Phase IV: Final Survey

This is the last step. A Final Survey, often call an "As-Built" survey, is an important phase of property development, but clients often undervalue its worth. This survey helps evaluate the entire project, and may protect you from errors or changes that often occur in construction. It is frequently needed to recover any bond required by the local government. It is also a good way to make sure that the contractors that you hired have preformed all of their duties. Things often forgotten are storm pipes, and sanitary sewer system locations are sometimes changed during construction. This may change the planned and approved layout location of easements. In some cases, buildings will find their way over setback lines. These setback violations are usually a product of poor project research or a change in regulations, not construction layout. Usually, this problem arises years later when you desire to have out-parcels created, or a boundary survey is required. The best time to have any problems of this kind addressed is shortly after construction. As time passes it will be harder to prove who was responsible for any error. This is why tracking and documenting approvals is so important.

This type of survey should be treated as an audit or closing of your project and should not be ignored.

These four phases may need to be adjusted to fit your needs. However, this is a good general outline of a typical commercial surveying project. The forms and downloads included herein are intended to guide us through project and hopefully will uncover any problems at the earliest possible date.