When you’re sick, you go to a doctor. When you have a legal issue, you call a lawyer. A toothache? Time for the dentist. A surveyor is no different—when you need one, you really need one. However, many people don’t know when that moment will come.
The most common time you’ll hire a surveyor is when you’re buying or selling real estate. Whether you’re purchasing your first home or closing on commercial property, a survey provides essential information that protects your investment and helps ensure a smooth transaction.
Why Surveys Matter in Real Estate Transactions
Lenders often require a survey before approving a loan because they want a complete picture of the property. A typical boundary survey will show:
- The location of structures such as the house, pool, decks, and driveways
- Fence lines
- Any encroachments – objects crossing over property lines either onto your property or from it onto a neighbor’s, most commonly a fence or outbuilding.
Encroachments are more common than you might think. Fences, sheds, driveways, and other improvements often drift over boundary lines, sometimes by just a few inches. A survey identifies these issues early, before they become costly surprises.
After You Close: What Should You Do with Your Survey?
Tucked into the mountain of closing paperwork is an important document: your survey. Don’t just file it away—use it.
Take your survey and walk the perimeter of your new property. The survey map will show the location and description of your property corners. In Alabama (and most other states), surveyors must set new property corners with a metal rebar or rod and cap it with their registration number and company name. Surveyors usually mark these corners with ribbon and a wooden stake labeled with the lot number.
Being able to easily identify your corners helps prevent future boundary disputes with neighbors. And once you know where they are, take care of them:
- Don’t cover them with leaves, mulch, or yard debris.
- Don’t remove or disturb them.
- Make sure you can always walk up to a corner and place your toe on it.
Surveying for Development Projects
Surveyors play a critical role long before any new construction begins. Engineers rely on surveyors to provide detailed boundary and topographic surveys for properties under development. These surveys include:
- Property lines and corners
- Land contours
- Drainage features
- Utilities, sewer lines, and other infrastructure
Engineers use this information to design residential subdivisions, apartments, shopping centers, office buildings, industrial facilities, bridges, and roadway projects. Without accurate survey data, high-quality site design simply isn’t possible.
Commercial Transactions and ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys
For commercial real estate deals, attorneys often request an ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey. These are highly detailed surveys designed to meet national standards and typically include:
- All improvements on the property
- Boundary lines and encroachments
- Building heights
- Number of parking spaces
- Access points
- Easements that either benefit or burden the property
Surveyors usually receive a title policy and zoning report to ensure full accuracy. ALTA/NSPS surveys are commonly requested at the completion of commercial construction or during major real estate transactions.
Surveying During Construction
Construction companies depend on surveyors for precise layout work—called construction stakeout. Regardless of the project’s size, construction professionals must know exactly where to place structures and utilities. Surveyors stake out:
- Buildings
- Parking lots
- Storm and sanitary sewer lines
- Water lines and other utilities
On large, complex projects, such as long roadway or pipeline corridors or multi-acre industrial facilities, surveying can take weeks or months and must be extremely precise. Even small errors can ripple into costly delays.
So… When Will You Need a Surveyor?
Whether you’re buying a home, developing land, selling commercial property, or starting construction, surveyors are there to help protect your investment. So, when my phone rings, it’s usually someone needing one of these surveys—or sometimes it’s just my wife. After all, surveyors are normal people too.