Land Survey FAQ's and Resources

Surveying is the technique and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional space position of points and the distances and angles between them. These points are usually on the surface of the Earth and are often used to establish land maps and boundaries for ownership or governmental purposes.

• Prior to site design, construction, building a house, installing a fence, or performing other types of construction including commercial construction staking.
• After construction to create an as-built plan of the site or building.
• Prior to purchasing land, to make sure of what you are buying and for title insurance purposes.
• Prior to developing land or dividing a piece of land into smaller parcels.
• When you sell a parcel of land not previously surveyed.
• To accurately verify the amount of land assessed for taxes.
• Before a boundary line dispute arises when you think your neighbor may have encroached on your property.

The largest investment most people make is their home or land. Each landowner should have a survey completed of their property to insure they are buying and getting what they believe they are. Each landowner should also know where their property lines/boundaries lie in order to protect their property from encroachments and trespassing. Too many times people opt out of the option for a survey and end up with legal and or neighbor issues.Although a land survey may seem tedious and unnecessary, there are many cases in which a land survey can save you money, confusion or legal troubles later. When land purchases are priced per acre, know the exact acreage you are buying and paying for.  A proper land survey will give you a better overall understanding of your land. A land surveyor will research any documents available about your land, including titles and previous surveys. He/she will then physically measure the property, checking these dimensions against the previous records to find any discrepancies.

A professional land surveyor renders a highly technical service in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, codes and court decisions set forth by local, county, state and federal authorities. This includes stringent educational requirements. Because of the special skills and complexities involved in surveying land, statutes limit this practice only to those surveyors duly licensed by State Boards of Registration.

As with all other professionals, you should hire a land surveyor based on their qualifications and their track record. Communication is a must. You should hire someone you are comfortable talking to and that you want to do business with. There are many licensed surveyors in Wisconsin, they all passed the same test, but their reputation, experience and availability based on your needs may vary greatly. Word of mouth is the best indication that you are choosing the right land surveyor. Always ask if they are properly insured with liability and errors and omissions insurance.

There are many factors that come into play during the process of a survey. These factors include things such as the type of survey and survey equipment required, weather conditions, type of terrain, availability of existing records and controlling survey monuments, date of last survey, disturbed or missing property corners, size of tract to be surveyed, access to the property and the scope of services required, to name a few. Before pricing or quoting a survey, a review of these and other factors should be taken to insure an accurate price is given. Be upfront with your surveyor and let them know what you expect as a final product and the services you expect to receive during the site survey process. While these variables will cause survey costs to vary, Cedar Creek Surveying can furnish an estimate before beginning the project based upon prior experience. A well-prepared land survey will be the least expensive part of your total land investment cost.

You can potentially save money by eliminating time and expenses on the surveyor’s part by providing information and documents in advance of a survey. If circumstances allow, it can also be beneficial for you to visit the site with the surveyor.

• Purpose of the survey
• A brief history of ownership and previous conveyances
• A copy of the deed of your property, or the book and page number where the deed is recorded in the county clerk’s office
• Any past survey documents (i.e., survey plats) related to the property
• The location of and any disagreements about corners and property lines
• Names and addresses of adjacent property owners
• A copy of the title policy from when the land was purchased.

Depending on the reason for the survey you may need to do nothing. If it is for a transfer of property, you probably need to get the survey to an attorney to prepare a deed or in some cases it may need to be reviewed by a county or municipal officer in order to verify it meets all applicable zoning, subdivision and any other rules and laws. Your surveyor will help guide you through this process and make sure you have what you need.

Surveys are used in the preparation of legal documents such as deeds, easements, agreements, etc. and the results of a survey are often time reflected on a plat or map. These records may transfer land for many years and are often the only source for finding the true and original location of property corners. This alone assures that surveys are good for a long time, if not forever. Old plats or maps are often used by current land surveyors to retrace old boundary lines. An owner may only have their property surveyed once but refer back to their documents for many years.