Category: Surveying

Land Surveying is an ancient profession that dates as far back as the Ancient Egyptians and mentioned in the Bible. Today there have been many advancements in the profession, especially in technology. But at its core, land surveying is a both a legal and technological pursuit. So what kind of survey work do you need?

What is an ILC?
An Improvement Location Certificate (ILC) is a document used for a real estate transaction. It is unique to the State of Colorado and is governed by a specific set of laws in the Colorado Revised Statutes. The document is usually requested by the title company or lender involved in the real estate transaction. It’s important to realize that an ILC is not a boundary survey, in fact, it’s not even a survey. An ILC is a graphical representation of the improvements on a given parcel of land. The parcel lines shown on an ILC are a graphical re-creation of the record parcel lines as shown on the subdivision plat or described in the deed and are not the result of a boundary evidence analysis. Most land surveyors find one or two boundary monuments on the subject parcel and “rotate in” these record parcel lines to get oriented on the parcel with some degree of accuracy. Because it graphically shows possible encroachments, a title company will sometimes take this document into consideration when issuing title insurance on the subject parcel. It can be used in any real estate transaction, either residential or commercial.

What is an LSP?
A Land Survey Plat (LSP) is a certified boundary survey. When a land surveyor completes an LSP he looks for all of the boundary evidence he can find for a given parcel. This includes extensive research in the office before any field visit occurs. In the field, he looks for boundary monuments on both the subject parcel and adjacent parcels, lines of occupation, and sometimes even has to talk to land owners in the area to gather historic testimony. Per State Statute if boundary monuments are missing on any of the angle points or beginning/end of curves for the subject parcel, he is required to set a boundary monument that meats the State’s requirements. Sometimes the law requires the surveyor file a copy of his survey in the County Public Records. Typically the only improvements shown on an LSP are fence lines of occupation and encroachments, but this varies from parcel to parcel.

What is an ISP?
An Improvement Survey Plat (ISP) is essentially the same thing as an LSP, but shows all of the improvements on the subject parcel both along the boundary lines and the interior of the subject parcel. The same State Statutes that govern LSPs also govern ISPs.

What is an ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey?
An ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey (ALTA) is an extensive boundary survey that coincides with a particular title commitment. It is completed on behalf of a title company during a real estate transaction for commercial property. Besides a boundary survey, showing all improvements and encroachments, it also seeks to answer issues of encumbrances on a subject parcel where they are land surveying related. A title company then takes this survey and considers it when issuing title insurance on the subject parcel.

What is a Site Plan?
A Site Plan varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but essentially is a document showing the existing improvements on a subject parcel along with the proposed structure wanting to be built. It is intended to show the Building Department where one intends to build a house or garage. It may have either ILC level of boundary work or a full certified boundary survey at its base depending on the jurisdiction. Depending on the Building Department who asks for it, may also show spot elevations or drainage arrows.

What is a Topographical Map?
A Topographical Map (Topo) is a 2-dimensional drawing that has contour lines depicting what is happening with the terrain vertically on the subject parcel. The most common example of a Topo are the U.S.G.S. Quad Maps used in backpacking. The amount of space between the contour lines represents how steep or flat the land is. These contour lines represent a standard elevation to the nearest foot or two feet. Depending on who is requesting it, it may have either ILC level of boundary work or a full certified boundary survey at its base.

When do you need a land survey?
https://www.mesacounty.us/departments-and-services/surveyor/when-you-need-land-survey

Gould Land Surveying has a wide range of clients including:

• Real Estate Agents:  both buyer agents and listing agents
• Residential homeowners:  boundary surveys (aka property line survey), points on line for fence building
• Commercial/Development surveys:  easements, rights of way, subdivision plats, legal descriptions, adjustments, lot line vacations
• Architects & Engineers:  Topographic mapping, FEMA elevation certificates, LOMA letters, aerial mapping, aerial control
• Ranch Owners:  large ranch surveys, large 35+ acre land division

Though a land surveyor is frequently associated with construction staking or engineering, the main reason that land surveyors exist in the private sector is to find and identify boundary lines, also known as property lines.

