What is a Survey and Why Do I Need One?
In home remodeling, a survey is a professional assessment and measurement of your property—specifically, your land and structures—to determine exact boundaries, dimensions, and sometimes features like elevation or utility lines. It’s typically conducted by a licensed land surveyor.
Why You Might Need a Survey:
Legal Boundaries: To confirm the exact property lines. This is crucial if you’re building near the edge of your lot (e.g., fences, additions, or driveways).
Permit Requirements: Local building departments often require a recent survey to approve permits for remodeling, especially for exterior additions or structural changes.
Avoiding Disputes: It helps prevent (or resolve) neighbor disputes about encroachments or easements.
Zoning Compliance: Surveys ensure your remodel adheres to zoning laws—like setback requirements (how far structures must be from the property line).
Accurate Design: Architects and contractors use surveys to design remodels that are accurate and feasible given the terrain and dimensions.
Type of Surveys:
The type of survey you need depends on the scope and location of your remodeling project. Here’s a breakdown of common types of surveys we use and when they’re used:
1. Boundary Survey
Purpose: Defines the exact edges of your property.
Use When: You’re building a fence, driveway, or addition near the property line.
Why It’s Needed: Ensures you’re not encroaching on a neighbor’s land and helps secure permits.
2. Topographic Survey
Purpose: Maps the elevation and contours of your land, including trees, slopes, drainage, and other natural features.
Use When: Your remodel affects grading, drainage, or includes new construction on uneven terrain.
Why It’s Needed: Engineers and architects use it for proper site planning, drainage design, and retaining wall construction.
3. Site Plan Survey (or Plot Plan)
Purpose: Combines elements of a boundary and topographic survey, showing existing and proposed structures.
Use When: You’re submitting plans for major remodeling or additions.
Why It’s Needed: Required for building permits in many jurisdictions to show how changes fit on your lot.
Why Use MVP Builders?
Experience
Our experience is not only measured in years and customers. As a general contractor, we build from the ground up, from hardscape and landscape to roofing and solar, and all points in between.
On-Budget/On-Time
We’re also well versed at navigating the often tricky process of permits and inspections and resource allocation, keeping your project on time and on budget.
Transparency
We’ll keep you in-the-loop at all phases of your project with access to our cloud-based project management software, to stay informed and in communication with your MVP team.