Volunteer Surveying FAQs

• Allows visualization of the exact boundary on the property with which you are buying or selling.

• To determine if there are any easements for utilities on your property (sewer, water, power lines, drainage ways, etc.).

• A property survey and drawing provides you with the precise locations of all structures (barns, outbuildings, houses, etc.), driveways, and/or fence lines, as well as exact property line measurements related to those property boundary lines.

• Identifies any encroachments on the property (such as buildings, driveways, or fences) or encroachments that may be crossing boundary lines.

• A boundary survey might also identify whether the property is located in a flood plain.

• A boundary survey is the initial step taken to subdivide your property if you wish to divide it amongst family members.

• A boundary survey can provide marker points along your property lines. This allows you to put up a fence on your property boundary line in the correct location. Doing this helps to avoid the mishap of encroaching on a neighboring property or leaving too much space between the property and fence line.

• A boundary survey should be done to make sure the building you’re constructing is on the lot, and not encroaching on any easement lines.

The cost of a boundary survey hinges on several variables: the season of the year (vegetation changes with the season), the vegetation type, the terrain (valleys, hills), the size of the parcel, and extensive deed research. If the landowner has any deeds or plats that are not of public record, these should be provided to the surveyor. Over the course of several years, some parcels have had many different owners. Adjacent parcels may have been added to the original parcel and some portions may have been sold. The higher the frequency of additions and subtractions, the more complex the deed research becomes. A general quote can usually be provided over the phone based on the use of aerial imaging and digital measuring. This quote is an estimate and may be provided in a range in order to accommodate for any unforeseen circumstances after the survey is initiated.

After the survey is completed the landowner should expect that the boundary corners are marked or flagged using surveyor’s ribbon and paint (special requests can be made but there may be an additional charge). A wooden stake may also be positioned next to the corner marker as a “witness” to a particular monument point on the property (such as posts, corner trees, fence corners, etc.). Any replacement or new corners that are set must be marked with the identifying information of the land surveyor who performed the work.  After the survey is completed, the landowner may wish to replace any flagging or wooden stakes with a permanent marker such as a metal fence post. It is also wise for landowners to regularly walk their boundary lines to make sure monuments haven’t been disturbed or to refresh them when necessary. Lastly, the land surveyor should create a drawing that shows the results of a boundary survey. State law nearly always requires the preparation of a drawing. The survey drawing provides the landowner with a permanent record of the survey with which they can have recorded in the register’s office of their county.

Much like any other type of survey, a topographic survey (aka topo survey) is completed to locate natural and man-made features on a specific parcel of land. Sometimes called planimetric features, it shows things as you would see them from a planar view, think of it as if you were hovering above the site. This survey is different in that it reveals the different elevations of the surface of the land. After the survey, these elevations are then shown on a resulting map. The topo survey generally includes man-made underground features, such as utility lines, as well as additions above ground, such as retaining walls, buildings, utility poles, etc.

The elevation, or variations in elevation, on the surface is usually drawn as contours. A contour line is a line connecting points of equivalent elevation. These contours represent relative elevations over the surface of the surveyed land. According to industry standards, contour lines must be accurate to within half the contour interval. So, a 1-foot contour line should be within a half-foot (0.5’) of the actual elevation on the ground. 

Some topo surveys will also supplement contours with spot elevations at certain significant points. Conditional on the survey’s purpose, spot elevations may be accurate to within a tenth of a foot (0.1’), or even a hundredth of a foot (0.01’) of the actual elevation.

A topo survey is usually completed to achieve an accurate record of the current existing conditions regarding a parcel of land that will undergo some type of developmental activity. 

Design Engineers use these as the beginning point for their design, then plan around it to create a proposal of what the final surface will be like. Knowing the original surface allows engineers to more accurately calculate the amount of earthwork required to get the site to the needed grade. The engineer can also balance the earthwork in order to determine how much dirt will need to be removed or brought to the site.

An architect will use the topo survey in a comparable way but often takes it a step further, creating a 3- dimensional map to get a more clear idea of what the finished project will look like after improvements. This may be used in a presentation to the public in a public meeting or to the owner of the land prior to design and construction.

Often, a topo survey is extremely helpful when dealing with a severely limited site. The site might be limited by extreme terrain (steep slopes), existing features, or adjacent structures. A precise topo survey helps to ensure the designed improvement will fit within the limitations of the site.

The final product is a map identifying all of the necessary features along with the contours that represent the elevations. An architect or engineer can also be supplied an electronic map to use in further design. The electronic file will include all the break lines and spot shots so that a digital terrain model (DTM) can be developed. All of these break lines and spot shots might not be represented on the printed version of the topo map.

Many homeowners, and even those that own commercial properties, are being faced with the prospect of having to purchase flood insurance. Flood insurance is nothing an individual can opt out of purchasing if the mortgage company has determined that the property is located in an area with a 1% annual chance of being overwhelmed by flooding due to storm events.