The principle reason that a land surveyor is licensed in a given state is to serve and protect the public in regards to this fact. Boundary surveying is an evidence gathering process that starts in the office and then goes to the field to continue that gathering of evidence. In the end, the surveyor produces a document that shows the results of all this work. A land surveyor’s role is quasi-judicial, this means that we should not be biased or take sides in a given boundary dispute like an attorney would. Nor does a surveyor represent you like a real estate agent would. In both Arizona and Colorado, the State Statutes declare that to land survey, one must be licensed by the state.

Gould Land Surveying is licensed in the states of Arizona and Colorado to serve all your surveying needs!

Q:  What is a boundary survey?
A:  It is a type of land survey to locate boundary lines or one or more corners of a subject parcel. It is sometimes called a certified boundary survey. The document produced showing the results of this work is called a Record of Survey (ROS) in Arizona or a Land Survey Plat (LSP) in Colorado. This type of survey includes looking for existing boundary monuments on the subject parcel as well as looking for boundary monuments on adjacent parcels. At the end of the survey, we set any boundary monuments that are missing on the subject parcel. We have to do this level of work because no parcel sits independently – it has to be in harmony with the other parcels that surround it. We need to locate the boundary monuments on adjacent parcels in order to “prove” the boundary monuments on the subject parcel. The final drawing shows the results of this work and the boundary analysis. An ROS/LSP usually excludes showing physical features except along the boundary lines where fence/wall lines, tree lines, or hedge lines serve as boundary line evidence to consider during boundary analysis.

Q:  Will you identify the boundary monuments on site so that I can see where my corners are?
A:  Yes, For each boundary monument found or set on the subject parcel we also set a 4′ lath next to it and tie survey flagging on it so that it can be easily seen.

Q:  Is there a chance the boundary monuments are already there?
A:  Yes, most likely all or some of the boundary monuments marking the corners are there, possibly below grade where you can’t see them. This is part of what we look for when we do the field for a boundary survey and we set the boundary monuments that might be missing.

Q:  Would the final price of the survey vary depending on how many boundary monuments are already there?
A:  No, pricing is not on a per boundary monument basis. For surveying, costs are driven by two factors – amount of work involved and professional liability. Even if the boundary monuments are there, we still have the time and work involved to find them (this includes office research and calculations time as well as labor time in the field). Furthermore, it’s not just the subject parcel’s boundary monuments we have to look for. Professional surveying requires us also look for the pins on adjacent parcels as well in order to prove the ones on the subject parcel. Drive time to the site is also a factor. If the subject parcel is “out in the middle of nowhere” or at least a long drive from the surveyor’s office, this has to be factored into the price.

Q:  Is it possible to skip a full ROS/LSP and just have you come out and flag up my boundary monuments to save money?
A:  No, if we just come out and flag the boundary monuments where they are, without doing the work of evidence finding/analysis and locating other boundary monuments to check against, we are doing a dis-service to the public. If one or more of those boundary monuments are off, then we have told you that this is where your corner is, when that’s really not where it is.

In addition, a surveyor doesn’t just magically know where boundary monuments are, there is a lot of pre-field work research and calculations that have to be completed in the office prior to showing up on site of the subject parcel. This amount of work, combined with the reasons stated above, is why Gould Land Surveying does not engage in “find and flags.” In Colorado, the State Board that governs land surveyors actually frowns on this practice, this is partly because of the reasons stated above, but also Colorado statutes clearly state that if we come out and participate in survey work, we have to deliver a document to you showing the results of that work.

Q:  Does the survey have to be filed anywhere?
A:  It depends.
In Arizona, if we have to set any missing boundary monuments on the subject parcel or upgrade a found boundary monument on the subject parcel, then yes, we have to record our survey per State Statutes. This recording is in the County Recorder’s Office so that it is in the public records database.

In Colorado, if the subdivision the subject parcel is located in is less than 20 years old, then the answer is no. But if it is more than 20 years old, or the subject parcel is not in a platted subdivision (e.g. metes & bounds or aliquot part type of legal description) then the answer is yes. The survey is deposited with the County Recorder so that it is in the public records database.