Land surveying isn’t as easy as drawing a line to separate two properties. It’s much more complicated than that, which is why so many people have misconceptions about what a land survey is and why they need one. There’s plenty of false information out there, with a huge potential to mislead you about land surveying. Not anymore. Today, we’re going to clear up these 7 common misconceptions about land surveys.
MISCONCEPTION 1: LAND SURVEYS AREN’T NECESSARY IF THERE ARE SURVEY STAKES
You’d think if there’s already been a land survey, you wouldn’t have to get another one. That’s what plenty of people think when they find existing survey stakes from a previous land survey. However, more often than not it will not work out this approach won’t work out for you. The past survey could be inaccurate and may not even outline your property line. Plus, anyone can move a survey stake around and claim it’s been there. Don’t think you’re an expert. If you try to take your personal findings to court, it won’t hold up. On the other hand, a licensed land surveyors would.
MISCONCEPTION 2: YOUR NEIGHBORS WON’T ENCROACH OVER YOUR PROPERTY LINES
There’s no telling when you or your neighbor may accidentally (or purposefully) encroach on one another’s property. Encroachment is a huge problem, and when it’s brought to court the one who’s at fault has to tear down their work or negotiate an easement. That’s why fences go up to mark where your property lines are and prevent this from happening. Fencing tends to separate both properties, but if there isn’t a land survey prior to the fence going up, is it really accurate? Which leads us to the next misconception.
MISCONCEPTION 3: FENCING MARKS YOUR PROPERTY LINES
Fences are one of the easiest ways to mark where your property begins and ends. That way, you don’t run into the problem of encroaching. However, you can’t just assume where your property line is when building a fence. There’s been plenty of cases where one has built a fence inches to feet into their neighbor’s property and had to tear it down when an official land survey proves their guess wrong.
Moreover, older fences have a high chance of encroaching, simple because older survey records are nowhere near as accurate as they are today. When it’s time to replace decaying fencing, be sure to get a new land survey done on your property. That way, you don’t run into any encroaching problems after having built a new fence.
MISCONCEPTION 4: SECOND SURVEYS AREN’T NECESSARY
If you think finding an old land survey from decades ago is going to cut it nowadays, you’re wrong. Just two decades ago we were using encyclopedias instead of smartphones as the gateway to information, just think how land surveying has changed over the same time period. New technology may identify actual property lines that make a new land survey worth it.
Plus, not all surveys are the same. It’s an art, not a science. One land surveyor’s results may not be the same as another land surveyor. Land monuments used to create a land survey may not exist anymore, which may cause a new land survey to vary from an older one. That’s why an up-to-date land survey is always important for you and the city to have on file.
MISCONCEPTION 5: LAND SURVEYS ARE TOO EXPENSIVE
People far too often believe land surveys aren’t worth the money. Thing is, if you skip out on one you could end up paying thousands of dollars building and tearing down an encroaching structure YOU built on your neighbor’s land. Is the trouble worth skipping on a land survey? When you need a land survey, get a land survey.
Call Adkan Engineers at (951) 688-0241 to get a land survey today. With our help, you can make sure you know your boundaries before you accidentally build over your property lines.