Do You Need a Topographic Survey for Your Project?

Before any new development or construction on a commercial, residential, industrial or agricultural site, you may need to have a topographic survey performed. This type of survey is frequently needed during your project’s application or permit process to map the terrain and any existing structures. The resulting map is a planning document that your whole project is built upon, whether it’s a dam, a home or a septic field. Natural habitat restoration and other types of environmental projects may also require one. A survey like this is used to determine setbacks and easements from slopes, other land features, hazards and property lines. It’s also used to study the feasibility of planned irrigation and drainage areas, grading work and other land modifications.

How Is the Survey Done?

The variety of terrain, site size, level of accuracy required and accessibility of parts of the site are all considered when a survey company evaluates which method (or methods) to use. Several approaches may be combined, from a survey party of several people on foot, to mapping from the air or with GPS technology. Property lines may need to be established by a Licensed Land Surveyor, especially for older parcels with few official records.

What Does This Type of Survey Cover?

Land features such as ravines, canyons, large mounds, hillsides and cliffs are identified on your property in this type of survey. Man-made and natural ditches, waterways, ponds, levees, river banks and other ground features are also denoted. Boulders, large rock formations, trees and other natural growth are included as well. All man-made retaining walls, outbuildings, utility poles, structures, roads, driveways and existing easements are also investigated and clearly marked. With the resulting survey, you can easily identify obstacles and hazards to your plan and develop work-arounds to accomplish your construction goals.

Moving Forward With a Survey

If your project’s process demands a topographic survey, you need to enlist the help of an experienced company like Chris Nelson and Associates, Inc. Their crew understands the complete landscape of the survey business.

4 Important Reasons to Perform an ALTA Route Survey

Whether working on a government project or a commercial development, a route survey is necessary to provide a utility, boundary, and topographic survey. Chris Nelson can provide an ALTA survey that is essential in determining different elements that impact the ownership of land such as: easements, rights-of-way, and property improvements. When looking for a surveyor, considering one who meets ALTA standards can help to catch many potentially costly issues.

Showcasing Possible Encroachments or Easements

Recorded easements will be plotted on an ALTA survey drawing. Additionally, an ALTA survey will show potential encroachments to avoid a property owner violating the rights of their neighbor by building over or on property that actually belongs to the neighbor. This can avoid costly legal battles down the road.

Removing Title Exceptions

The title insurer can place certain exceptions on a title insurance policy. These exceptions, such as encroachments, are in place to limit the liability of the title insurer. Since an ALTA survey showcases encroachments and other exceptions, the title insurer will remove the exceptions from the policy when an ALTA survey is processed.

Table A Items

These Table A items are additional items that can be included as part of an ALTA survey. These optional items can be ordered at the same time that the original survey is ordered. Having these items done at the same time as the boundary survey can potentially save money since the work will be taking place at the same time.

Consistent Standards

The professionals involved with any deal are going to be familiar with ALTA surveys. That is why having Chris Nelson provide an ALTA survey will provide a level of comfort and familiarity. The ALTA standards are uniform and nation-wide which make it straightforward for any title company to provide title insurance on the property.

Showcasing issues that can arise down the road with a universal set of standards are the prime reasons for ordering an ALTA route survey. Investing in Chris Nelson for an ALTA survey can be one of the most important investments taken with a property.

What is an As-Built Survey?

Have you ever wondered how customers verify major construction projects? When a builder hands over the keys to a new school building, for instance, how do the school officials know that the public got its money's worth? Is the school building the right dimensions and in the exact location that the contract specified?

An as-built survey performed by a surveying company can answer most of these questions. As-built surveys seek to verify that what the builder's contract specified was what they delivered to the customer as a final product. Many land surveyors in Los Angeles offer this type of survey for major construction projects throughout Southern California.

As-built surveys can also help determine if the project in question affects the environments and local ecosystems in ways that environmental regulatory agencies have already approved. As-built topographical surveys can show how the project impacts water flow and erosion which can have major effects on local ecosystems.It could be a costly mishap to exceed environmental impact limits. It can be essential to discover any problems early on because the customer will usually have an easier time holding the construction company responsible if they can quickly demonstrate any errors. Land surveyors in Los Angeles could arm customers with vital information if construction did not meet the contractual specifications.

Another possible benefit of an as-built survey is the ability to verify that the construction company located the structure or project precisely at the specified location. Missing the proper position by just a relatively small amount can be a major problem for the customer. An as-built survey can ensure that the project managers observed the appropriate setbacks and property line restrictions. This type of review can also prove that all dimensions of the finished project are correct. Land surveyors in Los Angeles perform many types of surveying duties, but as-built surveys could be considered one of the most important for significant construction projects.

Why Is Topography Important to Your Land Development Project?

Suburban and urban developments have been growing throughout California, and it is commonly a very lucrative field. However, when completing a land development project, you want to make sure you have a comprehensive understanding of the area and all of its eccentricities. Thousand Oaks land surveyors are essential to gaining a detailed understanding of the land that you hope to build on and can provide you with extensive topographical maps to help you build appropriately.

What is topography? The earth is three dimensional and subtle changes and alterations in land can greatly affect the soundness of structures on its surface. It can additionally significantly affect the efficiency of land development designs. Therefore, topography identifies the roughness, configuration, shape, relief and other three-dimensional attributes on the earth’s surface. Thousand Oaks land surveyors use specialized tools to look at these qualities and create an extensive map.

