For both residential and commercial property developers, securing a site survey will ensure you’re making a sound investment and help you to plan for future construction. A surveyor will map out the boundaries of the site and provide details of utility locations, allowable improvements, shared spaces, and more. If you’re not convinced you need a site survey, here are three reasons to reconsider.

Why Have a Property Surveyed?

1. Boundaries

Knowing a site’s boundary lines will allow you to make efficient and lawful use of the property. For example, if you’d like to install a privacy fence, a site survey will ensure you don’t encroach on a neighbor’s property. Similarly, you may discover an outbuilding on a neighboring site is crossing into space that’s yours. With a site survey, you’ll have evidence to pursue or settle a boundary dispute if necessary. 

2. Zoning Regulations 

A site’s zoning classification establishes the rules for how you can use the property. Regulations may address the type of building you're allowed to construct, restrictions on accessory structures, guidelines about size and height, and more. A site survey will inform construction design plans and prevent you from making mistakes that may delay a development project or lead to cost overruns.

3. Utilities 

You may have a sense of the surface of a property, but what’s going on beneath it? A surveyor will inform you of cables, drains, and anything else underground. In some cases, a utility company may require access to your site to maintain services or dictate the height of  trees—details you should know before you invest and start planning construction. Unless you know the location of underground utilities, you may damage them during construction.

Get help with site surveys from Berling Engineering in Covington, KY. They provide residential lot, boundary, and topographic surveys as well as utility, right-of-way, and GIS (geographic information system) mapping services to clients across Northern Kentucky. Count on their civil engineering experts to help you with your next construction project. If you’re a land developer or property owner, they’ll help you manage the details associated with land use regulations and permits. Call (859) 331-9191 to schedule a consultation, or visit them online to see examples of successful projects.