Types of Land Surveys |
Although there are some places without regulations, every state and most city and county governments have their own regulations regarding the division and transfer of land, ranging from the very simple to the very complex. The land surveys listed below are the most common types performed in this part of Missouri.
Describing What Is There Now
Boundary Survey
A boundary survey is a typical survey which shows your property lines without showing improvements on the property unless they are close to, or over, the property line. It is typically recorded in order to show ownership and possession of the property and to put the public on notice of the findings of the survey.
Boundary Survey with Improvement Location
A boundary survey with improvement location is a typical survey which shows your property lines, house, garage and other major improvements to your property. It is typically recorded in order to show ownership and possession of the property and to put the public on notice of the findings of the survey.
Surveyor’s Real Property Report (Mortgage Survey)
A surveyor’s real property report is more commonly called a mortgage survey and is an attempt to get a boundary survey with improvement location performed for property being sold or transferred at minimal cost. Banks and title companies want an inexpensive way to get assurances that the loaned money is going for the property they thought it was and that there are no obvious title issues or encroachments that a survey would show. I would too. The problem with this type of survey is that in order to be a responsible surveyor and to meet the Missouri state laws and regulations, almost the same amount of work needs to be done for a mortgage survey as a boundary survey with improvement location. The main difference is that with a mortgage survey, the surveyor does not have to set any missing property monuments. In my opinion, an inexpensive mortgage survey is rarely worth the money spent on it. I recommend that a client call various survey companies in the area to see if they have performed survey work on that lot or a lot next door before committing to have the work done. (Please be up front about what you are doing or the surveyor may needlessly spend time putting together a full proposal that you have no intention of accepting.) If a surveyor has done work on the lot or next door, the time and cost of the survey is normally considerably less than if the surveyor has to start from scratch. Even with this, I still recommend in most cases that a boundary survey with improvement location be performed for property transfers and financing of non-commercial property.
ALTA/ACSM Land Title Survey (ALTA Survey)
The ALTA land title survey is a thorough and often costly type of survey that combines many aspects of boundary surveys and topographic surveys with a thorough title search, requiring extensive work in the field and the office. The ALTA survey is often performed for transferring the title to commercial property and for financing or re-financing commercial property. The title search is commonly done by a title company or by a lawyer. The ALTA survey is often recorded in the county recorder’s office in order to protect the rights of the land owner by putting the public on notice of the ownership rights of a piece of property and to simplify the commercial loan processes and contract. While an ALTA survey is the most thorough type of boundary survey commonly used, it is usually cost prohibitive for non-commercial property.
Note: ALTA is the American Land Title Association. ACSM as an organization no longer exists and has been superseded by NSPS, the National Society of Professional Surveyors.
Topographic Survey (Topo)
A topographic survey is a study of the contours and elevations of a property. Topographic surveys are often required for an engineer to design road, bridge, subdivision and building plans. A topo map shows the existing man-made objects on the property and the elevations of the ground along with local reference benchmark(s) and contour lines which represent places of equal elevation. The elevations for a topo can be based on an assumed elevation for the site or a local or national elevation datum (a datum is a mathematical standard of heights relative to a theoretical model). Topographic surveys normally require a call to the state’s One Call or Call Before You Dig organization to have the underground utilities marked. This allows the location of the underground utilities to be represented on the topo as well.
Elevation Certificate
Elevation certificates are used to determine if a building or property are within a designated flood plain. When a property with improvements on it (such as a house, garage or barn) is close to or within a flood plain, a bank or other lending institution may, at their own discretion, require flood insurance for the property. In Boone County, the FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) FIRMs (Flood Insurance Rate Maps) were completely revised and updated in March of 2011. This update has triggered lending institutions to review their flood risk and therefore their requirements for you to maintain flood insurance. In many cases an elevation certificate will show that the building(s) are above the flood plain and the bank will reduce or remove the requirement for flood insurance, but a survey must be performed to if it is.
Note: I personally recommend that property owners get flood insurance even if it is not required by the bank for your property. If your buildings are outside of the designated flood plain, insurance is usually very affordable and can cover many odd situations involving water infiltrating your house and causing damage. Consult with your insurance broker.
Multi-Purpose Surveys
Administrative Survey
An administrative survey is more of a method to get surveys approved for recording than a separate type of survey. The administrative survey process may be used to approve the recording of boundary surveys, transfer to adjoiner surveys, or any other type of survey that does not require public hearings and does not fit into a standard category.
Transfer to Adjoiner Survey
A transfer to adjoiner survey allows for small parcels of land to be transfer from one property owner to an adjoining property owner (i.e. to your neighbor). When approved by the Planning Department, it allows small parcels to be transferred between neighbors. In some cases, this is also known as a boundary line adjustment. Often, the transferred parcel cannot be built upon without additional approval from the controlling jurisdiction, which often requires a subdivision survey. Some jurisdictions only allow this type of survey to be completed as a subdivision and it may have to be done as an administrative survey.
