Residential Property Survey Equipment

When it comes to conducting a residential land survey, there are many different surveys that can be done. Some may be conducted to determine boundary lines and other may be required before construction can begin. Another type of survey should be conducted before purchasing land. A lender may require this in order to determine the acreage along with showing the buildings that are located on the land. The survey equipment that is used in residential property surveying is similar to the equipment that is used for other types of surveys.

There are many steps that need to be taken by land surveyors before a report is given. This report will include the exact boundaries of the property as well as any other research that is needed. The surveying instruments will be determined by the types of surveys that are required on a specific survey. Each survey is different so the survey tools will be different as well.

One of the first steps a land surveyor will conducts is a background check on the property. They will research the title, deed and other documents associated with the property. In this day and age, many advances have been made to make this research much easier to obtain. Instead of having to go to the county clerk’s office, many surveyors can use the computer to do this research. What would have taken weeks of legwork can actually be accomplished in minutes when a computer is used as piece of survey equipment.

A surveyor will utilize these survey tools, such as GPS equipment to determine if the boundaries that are in existence today are the same as the documents that are on file. The most accurate way to do this is with the GPS surveying. The GPS can quickly find the boundaries and map them out using software. This software can be plugged into the computer to create a virtual map of the boundaries and buildings located on the site.

When an area is in a forest or high elevations, a GPS survey may not be practical. In these instances, the survey equipment that is going to be used is known as an EDM. An EDM stands for electronic measurement device. Another name for it is total stations. These come with built in computers and software so that the survey can be conducted and the data stored for transfer to another computer with CAD capabilities that will map out the data.

Land surveyors will also take more than one measurement. It can take many to pinpoint the exact property lines. The GPS can be used in conjunction with the EDM in order to double check the measurements against themselves. This allows for a more exact boundary line. When the land lines are in dispute, the surveyor may need to be an expert witness to validate the true boundary lines.

A land survey may use other types of survey equipment but the ones listed here are the most common. Property line disputes are very common and surveyors can be kept busy keeping these boundaries intact.