We know that cost is a major factor when exploring surveying services for your home or project. Wayfinder Survey will provide free estimates based on your specific needs.
Every land survey project is unique, with different requirements for every job and every property. Several factors can affect the cost of your land survey, including:
- The quality of the record deeds and plans
- Whether we can locate physical record monuments and evidence
- Addressing any discrepancies
- Ongoing disputes
- The difficulty of the terrain
- Municipal requirements
- Other factors that affect the complexity of the site or survey
In order to determine an estimate for your project, we conduct some preliminary research, taking into account these potential considerations so that we can provide an accurate estimate, lead times, and other details tailored to your needs.
On a small residential property that has good and clear records, including a plan, the cost for a lot line staking is typically between $1,800 – $2,600, and the cost for a plot plan is typically between $2,300 – $3,500. Combining the two results in significant savings because most of the effort involved with either service comes from determining the boundary of your property.
No matter what kind of land surveying you need, we can work with you to provide an estimate and timeline to suit your specific project needs. We’ll also be transparent with you if a more cost-effective option may be available, including if our preliminary research locates a recent plan with another surveyor that will allow you to save money by working with them.
Additional Surveying FAQs
Modern surveying includes a combination of advanced technology, specialized knowledge, and highly regulated processes to ensure we meet industry standards and our client’s needs.
To accurately determine property boundaries, surveyors conduct work both in the field and in the office. The behind-the-scenes work includes researching historical records (typically deeds and plans) and using those records alongside evidence gathered in the field to confidently determine property boundaries.
When you hire a land surveyor, you’re getting both the field work you see on site and the research, calculations, and data processing we do in the office. This combination of specialized training, tools, and systems is what allows us to provide you with services you can trust.
This is the most common question people have about surveying, and conflicting information online makes it hard for clients to get a sense of what they can expect from a surveying project.
The potential difference between a local estimates and what you mind find online comes down to two factors. First, it’s hard to provide a simple average for surveying services because a typical surveying project can vary significantly in scope and complexity. For example, national averages for surveying often include a high number of mortgage type surveys, which don’t require the level of effort needed for an actual boundary determination (see FAQ on Mortgage Inspection Plans below). There’s no one standard surveying service that fits everyone’s needs, and so it’s difficult to apply broad estimates to your specific situation.
The other factor is that even among similar services, each state or municipality has its own regulations, standards, and processes that will affect the cost of your project. These factors, along with environmental and safety considerations, are all addressed on a project-by-project basis and can have a significant affect on the overall cost of a project.
The best thing you can do when you need surveying work is to contact a local surveyor and discuss your specific project. We provide free estimates and can give you additional advice based on your unique situation.
Unfortunately, only needing a portion of your property staked out doesn’t directly correlate to the same percentage in cost savings. For most small residential surveys, the process of determining where the boundaries are takes most of the effort , with the actual staking being a smaller task. Again, every property is different, so please let us know if you are only interested in a particular line and we will provide a custom estimate.
The short answer to this is “no.” Most lenders require a Mortgage Inspection Survey when a homeowner purchases their home. These types of surveys differ from typical land surveys in that they serve a specific purpose, which is to verify that the property, as described in the legal documents, appears to be suitable as collateral for the mortgage loan. While these plans may seem like an accurate survey to most homeowners, they contain a note specifying they are not to be used for construction or boundary determinations and are typically considered to depict approximate locations at best. Since these mortgage surveys require such a limited scope with considerably less accuracy and effort, they can be produced at a fraction of the time and cost, which is necessary to keep up with the fast-paced real estate market.
In other words, they’re useful for their intended purpose, but they’re not intended to be used as land surveys in the traditional sense.
While any previous survey records will be helpful to some extent in performing our work, every surveyor is required by law to use standard practices to come up with their own solutions and work products.
If, during our preliminary research, we find that you have records with another surveyor, there’s a chance that working with that surveyor could be more cost-effective. If that’s the case, we communicate that up front with you so you know what your options are.
Land surveyors and technicians are in very high demand. In many states, including Massachusetts, the licensing board and licensing process is the same or similar to that of a civil engineer; requiring a combination of education and experience along with licensing exams. Please check with individual state statutes to see the most recent specific requirements. There are many types and specialties within the land surveying industry. To learn more about it, please visit https://www.beasurveyor.com.
We at Wayfinder Survey enjoy being ambassadors to our industry and will gladly answer questions to those interested.
This depends on what exactly you are referring to. If you are referring to wooden stakes that have been set along the property lines, often marked with “lot line” or “property line,” those can be removed or marked with a more permanent object as you see fit. For example, some homeowners choose to remove the wooden stakes and put a metal t-post in their place. In these instances, it may be prudent to place the t-posts just inside the line so that it lies entirely within your property.
If you are referring to a permanent boundary monument that was either found or set at the corners or along the lines, it is against the law to disturb or remove it. This includes if you want to replace the iron rod that the surveyor just set with something more substantial and visually appealing like a stone post. Please let the surveyor know if you wish to have your unmarked corners upgraded to a stone or concrete bound. While it is more costly for a surveyor to install these, it is imperative that it is installed by a surveyor to ensure that it is accurately placed in the correct location.