Land surveying is the professional practice of rendering a legally defensible opinion on the location of property boundaries. The surveyor’s function is to re-establish the lines of a previous survey by evaluating evidence, not just collecting data. Establishing the correct starting point is foundational, as all subsequent actions, from research to fieldwork, build upon the initial steps of defining the project and locating documentation. This preliminary work ensures the final product accurately reflects the parcel’s legal history.
Understanding the Scope of Work
The process begins with a consultation to determine the client’s precise needs and the legal type of survey required. Different objectives necessitate different levels of detail and adherence to professional standards.
A standard boundary survey focuses on locating the legal limits of a property as defined by the deed and public records. A topographic survey maps the natural and man-made features of the land, including elevations and contours, typically used for engineering or architectural design. The detailed ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey, often used for commercial transactions, requires adherence to strict national standards for documentation and precision. Defining the scope at the outset sets the parameters for subsequent documentary research and fieldwork.
The Absolute Starting Point: Comprehensive Documentary Research
The true starting point for any boundary survey occurs entirely within the office, well before any equipment is taken to the field. This phase involves gathering and analyzing all available public and private records that may affect the property’s boundary location. The surveyor reconstructs the legal history of the property to determine the intent of the original conveyance.
Research includes obtaining the client’s deed and the deeds of all adjacent properties to check for potential overlaps or gaps. The surveyor systematically searches repositories such as the County Clerk’s office, the Registry of Deeds, and local planning departments. Documents collected often include recorded subdivision plats, historical survey maps, tax assessment records, and highway right-of-way plans.
The goal is to acquire a complete chain of evidence, allowing the surveyor to compare the current property description against older, foundational records. Prior surveys, even those unrecorded, are sought out and evaluated, as they may contain evidence that helps define the original boundary. The completeness of this initial office research directly influences the efficiency and accuracy of all later phases of the survey process.
Interpreting the Legal Record and Order of Importance
The surveyor must legally interpret the gathered evidence to resolve any conflicts between the written record and physical remnants. This analysis is guided by the established hierarchy of evidence, which determines which evidence prevails when two records conflict. The concept of “following in the footsteps of the original surveyor” is paramount, meaning the modern surveyor attempts to locate the boundary as it was originally marked and accepted.
The hierarchy places the greatest evidentiary weight on elements least likely to be mistaken at the time of the original conveyance. Physical monuments, such as stone walls, marked trees, or iron pins called for in a deed, generally take precedence over the linear measurements (distances and bearings) recorded in the same document. This principle recognizes that the original parties intended to convey the land up to the physical markers they could see on the ground.
Another element is the concept of senior rights, meaning a deed recorded earlier in time generally holds legal superiority over a later conveyance that may conflict with it. The surveyor analyzes all evidence, including occupation lines like fences or hedges, balancing the technical data with legal principles to form a professional opinion on the location of the true boundary.
Developing the Fieldwork Search Strategy
The interpreted documentary evidence serves as the blueprint for the physical work on the ground. Based on the legal analysis, the surveyor calculates preliminary coordinates for the boundary corners and reference points called for in the deeds. This office calculation provides projected locations for the fieldwork team to target.
The research identifies which original monuments are likely to be found, and the team develops a plan for connecting the property to established geodetic reference points, known as control points. This preparation ensures the field crew knows where to begin measurements and what evidence to find. The planned traverse lines and search areas are designed to tie the subject property into the larger network of survey control, ensuring new measurements are accurately referenced to the coordinate system.
Initial Site Reconnaissance and Monument Search
The first physical step is the initial site reconnaissance, sometimes called a walk-through. This phase involves a careful, visual inspection of the property to locate existing physical evidence that corresponds to the documents analyzed in the office. The field crew systematically searches the calculated locations for projected corners, looking for iron rods, old pipes, stone mounds, or other official markers.
The reconnaissance also involves observing and documenting physical features that suggest occupation lines, such as old fences or hedgerows. While this phase involves some initial measurements, the primary objective is to physically locate the evidence mentioned in the deeds before precise measurements are taken. Locating these original monuments confirms the documentary research, providing the necessary physical points for the final survey measurements.
Conclusion
The land surveyor’s process is a deliberate, multi-stage procedure that begins with a thorough legal and historical investigation, not in the field. Defining the scope of work and executing comprehensive documentary research provide the factual basis for the entire survey. The subsequent legal interpretation of this evidence, guided by the hierarchy of importance, allows the surveyor to form a professional opinion on the property’s true boundary location. This rigorous starting sequence elevates a land survey to a legally sound declaration of property rights.