Frequently Asked Questions to Land Surveying Services

Here are some helpful answers to common questions in regard to our Land Surveying services.

Many factors determine the cost of a survey. Some of them are: size of parcel, how many sides the parcel has, terrain and vegetation, deed description of the parcel, existence and accuracy of the boundary evidence. Whether the parcel is located in an urban, suburban, or rural area, and the time of the year the survey is being performed.

Yes, a survey would verify the size and shape of a parcel eliminating any issues that could arise later. It would also show any encroachments onto the parcel. A survey gives you a form of protection, while clarifying the location of the parcel. A staked survey will mark the corners of the parcel to give you a physical monument, so you can walk the boundary lines.

Probably not, it’s rare that boundary surveys are found in municipal offices. It may have been filed in the county clerk’s office for a specific reason, but again this is unusual. New York State does not require that survey maps have to be filed in the county clerk’s office.

A boundary survey should be good forever. The addition of buildings, fences, and other improvements would require you to have that survey updated to show their locations on the map. In some cases, lenders require a survey to be no older than six months old.

Yes and no. If your parcel is located in a subdivided tract, that a surveyor has previously worked in, the surveyor may be able to survey only one line. If your parcel is not in a subdivision, then the surveyor may need to establish your whole parcel and survey beyond your parcel in order to accurately locate that boundary line on the ground.

This is asked frequently by our both clients and their neighbors. To accurately locate a parcel, a surveyor may have to spread their search out a few parcels either way in order to collect enough boundary evidence and data to accurately establish the parcel. Many times a parcel is tied into adjoining parcels and the location of the adjoining parcels are needed to determine the subject parcel’s boundaries.

A property line has no width. It’s an abstract concept, but it’s more of a vertical plane than a line…

No, given New York State’s gold laws it doesn’t pay to be a gold miner. Any gold found in NYS belongs to the state per an ancient law.