Land Surveying FAQs

• The cost of surveys differ of varying sizes and locations of properties. Such things as the complexity of the descriptions, terrain and the shape of the property are factors which must be considered. As a result, only a professional land surveyor can accurately estimate the cost of a survey.
• The cost of a survey can range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. However, most professional land surveyors are willing to discuss their fees and offer an estimate before you authorize a survey. You should keep in mind that the cost of a survey represents a very small percentage of your total investment, but it can help you avoid costly and painful problems in the future.

• All land surveys in New York must be performed by a professional land surveyor who has been licensed and registered to practice in the state.
• Surveyors who are members of the Nassau-Suffolk Civil Engineers, Inc. are all licensed and registered to practice in New York state. In addition, they have subscribed to the "Code of Practice for Land Surveys" adopted by the New York State Association of Professional Land Surveyors, Inc. This code is designed to help maintain a high standard of care and precision in the preparation of land surveys.
• You should inquire whether the surveyors you are considering will certify that their survey has been prepared in accordance with this code and whether they are members of the Nassau-Suffolk Civil Engineers, Inc.
• You can find members listed in the classified section of your telephone directory under "Surveyors, Land."

The professional land surveyor locates the property upon which improvements are planned and constructed. These professional services will cost less in time, worry and expense than the cost of moving a building, relocating improvements or defending a lawsuit in court due to land boundary controversy. Retain a licensed professional land surveyor prior to the investment of funds as a protection of your interests.

• A land survey located upon the ground, the land that your deed describes.
• For most people, the purchase of a home or other real property represents the largest single investment of a lifetime.
• A casual inspection of your property will not be sufficient to determine its boundaries and assure that all buildings, fences and other improvements on your land as well as that of your neighbors are properly located.
• There are many questions you should ask before you purchase land. The most important are:

1. Exactly where are the physical boundaries of the property that I have contracted to purchase?
2. Are the physical improvements (house, garage, fences, etc.) that I was shown actually on the property?

The answers to these questions can be reassuring or distressing, but if they are discovered after closing the sale, the results may be a financial disaster.

They are important because the property described in a contract often is not exactly as it was shown or appeared to the purchaser. Sometimes property that has been improved and maintained by a seller actually belongs to a neighbor. The property lines may go through a garden, a garage or even a house. Occasionally, a contract describes completely different land than was shown to the purchaser.

• Only a professional land surveyor legally licensed and registered to practice land surveying may provide the service necessary to answer these vital questions. A licensed professional land surveyor is an expert at interpreting descriptions of property and is uniquely qualified to accurately and precisely locate property lines.
• A title search will insure that the seller owns the property that has been contracted to sell.
• The services of an attorney will, among other things, assure an understanding of the survey and other documents necessary to the transaction, as well as of the obligations incurred by signing a given document.

Your surveyor will study the documents that apply, including those in your title search. Then a field survey will be conducted, searching for and obtaining evidence of property boundaries and locating any visible improvements on or near the property. When the field survey is complete, the measurements are mathematically proven and the documents compared with the evidence found. After the exact locations are determined by the surveyor, a report is prepared, usually in the form of a survey map.

• The survey map will show you the location of the property lines as described in the deed and title search. It will show the dimensions of the land and the location of the other lines that affect the property as described in your documents and rights of way. It will note any variations from the described angles, lengths and areas that the surveyor may find. The map will also depict the location of visible improvements on or near the property and the relation of those improvements to the property's boundary.
• It may also show that the garden you admired actually belongs to a neighbor or that a part of the land is being used by others. It may show you that the easement, reserved for others in the deed, is just the place where you thought your pool might go someday. It is also possible that there will be evidence of an easement that was not recorded.
• With the survey map, your attorney can determine whether or not property conforms to the local zoning requirements. A survey will aid in evaluating the effect of any covenants and/or restrictions on the property.

• First, it will certainly aid your surveyor during the background search.
• Second, a previous survey might not actually depict current conditions.
• Third, a survey done for a previous owner was done for a specific purpose, and is not transferable to subsequent purchasers.