With the advent of GPS technology you may not be aware of what a surveyor does but if you are buying land or getting ready to build a home or remodel and add on to an existing home the chances are you are going to need a surveyor to verify several key areas dealing with your property and construction.
Surveying is the profession of accurately determining the three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them. These points are associated with positions on the surface of the Earth and can be used several times during a construction project to verify that the work authorized was completed to the specifications set on the Plot Plan or Site Plan.
This usually entails a complete survey of the site to confirm that the structures, utilities, and roadways proposed were built in the proper locations per the Plot Plan or Site Plan. New home construction surveys are usually done 2-3 times during the building of a house; once after the foundation has been poured; once after the walls are put up; and at the completion of construction.
When developers are working up a new area the utilize surveyors to do construction surveying which is also call laying out or setting out the land. This is the process of establishing and marking the position and detailed layout of new structures such as roads or buildings and putting stakes where each item will be placed for construction. In a new development you see these stags and flags used to mark the boundaries of the property lines within the development.
If you are purchasing a home that is outside a City’s limits it is quite possible you will need to have an erosion and sediment control plan. This plan is drawn in conjunction with a Subdivision Plan and denotes how upcoming construction activities will effect the movement of storm water and sediment across the construction site and onto abutting properties. Home owners and developers must adjust grading activities to limit the depositing of more storm water and sediment onto abutting properties than was done prior to construction.
If you are having a new home built whether it is a spec built home or a design build home you will probably have to have a foundation survey. A foundation survey is done to collect the positional data on a foundation that has been poured and is cured. This is done to ensure that the foundation was constructed in the location authorized in the Plot Plan, Site Plan, or Subdivision Plan. When the location of the finished foundation is checked and approved the construction on the rest of the home can begin.
Whether your home is new or a few years old or a century old if you live in a subdivision there is a copy of a plot plan or site plan that was drawn by a surveyor. If you can’t find your copy of the site plan in your home the public records section of your local government will have a copy. The site plan is a proposal plan for a construction site that includes all existing and proposed conditions on a given parcel of land. The existing and proposed conditions always include structures, utilities, roadways, topography, and wetlands designation and location if necessary.
To find a qualified licensed surveyor today click on HandyAmerican.com today.
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