How to Read a Land Survey

Anyone who owns or is looking to own property will know the importance of land surveys. Land surveys are precise documents that draw out property lines and determine who owns what.Whether you are looking to build an extension on your home or are starting from scratch, it is essential that you get a licensed land surveyor to survey the property to protect you legally. So once you have your land survey, how do you read it and what does it mean?

Steps

1. Your land survey will come with a written description of the property that has been surveyed. Read this first as it will give you the basic measurements and a short description of the land.
2. You can then open up the land survey (they can often be very large) onto a table or other flat surface. There will be a key (legend) to one side of the survey giving the symbols that mark major roads, landmarks etc. – so familiarize yourself with this.
3. Also notice the scale of the map. Typically land surveys are divided into a square grid, with each square representing 1 square mile. This makes it easy for you to measure distances.
4. Identify your property on the land survey (if it is a survey covering a wider area), using landmarks and streets as a reference.
5. Once you have familiarized yourself with the land survey, you can then compare it to the deed or title of the land which you should have a copy of.
6. Note any discrepancies and similarities between the two – largely the square footage and boundaries.

Tips

• You may wish to walk around the property holding your land survey to get a better idea and feel of where the property boundaries are.
• Ensure that any land surveyor you work with is fully licensed and registered to work in your state.

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