The 1% chance means that a particular property is subject to flooding based on a storm event that would occur at least once in a one-hundred-year time period. The vast majority of these properties that are prone to flooding are located near water sources such as creeks, rivers, tributaries, and tidal areas. The reason for the flooding is based primarily on rainfall intensity during a short duration. When we have a heavy rainfall during a very brief period of time, the drainage run-off can become overwhelmed and the creeks will begin to “back up” as there is nowhere for the storm runoff to go fast enough. Ordinarily this does not pose a threat to property. However, when talking about the 100-year flood, serious damage can occur.

All of the data used to determine the 100-year flood boundaries is gathered by surveyors and engineers. Flood studies are produced and maps are drawn. These maps are used by FEMA, lenders, engineers, surveyors, and local governing jurisdictions as a tool to assist in land development. County regulations prohibit any development in the 100-year flood plain. That was not always the case. New developments will create new streams of stormwater runoff, so engineers must account for the impact these stormwater runoff changes will have on any adjoining tributaries. And lenders require flood insurance for any property deemed to be in the 100-year flood zone.

FEMA reissues new maps every five to ten years for the different communities, and the flood boundaries are often redrawn. This is when the difficulty happens. When you purchased your property, the property may not have been shown to be in a 100-year flood zone. However, when you go to sell the property or refinance the property, it may very well be shown in the 100-year flood zone based on reissued maps. NOW WHAT? Not many prospective buyers are going to be willing to purchase your property if it is in a 100-year flood zone and they will have to pay an additional cost per month for flood insurance. That cost can only increase and is permanent. It does not contribute one dime to your home equity. There are solutions.

Precaution

I need to make one thing absolutely clear before reading on. If your lender has made a determination that your property is located in a 100-year flood zone and requires an elevation certificate to remove the requirement for flood insurance, you need to understand that when engaging a surveyor or engineer to complete the certificate, no guarantee can or should be made that, after the work is completed, the results would show your structure is not lying below the flood elevation.

Platting ranks among our key areas of expertise, and Volunteer Surveying is the go-to resource for platting services in the communities surrounding Henry, Stewart, Houston, Humphreys, Benton, Carroll, and Weakley Counties.

We maintain a strict adherence to zoning requirements (lot size, density, use) and subdivision standards:

• Lot dimensions

• Sidewalks

• Street design

• Road access

• Drainage

• Parking

• Buffering and landscaping

One of the least understood parts of the process deals with land use and is the process of platting a subdivision and the requirement for it to be completed. According to the state of Tennessee and regulations that govern local planning authorities, a subdivision is defined as any division of property that results in two or more lots. The regulation further states that if the area of the new lot(s) or the remaining lot is less than 5 acres, it must be platted in accordance with the regulations of the local planning authority.

Major subdivisions requiring the design of sewers, roads, and other utilities are completed in unison with a Licensed Civil Engineer. In general, we provide the engineer with a topo survey and boundary that we’ve prepared. The engineer performs all the needed designs and calculations. Once preliminary approval is received, we prepare a final plat showing street, lot, and utility layout.

Minor subdivisions (2-5 lots) generally do not require the services of a civil engineer. We perform a boundary survey of the identified property. If the subdivision is located outside of city sewage systems, we enlist the help of a state-approved soil consultant to map out the soil to determine percolation rates and additional matters that are required for the Health Department to approve a subsurface sewage disposal system (SSDS) area.

A boundary survey and drawing (plat) that meets the requirements of ALTA (American Land Title Association) and the NSPS (National Society of Professional Surveyors) and incorporates a review of the Title Search provided. ALTA surveys are commonly required for the sale or purchase of commercial property. The final ALTA survey will reflect the minimum standards as identified in Table A and as provided by the client. 

An ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey must adhere to a set of national standards put forth by the National Society of Professional Surveyors and adopted by the American Land Title Association.

Before the surveyor even begins to measure the property, some fairly in-depth research must be conducted. The current title commitment will be examined. A search of the county and municipal records is done to uncover any possible hindrances. The research will provide some foreknowledge of the land and identify any possible conflict before the direct survey begins.

The ALTA survey is held to particularly strict standards of accuracy. The allowable error in linear feet for urban property is about 1 foot in just less than 3 miles. In other words, for every 15,000 feet, the survey can only be off by as much as 1 foot.

Standards will loosen as level land and population density decreases. (Table A)

Land Type            Allowable Error

Suburban:                1 foot in 10,000 feet

Rural:                        1 foot in 7,500 feet

Mountainous:         1 foot in 5,000 feet

With today’s technology, this isn’t as rigorous as it sounds. This accuracy can be reached with laser equipment and GPS satellites.

Why go to all this trouble and expense? This type of survey is commonly used when real estate is being purchased by others that live outside the state where the property lies or an out-of-state party. The ALTA/NSPS is a national standard that puts everyone on the same page of expectations.