Boundary Line Adjustment
A boundary line adjustment, similar to a transfer to adjoiner survey, it is done when two land owners with a common boundary line (abutting) agree to move the boundary line between them. This is often done to make it more convenient to access a back yard or to correct a long-standing discrepancy between occupation lines and recorded boundary lines. This type of survey often requires approval from the Planning Department for the governing town, city or county in order to ensure that current subdivision and zoning regulations are not violated. When it is approved by a government agency, it may be required to be called something else, such as an administrative plat, and note that some jurisdictions only allow this type of survey to be completed as a subdivision.
Describing Something New
Plot Plan
A plot plan is a simplified drawing of the property that is used to show the location of a building that is going to be built. This allows the various city and county planning entities to review the location for compliance with rules and regulations. It also allows the owners and their builder/architect to plan the building location on the lot for such things as better views, optimal sunlight and ease of parking and turning around in the driveway.
Family Transfer Survey
A family transfer survey is performed in order to transfer small parcels between family members in places where it is otherwise prohibited by zoning or subdivision regulations, such as in Boone County, Missouri. It allows parcels in rural areas that are smaller than the standard minimum lot size to be created. A family transfer survey is often simpler to perform than an administrative survey and you must meet the regulations of the County in order to use it. Several restrictions apply to this type of survey regarding minimum lot sizes, how long the property must be held by the family member before it can be sold and septic system or lagoon requirements. In some cases, splitting the property will not be allowed or will be required to be done as a subdivision.
Subdivisions
A subdivision is generally a splitting of land into two or more parcels when it falls under the controlling jurisdiction’s definitions. Check with a knowledgeable land surveyor and your city or county planning department to see which rules apply in your area. Each jurisdiction may have additional types of definitions for subdivisions, each with their own rules governing them. These may include major subdivisions, minor subdivisions, administrative surveys and family transfers.
Building Something New
Construction Stakeout
Construction Stakeout is taking what is on the plans and putting it on the ground in such a way that people can build something from it. If you drive by a construction site, you will often see flagged wooden stakes in the ground with a nail or hub (a stubby square wood stake) in the ground at its base. The stake and hub may be covered with cryptic words and numbers, all of which are a short-hand used to tell the construction crew where to build things. Construction stakeout takes a strong knowledge of construction methods, a lot of attention to detail and strong arms to pound all those stakes in the ground.
Describing What Is There Now
Boundary Survey
A boundary survey is a typical survey which shows your property lines without showing improvements on the property unless they are close to, or over, the property line. It is typically recorded in order to show ownership and possession of the property and to put the public on notice of the findings of the survey.
Boundary Survey with Improvement Location
A boundary survey with improvement location is a typical survey which shows your property lines, house, garage and other major improvements to your property. It is typically recorded in order to show ownership and possession of the property and to put the public on notice of the findings of the survey.
Surveyor’s Real Property Report (Mortgage Survey)
A surveyor’s real property report is more commonly called a mortgage survey and is an attempt to get a boundary survey with improvement location performed for property being sold or transferred at minimal cost. Banks and title companies want an inexpensive way to get assurances that the loaned money is going for the property they thought it was and that there are no obvious title issues or encroachments that a survey would show. I would too. The problem with this type of survey is that in order to be a responsible surveyor and to meet the Missouri state laws and regulations, almost the same amount of work needs to be done for a mortgage survey as a boundary survey with improvement location. The main difference is that with a mortgage survey, the surveyor does not have to set any missing property monuments. In my opinion, an inexpensive mortgage survey is rarely worth the money spent on it. I recommend that a client call various survey companies in the area to see if they have performed survey work on that lot or a lot next door before committing to have the work done. (Please be up front about what you are doing or the surveyor may needlessly spend time putting together a full proposal that you have no intention of accepting.) If a surveyor has done work on the lot or next door, the time and cost of the survey is normally considerably less than if the surveyor has to start from scratch. Even with this, I still recommend in most cases that a boundary survey with improvement location be performed for property transfers and financing of non-commercial property.
ALTA/ACSM Land Title Survey (ALTA Survey)
The ALTA land title survey is a thorough and often costly type of survey that combines many aspects of boundary surveys and topographic surveys with a thorough title search, requiring extensive work in the field and the office. The ALTA survey is often performed for transferring the title to commercial property and for financing or re-financing commercial property. The title search is commonly done by a title company or by a lawyer. The ALTA survey is often recorded in the county recorder’s office in order to protect the rights of the land owner by putting the public on notice of the ownership rights of a piece of property and to simplify the commercial loan processes and contract. While an ALTA survey is the most thorough type of boundary survey commonly used, it is usually cost prohibitive for non-commercial property.
