how to read residential property survey

I have a really old plan I'm trying to figure out. Step 2. Report inaccuracies to the surveyor for immediate correction. An easement allows a third party legal access to a property. Does a monument always designate a property line? Learning to read a property survey will help you understand your rights as a landowner. If you’re involved in a property dispute with a neighbor, a survey can help you identify accurate property lines. wikiHow's. This article has been viewed 140,593 times. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Your survey, however, may include additional symbols, or symbols that are defined differently. The lines of principal meridian were often chosen arbitrarily rather than at equal intervals. The principal meridian is a set of north and south lines. Find the quarter-quarter section. To read a property survey, start by familiarizing yourself with the legend so you can get your bearings and make sense of the document. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. A background in cartography, geography, or surveying will help you get the most out of reading your property survey. For example, a small circle on the survey might refer to a manhole cover. She has been an active real estate broker since 2005, and founded the real estate agency CT Realty LLC in 2013. The survey identifies the boundaries of the property. the angle traversed from point C to point B passing through point H, or the angle at point D that is defined by points C and H. CHB may also refer to a particular type of soil in the designated area. A land survey plat is used for representing map characteristics of the land, and their relative position as well. Point Of Beginning. You’re not familiar with the region. Most of the points should have a piece of rebar stuck in the ground with a cap on it. Determine whether there are any buildings, additions, or improvements that encroach onto adjacent properties. How to Read Land Survey Documents. On a standard residential street, you can expect to see rectangles all about the same size lined up on each side of the street, which signify each privately owned property. Longitude and latitude are precise measurements used for navigation. Does a current land survey by a licensed surveyor trump a tax map? Is the measurement taken from the foundation or the furthest point? When the system was created, it was not possible to coordinate all of the distances precisely. This impacts the location of your property. You can gain that understanding by reading a land survey for the property. This article has been viewed 102,716 times. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. In simple terms, a land survey plat is responsible for showing a map in which the whole measurement of a land is described so as to simplify other important tasks.These surveys are of different types and depict different i… Review the entire written report and discuss any questions, discrepancies, or concerns with the surveyor immediately. Your survey will display information based on a scale. Water structures such as a lake or stream, Shared fencing, driveways or sidewalks with a neighboring property, Existing property points of entry or egress, Buildings, repairs, modifications or structural improvements on the property, Locations of utilities, including water pipes and other plumbing, electrical, cable and/or telephone lines, gas lines, and utility poles. To read the survey accurately, you need to know how land surveys are created. It may be a magnetic bearing or a grid bearing, depending upon the local convention. A map’s scale connects the distances listed on a map to their actual size. Property disputes almost always require review of a survey plat. East and west lines are called baselines. After you’ve read the legend, use the compass illustrated on the survey so you can orient yourself, which will allow you to find important features like physical boundaries, roads, fences, sidewalks, as well as the structures. Keep in mind that the distance between one pair of lines may be different than another pair. If any of these items are missing, the survey may be viewed as legally invalid. For example, when you give your neighbor permission to park in your driveway or allow a utility company to run electrical lines run through your property. Keep in mind that when an investor gets title insurance for a property, they are not protected if there are boundary disputes with a standard policy. % of people told us that this article helped them. Unlock this expert answer by supporting wikiHow, http://porch.com/advice/hire-surveyor-diy/, http://nationalmap.gov/small_scale/a_plss.html, http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/legend, http://nationalmap.gov/small_scale/a_plss.html#three, https://www.maptools.com/tutorials/lat_lon/definitions, http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/forestmanagement/documents/plsstutorial.pdf, http://geology.isu.edu/geostac/Field_Exercise/topomaps/plss.htm, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. The only way to be protected over property boundary disputes is to purchase an extended title insurance policy and get a land survey. This article was co-authored by Carla Toebe. The bearing represents the angle between north or south and east or west. An indication as to whether the property is zoned for residential or commercial use. "Large amount of basic information. Is that a measurement? wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. I… Generally a title report will show a preliminary plat map with the lot on it if it is contained within a subdivision. A land survey is a certification of a piece of land’s exact location. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. For example, your survey may state that every inch on the survey equals 20 yards. What are these N and E numbers? The title company will require a survey before they will issue the title. unlocking this expert answer. The best idea, if you have any doubts, would be to consider hiring a professional surveyor. Ensure that the survey description matches the actual property in question by walking the property with the survey in hand after reading through the written portion at least once. The property survey consists of two parts: the illustration and the written report. For information about how to understand the property boundaries, read on! The grid was created using two sets of lines. Carla Toebe is a licensed Real Estate Broker in Richland, Washington. One degree of angle is divided into 60 minutes. Identify the physical address of the property listed on the survey. For instance, you might have a bearing of N 38° 03' 09" E. If you measured an angle of 38° 03' 09" from the north to the east on the survey illustration, you could then trace that northeasterly line to identify one of your property's boundaries. Use a metal detector to help you find the posts in the ground. If the seller does provide a survey, they must complete (and have notarized) a T-47 form(also known as a Residential Real Property Affidavit). BRL stands for the currency of Brazil, the Real; thus Brazilian Real = BRL. Verify that the survey is signed, dated, and embossed with the surveyor's official seal. Step 3. Contact the surveyor if he or she has identified any wetlands or conservation issues on your property. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Based on the numbers you have stated, that would be the page number and then book number. Any other property improvements that may have occurred since the latest survey on file. This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. She graduated from Washington State University with a BA in Business Administration and Management Information Systems. Once you’ve looked at the illustrated survey, read the written survey report for additional information and comments from the surveyor. No. The cap can be yellow, red, pink, or blue depending on which state you live in. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. You can measure this angle from a central point with a protractor. How do I calculate the distance on the plat map distance on the back of my property? Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 140,593 times. CHB and CDH on a survey may refer to angles between points marked on the plan, i.e. This will show the boundaries of the lot. Establish the physical address on the your deed and compare it to the address on the survey illustration. If needed, the grid system can use grids that are smaller than one quarter. However, the final answer would have to be determined by a judge. Once you know the exact location, you decide to visit the property. A survey plat will usually contain information about the surveyor, a brief title of the document, data regarding its preparation, a legend identifying symbols on the plat, identification of adjoining property owners and a “metes … wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. The square mile sections are divided into quarters. to said property lines. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/f\/f6\/Read-a-Property-Survey-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Read-a-Property-Survey-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/f\/f6\/Read-a-Property-Survey-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid1406944-v4-728px-Read-a-Property-Survey-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":306,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"485","licensing":"