ALTA/ACSM Survey
The ALTA/ACSM Land Title Survey Standards have been jointly adopted by the American Land Title Association (ALTA) and the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM). These standards were developed as a collective effort in order to create an accepted and recognized legal document that presents particular information in detail and exactness for acceptance by title insurance companies. ALTA/ACSM Land Title Surveys are recommended for commercial transactions in which extended coverage is required and/or where extremely detailed information is needed.  For further information visit are ALTA/ACSM Information page. 

Development Plans
Development Plans are plans that must be submitted before a governing body (such as a city planning and zoning commission) in order to get approval for development. These are often extensive surveys that require the location of all existing improvements on the property in addition to design work for proposed development. The plans are required in many areas for many types of development.

Boundary Retracement Survey
Boundary surveys are used for locating lines and corners of tracts of land as per deed description in addition to locating improvements, easements, building lines, and encroachments found on the subject property.  The corners of the property are physically located, and, if necessary, new corner monuments are installed.  Stake surveys are recommended for real estate transactions involving complex commercial and industrial properties, and whenever the survey is to be used for new construction. 

Construction Layout & Staking
Construction layout & staking involves locating proposed improvements on a building site.  Information from the project plans are transferred to a data collector, where it is taken to the field.  The project is then laid out in full scale.  This computerized method minimizes information transfer errors, resulting in a quality final product.

Global Positioning Systems (GPS)
GPS refers to a satellite based measuring system that allows us to obtain centimeter accuracy measurements anywhere on the earth's service.  This system allows us to perform surveys economically, accurately, and efficiently.  Complex surveys that once took many weeks to complete can often be completed in a few days with this remarkable technology.

Condominium Conversion Plans
To convert an existing residential structure, such as an apartment, to a condominium, it is necessary to have a a survey performed for approval of the conversion process.  Along with other pertinent information, this plan provides a legal description for each living unit.

Building Permit Survey
Before receiving a building permit, it is required that a survey be performed.  A Building Permit Survey clarifies the existing features of the site and indicates where the proposed improvements (such as the building and parking areas) will be located.  

Septic System Design
To determine the optimum septic layout for new construction or for the repair of existing systems, Septic System Design considers the site features in order to assess correct drainage.  

As-Built Plans
As-Built Plans are pretty much what the name implies:  The drawing details structures, other improvements to the site, topography (if required), and pertinent features of the property.

Site Assessment / Feasibility Studies
Site Assessment/Feasibility Studies are generally performed prior to the actual purchase of land for site development.  The purpose is to assess the constraints and opportunities of the potential development site.

Residential Mortgage Survey
A Residential Mortgage Survey shows the house, garage, recorded setback lines, encroachments, and the property boundaries. The boundary positions are based upon existing property monuments and no new monuments are set. A Residential Mortgage Survey is performed to reduce the cost of surveys for residential transactions. The basic purpose of this type of survey is to provide a lender with certification that the structures are situated on the property described in the mortgage documents or title commitment, so that they can be confident that a foreclosure proceeding will actually give them the improvements which are supposed to be on the property in question. It also is useful for identifying potential encroachments.  This survey should not be used for new construction or establishing fence lines.  This basic survey is suitable for most single family residential real estate transactions such as property transfers, financing, and obtaining building and zoning permits. 

Topographic Mapping
Topographic surveys involve the determination of the shape and location of both natural and artificial features upon the ground. These surveys are often used for purposes of developing a piece of property to aid in determination of surface drainage of water on the property.  

Elevation Certificate
The Elevation Certificate (EC) reports the relative vertical distance above or below a base flood elevation from a Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM). The FIRMs were produced by the Federal Emergency Management Agency of our federal government for use in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The FIRMs were designed to help determine whether a property and building were in a special flood hazard area. The FIRM typically shows no buildings, and many minor or residential streets are not shown. Therefore, the surveyor is often called upon to measure the elevation of a building and report on an EC how far above or below the base flood elevation it is.

Zoning Issues
Zones are issued by the local municipality which governs the site in consideration.  A survey is then performed to determine the boundaries of the zone and to clarify which zone the property is (such as residential, commercial, or industrial).  A survey can also be used in submitting a request for zoning changes.

Accident Report
To assist in accident disputes, it is often requested that an Accident Report be made in order to reenact the occurrence.  This process typically involves the path of the vehicles involved and other contributing or related entities such as structures and road intersections.

Property Tax Division Survey
In order to divide one parcel of land into multiple parcels, and in the process convert the single tax identification number to a new identification that is representative of the multiple parcels, a Property Tax Survey needs to be performed.  

Easement Survey
This specific type of survey deals precisely with the layout and location of various types of easements (depending on the restrictions) such as utility, ingress/egress, and drainage easements.

Volume Calculations
Volume Calculations are primarily used in landfills in order to determine how much waste has already been placed in the landfill and to aid in the determination of when a new cell must be constructed for the landfill.

Route Survey & Right-of-Way Survey
Services for route surveying include locating utilities, roads, streams, man-made features, boundary lines, and topographical information necessary to prepare construction plans, easements, and right-of-way maps.  Office functions include deed research, preparation of easement descriptions and exhibits, and utility research. We work with appraisers, realtors and lawyers in the acquisition process; prepare right-of-way maps and the corresponding legal descriptions; and obtain rights of entry.

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