Why does it cost so much for a boundary survey?
The cost of a boundary survey depends on many variables of the property being surveyed;
size, shape, terrain, vegetation, and the amount of existing survey records in the area.
The surveying process can be very similar to placing pieces in a puzzle. The first step
in the process is to obtain copies of all the survey records in the area of your
property. This usually takes several hours ($300 minimum). The Surveyor is required to
look at all adjoining properties, right-of-ways, and water boundaries to determine how
your piece of the puzzle fits in with the adjoining pieces. Given a legal description of
the property and all adjoining properties, the Surveyor locates the property on the
ground. This generally takes a minimum of one day in the field and several hours of
office calculations ($1200 minimum). Once the fieldwork is completed, a Record of Survey
map is prepared that will be recorded at the County Surveyors office. This generally
takes a minimum of one day in the office ($500 minimum). Each County Surveyors office
also requires a fee to record the survey. These fees range anywhere from $50 to $250. If
the Record of Survey is to be followed by a land division of the property, a more
detailed review of the Record of Survey is required and the recording fee can be as much
as $450. The recording fee is usually paid directly by the client. The average cost of
most residential boundary surveys is $2500, plus the recording fee.
Where can I get a copy of a survey of my property?
Each county has all boundary survey records for that county located at the County
Surveyors office. Keep in mind that not all properties have been surveyed. A visit to
your local County Surveyors office will let you know if your property has ever been
surveyed, and if so, when it was last surveyed.
How long does it take to complete a boundary survey?
From the time you hire a Surveyor to perform a boundary survey on your property, it
generally takes about two to three weeks before their work is complete. In addition to
that, the recording process with the County Surveyors office can take three to four
weeks. Most people hire a surveyor to show them where their property corners are, and
are satisfied at the point when they are set. If timing is of essence, be sure to let
the Surveyor know that up front. It can take as little as three days to complete the
Surveyors portion of the project, depending on the Surveyors schedule.
Why do I have multiple property corners at a point on my property that should only have one?
Surveying is not an exact science. Surveyors may weigh different evidence collected
during the investigation of their survey differently. For the most part, we end up very
close in our calculations to prior surveys performed on properties and choose to accept
the location of the survey marker established prior to our survey. Unfortunately, there
are times when our calculations provide us with a location for a property corner that is
too far off from an existing property corner for us to accept its location and we end up
setting another property corner near the existing property corner. We only do this when
we strongly believe to have a more accurate location of the property corner, because we
may be required to stand up in a court of law and defend our survey.
Where should I build my fence?
When preparing to build a fence, the first thing I would suggest is to talk to your
adjoining neighbor. Let them know what you are planning to do. Ask them if they are
willing to share in the cost. Surveyors (at least myself) like fences to be centered on
the property line (4”x4” posts having 2” on each side of the property line). It makes it
very easy for us to find property lines, and is most fair for the affected property
owners. When centering the fence on the property line, be very careful as to not disturb
the property corners themselves. As described above, it can be very expensive to replace
them. If your neighbor is very hostile about your fence building then locate the entire
fence on your property, just locate it as close to the property line as possible.
Benthin Engineering has 17 years of surveying experience!
