Reasons Why You Might Take A Land Survey After You Own A Property

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People who buy a property, either with or without a structure on it, may request an ALTA land survey after they have obtained the property. While this may seem unusual, there are several good reasons for requesting that a land survey be conducted after you purchase a property. Here are some of those reasons. 

Establishing Boundaries Prior to Installing a Fence and/or Landscaping

Installing a fence requires that the whole of the fence, from the post holes to the vertical fence panels, remains well within the boundaries of your own property. If you install the fence on the actual property line, some of that fence ends up crossing over the property line into neighboring properties. You are thus infringing on your neighbor's property, which you have no right to do.

Likewise, any trees or shrubs that you plant near the property line have to be planted a few feet away from the property lines to allow the tree or shrub to grow and not grow over into neighboring properties. Conducting a land survey allows you to see exactly where the property lines are because the surveyor marks the lines with a special paint. If you quickly install sight lines on the property lines using stakes and twine, the surveyor can double-check to make sure you have your property lines marked perfectly before you begin landscaping or fencing projects. 

Looking for Possible Well Sites

Whether you are looking for oil or water on your land, a surveyor can help you with that. The surveyor makes note of specific features in a property that may indicate the presence of an oil or water well on your land. A geologist can confirm or deny this by looking at the features in question. Then you know exactly where you can install that new water well, or dig for oil. 

Checking Elevation for Flood Plains

If property is not labeled as part of a flood plain and you notice that a lot of standing water collects on your property, you would have a surveyor check the elevation of the land. This will tell you if part or all of the property rests in a previously unmarked flood plain. Then you can plan accordingly by building up these areas of your property to avoid flooding or getting flood insurance to protect the structures on your property. Flood insurance is often a requirement once property is deemed part of a flood plain. 

To learn more, find a company that performs services such as ALTA land surveys.

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