Different Types of Land Surveys Explained

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Something to remember - Hiring a Professional Land Surveyor protects your largest investment, will cost you less time and money than the cost of moving a building, retaining wall, drive, fence, gardens, improvements or losing a relationship with a neighbor over a disputed boundary.

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Boundary or Property Surveys - A boundary survey is typically called a Plat of Survey or Map of Survey and is a survey of the boundary of a residential or commercial property that is well defined by a current recorded map or legal description. This type of survey is typically used when the client is unsure of their property locations or thinking about improving their property by building a house, garage, accessory building, fence, retaining wall, landscaping or garden when you are close to a property line. It is also used to determine if a neighbor’s improvements are encroaching on their property. The Surveyor follows standards that are specified in chapter AE-7 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code. The final map is filed at the County Surveyors Office to create a permanent record of our work.

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Land Divisions - There are three types of land divisions used in Wisconsin; Subdivision Plat, Certified Survey Map, and Condominium Plat.

 

The Subdivision Plat is utilized to create more than 4 lots and typically requires review and approval from state and local municipalities. The surveyor is required to follow local subdivision ordinances which can vary by county, township, village or city. This type of survey is typically performed with development and generally includes designing roads, utilities, and preparing a drainage plan for the project. These maps are recorded at the County Register of Deeds Office.

Certified Survey Map, or CSM as it is commonly referred, is the most common type of land division and is used to subdivide property into 4 or less lots. A CSM requires review and approval by the county and local municipality. The surveyor is required to follow local subdivision ordinances which can vary by county, township, village or city. The landowner is limited to creating 4 lots with a CSM with a 5 year period of time, although this can vary by county. 

A CSM can also be used to upgrade the legal description of an existing parcel if the current legal description is poorly written, incorrect or ambiguous. These maps are recorded at the County Register of Deeds Office.

Condominium Plat can be used for residential or commercial property and creates units to be sold instead of lots. The condominium plat is typically used when a subdivision of the lands is not practical. The condominium is prepared in conjunction with the declaration, prepared by an attorney, which defines the governing board along with the owners’ rights and responsibilities. An example is a townhouse or conversion condominium situation, the land is owned by all the unit owners and each owner owns a unit in the condominium.

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Topographic Survey - A topographic survey is used to show the topography (ground elevations) of the land and any physical improvements which can include buildings, pavement, and utilities. This type of survey can be used as a base map for an architect, landscape designer or civil engineer for site design on the property.

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Flood Plain Services - Many properties are considered Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA) according to FEMA's Flood Insurance Rate maps (FIRM) because the FIRM's are large scale maps, meaning that the elevation detail is limited on the maps so areas are included when they should not be. If your building or property is mapped below the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) for your areas then it will be designated in a SFHA and you are generally required to have flood insurance and the premiums can be high. If you feel your property or your structure is incorrectly mapped in a SFHA then we can submit an application to change the determination for your specific property called a Letter of Map Change (LOMC). This process is typically done with a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) if the property is on naturally high ground and above the BFE or a Letter of Map Revision Based on Fill (LOMR-F) if the area was raised with fill to be higher than the BFE. If the fieldwork and application show that your building or property is above the BFE and FEMA grants your request then you may no longer be required to purchase flood insurance or your premiums will be drastically lower. If FEMA grants your request you may send the determination document to your lender and request that the federal flood insurance requirement for the structure be removed.

You can visit FEMA's website here to learn more about the process. 

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Construction Services - Construction services can be used by building contractors, home builders, utility contractors, heavy earthmovers, and general contractors. It is generally staking out your plans and laying it out on the ground to be built. We also provide survey control, site calibrations, and terrain models for GPS guided construction equipment.

Please click here or use the Construction Services button below to learn more.