A FEW THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT BOUNDARY SURVEYS

In an effort to make your experience with surveying as pleasant and useful as possible the following information should be considered. Although it is impossible to cover all the factors involved with a survey, this information should be helpful.

The information you provide will help me determine the nature and purpose of your request. It will also help to reduce unforeseen surprises at closing. If you have any questions, let me know. In addition, it is also important to seek the advice of an attorney for title status or any other legal concerns.
 
You should know:
 
1. Boundary surveys are a retracement from public records and available field evidence. The location, size and shape of the land are just a few things to consider.

2. Among other areas, future use, building permits, land use and the like are not guaranteed by a survey or surveyor. To protect your investment, you should seek help when investigating the planned future use of a parcel of land. Checking with your local Planning and/or Zoning Department for restrictions and other limitations is a good place to start. Zoning and restrictions change frequently. Anyone owning or buying land should use extreme caution when dealing with future use, protected areas, wetlands, improvements etc. This often requires investigation far beyond public records. The investigation into this is not required by law on a simple boundary survey. You should work closely with the professional surveyor and the attorney that you choose to be sure your request matches your needs.
 
3. A boundary survey does not guarantee or transfer title to real estate. Surveyors cannot give an opinion of title. Seek the help of an attorney at law for help with the transfer title and opinions of title. He or she can provide guidance on title issues. Furthermore, title insurance can help protect you from adverse property claims in the future.  However, there are often exclusions that limit coverage. Most importantly, without a survey, the title company may not insure you against defects that a survey would have disclosed.  It is important that your attorney share title data with the surveyor you choose. Moreover, it is important your attorney be aware of who you choose as a surveyor. In North Carolina, title search falls under the practice of law. You the client can help the two parties work together by ordering the title search be completed prior to ordering the survey and you can request that your attorney provide his or her finding to the surveyor. This is seldom practiced, but I feel it should occur more often.