All homeowners should consider conducting a residential property survey. This thorough assessment of a plot of land serves as official documentation detailing property lines when buying and selling your home or piece of property. If you’ve never a survey performed, you may be wondering what it entails. Here are the answers to the most frequently asked questions about property surveys.

4 Common Questions About Property Surveys 

What is a property survey?

A property survey is a document outlining the legal boundaries around a plot of land. By providing the exact dividing lines between your land and surrounding properties, residential property surveys establish what land belongs to you and what belongs to your neighbors.

They also include details like easements—the legal right to use another’s land for a specific purpose—and any limitations placed on an area by local or state laws.  

When should they be conducted?

Property surveys are necessary if you're planning to develop, buy, or sell land. They're essential for home construction projects, especially those that require a permit. Smaller projects, such as building a fence or shed, will significantly benefit from a residential property survey. A survey will prevent you from accidentally constructing a fence along the wrong boundary lines or from placing your new shed too far over the edge of your neighbor's yard.

Mortgage lenders often request a residential property survey to confirm its value and ensure the boundaries match those listed on all documents. This documentation also provides clarity for neighbor disputes that may arise regarding boundary lines. 

What does a survey involve?

To assess your property, a professional land surveyor will research all historical and legal paperwork tied to your land, including court documents, land deeds, and previous surveys. This research is followed by fieldwork, which requires the use of specialized equipment to take physical measurements of the land in question. The surveyor will then construct a map of their results. 

Because surveys are part of public record, a surveyor is legally and professionally obligated to be as accurate as possible.

How much do they cost?

The cost of a survey varies according to the property’s size, location, and terrain. It also includes the price of hiring a land surveyor. Regardless of the price, the result is worth it. You’ll have official documentation that saves you extra work and future headaches that could be associated with home renovation projects, building construction, and buying and selling land.

If you're planning a major home renovation project or thinking about selling your house, contact Ferguson & Foss Professional Land Surveyors PC to conduct a thorough property survey. The owners hold more than 45 years of experience, using the latest surveying equipment to provide you with as much information as possible about your property and its boundaries. They specialize in multiple types of surveys, including boundary retracing and topographic surveys. Learn more about them online or call (518) 762-9997 for a price quote.