage survey is a document that, depending on which state you are purchasing a home in, may be required for the closing process. NexGen Surveying provides the entire state of Florida with top-notch, competitively-priced surveying services. Our mortgage surveyors are more than dedicated to delivering mortgage lender surveys exactly when they are needed by our clients.

ALTA survey

An ALTA (American Land Title Association) survey is done when buying a home or investment property. A title company will normally require an ALTA survey before issuing title insurance. An ALTA survey may also be referred to as a mortgage survey since lenders often require them before providing financing.

Flood Elevation Survey

Flood elevation certificates can be used while determining flood insurance rates for your building. If your property is present in a flood-prone zone, you'll be requiring a flood elevation survey done on your property. The certificate shows your property's elevation point compared to the base flood elevation of your location.

Topographic survey

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. A topographic survey is often used by engineers and architects for planning site improvements.

Boundary survey

A boundary survey is used to determine the exact location of property boundaries and corners of a piece of land. A boundary survey may be used to settle legal disputes or locate easements or for personal records.

Construction survey

A construction survey involves the surveyor staking out the location of planned structures and improvements. The surveyor does this to show construction workers where to build and the distances between planned improvements.

Location survey

A location is similar to a boundary survey, but it also includes site improvements. The location survey shows the location and size of improvements as well as the distance measurements between them and the property lines. Property owners often use a location survey for zoning permits.

Subdivision survey

A subdivision survey is used to divide a parcel of land into multiple lots for a subdivision. A subdivision survey is used to create subdivision plats and must be filed in the land records with the recorder's office.

Site-planning survey

A site-plan survey is used to plan the development of site improvements. The proposed building, or other improvements, is drawn inside of a boundary survey. A site-planning survey is normally used when applying for building permits.

Importance of Land Surveying:

Professional land surveying allows you to understand your land boundaries. A survey is performed to locate, describe, monument, and map the boundaries and corners of a parcel of land. It might also include the topography of the parcel and the location of buildings and other improvements made to the parcel.

A land survey helps you in the purchase of land and construction in the right direction. It helps you to decide whether the purchased land is good or bad and whether the land is flood-prone or not. It will also help you to decide whether the deed shown by the seller reflects the correct size of the property.