How to Survey a Property?

Although it is possible to survey a property yourself, it is best to hire a professional.

The reason it is best to hire a professional is because they will know exactly what to look for. In addition, having professional survey results may end up saving you money in the future.

If you attempt to survey a property yourself, you run the risk of not accurately identifying the legal boundaries because you don't how to determine where the lines start. Because of this, while you are trying to conduct the survey you may potentially end up walking on another person's property. In most instances people will not like anyone walking on their property without their permission. This is another reason why you should hire a professional.

The way a professional surveyor will start surveying a property, is by first determining the legal boundary lines. He or she will be able to get some of this information from the local county office. Next the surveyor will survey the land to look for any potential power poles or electrical ground wiring. When a power company installs ground wiring, they are usually required to mark the area. A professional surveyor will be able to identify these markings. In regards to power poles, the surveyor will be able to determine if the poles are located in the right amount of distance from the property. If not, this could potentially cause a health hazard.

Next, the surveyor will survey all the trees located in and near the property. Knowing if certain trees are located on your property is very important in case one of the trees fall down during a storm. If that tree happens to fall on your neighbor's home and it is legally located on your property, then your neighbor's insurance company can sue you for damages.

The next step for the surveyor is to walk the property to identify any potential drainage issues or structural problems. Both of these issues have the potential to cause a lot of problems down the road if they are not properly identified and corrected.

It usually takes several trips around a property for a professional surveyor to gather all the information they need to make a report. Once all the findings have been confirmed and analyzed, you will receive a copy of the report for your files. Make sure to file the report in a convenient place just in case you need it to defend yourself in a property dispute or in a lawsuit filed by an insurance company. The report will also come in handy in the event you need to sell your property in the future.