After observing the land and assessing the information, they can provide you with an extensive and specific picture of the area you hope to develop. These maps show both natural and man made features including hills, lakes, streams, highways and existing structures. This information can then be used to accurately design building projects. With these tools, you can determine the best location and layout for pipelines, dams, fire control routes, trails, roads and buildings. This can help you also assess the best use for the land, and you can decide where to put commercial, industrial and residential space.

While the government has compiled a number of general topographical maps of common regions, there are many holes in this information. However, by working with Thousand Oaks land surveyors, you are able to receive detailed analysis of the mapped information, and they can ensure that you receive the detailed information that you need. Chris Nelson Associates has the knowledge and experience to help you efficiently and successfully design your next land development project.

For more details regarding Thousand Oaks land surveyors, please go to www.chrisnelsonassociates.com.

How Modern Technology Improves Topographic Maps

Topographic surveys, sometimes called "topo surveys" for short, show not just the contours but the
terrain, elevation, and natural and man-made features of a parcel of land. They have been used for
centuries by engineers, architects and other designers to decide what kind of construction is best fitted to the land, and what changes may need to be made to build on it. While historically surveyors used various optical leveling instruments to make a topographic map, the modern Los Angeles topographic survey employs more high-tech solutions.

An aerial topo survey is one of the most useful innovations. These surveys are performed by taking
photographs in an airplane or helicopter at a specific distance from the ground. Multiple photographs
are taken from different points over the land. Then the elevation is calculated by comparing pairs of
photographs to create a kind of 3-D perspective, the same way our depth perception works by seeing
the world through two eyes.

However, aerial surveys are limited in how accurate they can get, so sometimes a Los Angeles
topographic survey must be performed on the ground. The surveyor walks over the entire land, taking measurements at specific intervals depending on how precise the survey needs to be. Modern surveyors use survey-grade GPS equipment. While the commercial GPS in your car or cellphone may be accurate down to a few feet, a survey-grade GPS, when carefully calibrated, can be accurate down to a few centimeters, or even millimeters if it's kept stationary for a period of time. Survey-grade GPS units also calculate vertical as well as horizontal location, measuring the exact height of a particular point.

Having a good topographic map is essential in starting any major construction project. Whatever purpose it's going to be used for, modern technology can ensure that a Los Angeles topographic survey is accurate down to as precise a degree as a designer needs.

Qualities to Look for in a Land Surveyor

Building something can be an exciting process, even if it is just an addition on your lovely Southern Californian home. Before you can start building you will have to hire the services of a land surveyor. If you are like many people, you will probably have no idea where to start. There are a few simple things to look for when searching for a Los Angeles land surveyor.

A competent surveying company will be able to provide references and referrals from past clients. This is a sure sign that you have found skilled professionals. Their references can tell you how timely and thorough they were. Since breaking ground could be on hold until surveys go through, it is important that the company you choose can work efficiently.

Another quality you should seek in your surveyors is up to date equipment. A company that keeps up with technology can give you the most accurate readings of your land. It also indicates dedication to the industry if a company invests in top quality equipment. You should also make sure that the company you hire has all kinds of insurance, including liability and workman’s compensation. Having insurance will protect you, the consumer, from any accidents or unforeseen circumstances.

Finally, the company should be local to your area. Hiring a Los Angeles land surveyor is important because they will know the local laws and regulations. They will have dealt with the local government and, therefore, will be of help to you and your project.

 Do not be daunted by the idea of hiring a land surveyor. If you can find a company that has all the above qualities, you can trust that they are professionals who know what they are doing and can help you. Southern California is a beautiful place to live and raise a family. Expanding your home could be a more affordable and easier option than moving into a large house. If this is the case, finding a Los Angeles land surveyor you can trust will help you get the job done.

The Importance of Surveying in Land Development Projects

Building and development is one of the hallmarks of civilization. While there are cultures that do not build many permanent structures, most of the world regards architecture and land development as central to progress. In order to build anything, from a park to a skyscraper, one of the first steps is to survey the land in question. A land development survey can take many different forms, but each is designed to help make the most of a piece of property.

Different Types of Survey

Most of the earliest surveys were topographical in nature, since the landscape and geography of the world was still being explored. Today there are still topographic surveys, but many others types as well. Some of the various kinds of survey include: flood elevation, construction, boundary, as-built, and ALTA/ACSM surveys. Determining where a piece of land falls within the local flood plane is very important for builders and for insurance purposes. A flood certificate is required by most investors to ensure a property is prepared for the possibility of flooding. Boundary surveys are most often used when the corners of a parcel of land must be re-established before a construction or building project can go forward. Each land development survey, like those listed above, has minimum standards that determine its usability. If a survey is not completed to the required specifications, the result could be disastrous for the final development project.

Trust the Survey Experts

Since performing accurate surveys is essential to the future integrity of building projects, it makes sense to trust the experts in survey taking, such as Chris Nelson & Associates. They are well-versed in each type of land development survey that your project may require. If you find that you want to create something out of an empty piece of property or would like to transform and old development into something different, contact Chris Nelson & Associates. They will complete your surveys professionally, accurately, and quickly allowing your land to be developed accordingly.