If you are involved in land development or are building a new structure, you will probably first need to get a feature and land survey done. The feature survey looks at all surrounding features and property details, which are then used to determine the permits for your construction. Here are some things to know about the feature survey.
Feature Surveys Include a Lot of Important Details
The first thing to know about feature surveys is what information they include. This is often one of the first questions about the survey. You should know that when someone comes out to complete the survey, they are using special equipment and tools to note sizes and details about everything around the property. It is used by everyone from home builders to architects, and the local building council. Some details you might see included on the survey are fences in the area, any existing structures, the ground level and any slopes, utilizes, drains and landscape details like trees.
Why Feature Surveys Are Necessary
From this information, you might already guess what the survey is used for. Once a land or property has been surveyed, the council, builders, and architects can then use it to design new properties in that area. If you are going to build a home on an empty lot, you would find the survey to look at nearby buildings, trees, and utilities and provide that to your contractor. They would use these details when planning out the size, layout and location of your home on the lot. When doing new construction, it often requires getting new feature surveys done in order to add to them so they are up-to-date.
When You Need to Get a Survey
Another really common question about feature surveys is when exactly you need to get them done. They aren't just done on empty plots of land, but for various home projects as well. For example, if you already have a home on your land, but want to build another building or structure, you will probably need to get a feature survey. This is also needed if you are going to demolish your current home and have a new one re-built. Some of the bigger renovations and extensions may also require this survey before you can get the right building permits.
Speak to a land surveyor if you need more information about feature and land surveys. They will let you know whether or not your building project needs one.