Note: ALTA is the American Land Title Association. ACSM as an organization no longer exists and has been superseded by NSPS, the National Society of Professional Surveyors.
Topographic Survey (Topo)
A topographic survey is a study of the contours and elevations of a property. Topographic surveys are often required for an engineer to design road, bridge, subdivision and building plans. A topo map shows the existing man-made objects on the property and the elevations of the ground along with local reference benchmark(s) and contour lines which represent places of equal elevation. The elevations for a topo can be based on an assumed elevation for the site or a local or national elevation datum (a datum is a mathematical standard of heights relative to a theoretical model). Topographic surveys normally require a call to the state’s One Call or Call Before You Dig organization to have the underground utilities marked. This allows the location of the underground utilities to be represented on the topo as well.
Elevation Certificate
Elevation certificates are used to determine if a building or property are within a designated flood plain. When a property with improvements on it (such as a house, garage or barn) is close to or within a flood plain, a bank or other lending institution may, at their own discretion, require flood insurance for the property. In Boone County, the FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) FIRMs (Flood Insurance Rate Maps) were completely revised and updated in March of 2011. This update has triggered lending institutions to review their flood risk and therefore their requirements for you to maintain flood insurance. In many cases an elevation certificate will show that the building(s) are above the flood plain and the bank will reduce or remove the requirement for flood insurance, but a survey must be performed to if it is.
Note: I personally recommend that property owners get flood insurance even if it is not required by the bank for your property. If your buildings are outside of the designated flood plain, insurance is usually very affordable and can cover many odd situations involving water infiltrating your house and causing damage. Consult with your insurance broker.
Multi-Purpose Surveys
Administrative Survey
An administrative survey is more of a method to get surveys approved for recording than a separate type of survey. The administrative survey process may be used to approve the recording of boundary surveys, transfer to adjoiner surveys, or any other type of survey that does not require public hearings and does not fit into a standard category.
Transfer to Adjoiner Survey
A transfer to adjoiner survey allows for small parcels of land to be transfer from one property owner to an adjoining property owner (i.e. to your neighbor). When approved by the Planning Department, it allows small parcels to be transferred between neighbors. In some cases, this is also known as a boundary line adjustment. Often, the transferred parcel cannot be built upon without additional approval from the controlling jurisdiction, which often requires a subdivision survey. Some jurisdictions only allow this type of survey to be completed as a subdivision and it may have to be done as an administrative survey.
Boundary Line Adjustment
A boundary line adjustment, similar to a transfer to adjoiner survey, it is done when two land owners with a common boundary line (abutting) agree to move the boundary line between them. This is often done to make it more convenient to access a back yard or to correct a long-standing discrepancy between occupation lines and recorded boundary lines. This type of survey often requires approval from the Planning Department for the governing town, city or county in order to ensure that current subdivision and zoning regulations are not violated. When it is approved by a government agency, it may be required to be called something else, such as an administrative plat, and note that some jurisdictions only allow this type of survey to be completed as a subdivision.
Describing Something New
Plot Plan
A plot plan is a simplified drawing of the property that is used to show the location of a building that is going to be built. This allows the various city and county planning entities to review the location for compliance with rules and regulations. It also allows the owners and their builder/architect to plan the building location on the lot for such things as better views, optimal sunlight and ease of parking and turning around in the driveway.
Family Transfer Survey
A family transfer survey is performed in order to transfer small parcels between family members in places where it is otherwise prohibited by zoning or subdivision regulations, such as in Boone County, Missouri. It allows parcels in rural areas that are smaller than the standard minimum lot size to be created. A family transfer survey is often simpler to perform than an administrative survey and you must meet the regulations of the County in order to use it. Several restrictions apply to this type of survey regarding minimum lot sizes, how long the property must be held by the family member before it can be sold and septic system or lagoon requirements. In some cases, splitting the property will not be allowed or will be required to be done as a subdivision.
Subdivisions
A subdivision is generally a splitting of land into two or more parcels when it falls under the controlling jurisdiction’s definitions. Check with a knowledgeable land surveyor and your city or county planning department to see which rules apply in your area. Each jurisdiction may have additional types of definitions for subdivisions, each with their own rules governing them. These may include major subdivisions, minor subdivisions, administrative surveys and family transfers.
Building Something New
Construction Stakeout
Construction Stakeout is taking what is on the plans and putting it on the ground in such a way that people can build something from it. If you drive by a construction site, you will often see flagged wooden stakes in the ground with a nail or hub (a stubby square wood stake) in the ground at its base. The stake and hub may be covered with cryptic words and numbers, all of which are a short-hand used to tell the construction crew where to build things. Construction stakeout takes a strong knowledge of construction methods, a lot of attention to detail and strong arms to pound all those stakes in the ground.
