Surveying your property can help resolve disputes, plan construction projects, and better understand your land's boundaries. While hiring a professional surveyor is the gold standard for legally binding surveys, you might consider conducting a rough property survey yourself for informational purposes. This guide will help you determine whether surveying your own property is feasible and when to bring in a professional
Why Would You Survey Your Property?
There are many reasons to survey your property, such as:
- Property Transactions: Buyers and sellers often need accurate boundaries for listings and legal transfers.
- Construction Projects: Ensure you don’t encroach on neighboring land when building fences, additions, or other structures.
- Dispute Resolution: Settle disagreements with neighbors over property lines without going to court.
While professional surveys are legally binding, a self-survey can provide a rough estimate of your property boundaries for non-legal purposes.
Preparing for a Property Survey
Before heading out with tools, you’ll need some documents to guide your efforts:
- Deed: Look for the "legal description" section, which outlines your property’s boundaries using systems like metes and bounds or the Public Land Survey System (PLSS).
- Plat Map: If available, a plat provides a visual representation of property lines and shared boundaries. These can often be found in city or county records.
Conducting Your Survey
Once equipped with the necessary documents, follow these steps:
- Gather Supplies: Bring a compass, long measuring tape, flags or markers, and copies of your property documents.
- Find a Starting Point: Use a defined corner from the legal description or plat map. Avoid relying on movable landmarks like trees or fences.
- Mark Corners: Begin at the starting point and use your compass to identify the direction (bearing) and distance to the next corner. Mark this corner with a flag or post.
- Measure Carefully: Keep measurements level, even over uneven terrain. If obstacles block your path, measure around them while maintaining accuracy.
- Locate Missing Markers: Use tools like a metal detector or rely on triangulation from other known points.
Repeat this process for all property corners, eventually connecting the points to close the loop.
Challenges of Self-Surveying
While surveying your own property is an informative exercise, it has limitations:
- Accuracy: A self-survey won’t hold up in legal disputes or property transactions.
- Complexity: Interpreting legal descriptions and dealing with missing markers can be challenging.
- Time-Intensiveness: Surveys can take hours or even days, depending on property size and terrain.
For these reasons, self-surveying is best suited for informal use, like resolving minor disputes or gaining a better understanding of your property’s layout.
When to Hire a Professional
A licensed surveyor is essential in the following scenarios:
- Legal Requirements: For buying, selling, or legally redefining property lines.
- Complex Boundaries: In areas with unclear or disputed boundaries.
- Construction Needs: To avoid costly mistakes that could lead to legal disputes.
Professional surveys cost $800 to $5,000 on average, depending on factors like property size, terrain, and location. While it’s an investment, it provides peace of mind and protects your legal interests.
You Can Also Use AcreValue to:
- Explore parcel boundaries and ownership details.
- Access historical maps and survey data.
- Research neighboring properties to clarify shared boundaries.
Final Thoughts
Surveying your property can be a rewarding project, but it’s important to recognize its limitations. Use self-surveying for personal insights, and rely on professionals for legal and financial matters.