How to Read a Property Survey

A property survey is an essential document if you are purchasing a residential or commercial building or land parcel. From this document, you can discover important information such as boundary lines, zoning information, and underground utilities. Learn to read a property survey and educate yourself as a property owner.

Steps

1. Contract a certified land surveyor to perform a property survey on the property. He will provide you with a signed, dated, and stamped property survey illustration as well as a written property survey report.
2. Place the survey illustration on a large flat surface, as property surveys can be quite large. Keep the written report on hand for easy reference.
3. Establish the physical address on the homeowner's deed and compare it to the address on the survey illustration. The addresses must match exactly as written on the homeowner's deed. Report inaccuracies to the surveyor for immediate correction.
4. Pinpoint the property in question on the illustration and note the following: physical and overlapping boundaries, water structures such as a lake or stream, shared fencing, driveways or sidewalks with a neighboring property, any roadways or driveways that are in proximity, and existing property points of entry or egress.
   
   • The illustration may also include buildings, repairs, modifications or structural improvements on the property as well as locations of utilities, including water pipes and other plumbing, electrical, cable and/or telephone lines, gas lines, and utility poles.
5. Read the written survey report to find legal information and additional comments by the surveyor. This document may also include:
   
   • Official property measurements.
   • Any easements that may exist on the property. An easement allows a third party legal access to a property. 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.
   • Any other property improvements that may have occurred since the latest survey on file. The report will also indicate if these improvements meet the code standards set up by the local building department.
   • An indication as to whether the property is zoned for residential or commercial use.

Tips

• Use only certified land surveyors. Doing so will protect your rights in the event of a legal issue.
• Compare prices of certified surveyors. The price of a land survey may vary based on the size of the property, the detail of the survey, and the economic status of the area.
• Review the entire written report and discuss any questions, discrepancies, or concerns with the surveyor immediately.
• Establish any problematic wetland or conservation issues. Contact the surveyor if these conditions exist.

Warnings

• Verify that the survey is signed, dated, and embossed with the surveyor's official seal. If any of these items are missing, the survey may be viewed as legally invalid.
• Note any unclaimed gaps of land between properties. This may affect future development of the property.
• Determine whether there are any buildings, additions, or improvements that encroach onto adjacent properties. An encroachment agreement may be required to avoid future litigation issues.

Things You'll Need

• Certified, embossed, dated, and signed property survey illustration
• Written property survey report accompanying property survey illustration

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