When it comes to conducting a residential survey, many different surveys can be performed. Some may be carried out to determine boundaries and others may be necessary before construction can begin. Another type of survey should be conducted before purchasing land. A lender may require this to determine the acreage along with showing the buildings that are on the land. The survey equipment used in surveying residential properties is similar to the equipment used for other types of surveys.

Surveyors must go through many steps before issuing a report. This report will include the exact boundaries of the property, as well as any other investigation that may be necessary. Measuring instruments will be determined by the types of measurements that are required in a specific measurement. Every survey is different, so the survey tools will also be different.

One of the first steps a land surveyor will perform is a background check on the property. They will investigate the title, deed, and other documents associated with the property. Today, many advances have been made to make this research much easier to obtain. Instead of going to the county clerk’s office, many surveyors can use the computer to do this research. What would have taken weeks of legwork can actually be accomplished in minutes when a computer is used as part of the survey equipment.

A surveyor will use these surveying tools, such as GPS equipment, to determine if the boundaries that exist today are the same as the documents that are on file. The most accurate way to do this is with GPS surveying. GPS can quickly find boundaries and map them using software. This software can be connected to the computer to create a virtual map of the boundaries and buildings located on the site.

When an area is in forest or at high elevations, a GPS survey may not be practical. In these cases, the surveying equipment to be used is known as an EDM. An EDM stands for Electronic Measuring Device. Another name for this is total stations. These come with built-in computers and software so that the survey can be conducted and the data stored for transfer to another computer with CAD capabilities that will map the data.

Surveyors will also take more than one measurement. It can take a lot to identify the exact property lines. GPS can be used in conjunction with the EDM to double check measurements against themselves. This allows for a more exact boundary line. When land lines are in dispute, the surveyor may need to be an expert witness to validate the true dividing lines.

A survey may use other types of survey equipment, but the ones listed here are the most common. Property line disputes are all too common and surveyors can keep busy keeping these boundaries intact.