Importance Of Land Surveying

Simplistically, it can be described as surveying land. A surveyor is a professional who accurately measures the size of the land along with the topographic heights. The surveyor can now advise town planners, property developers, engineers, architects, and even geologists. Charts and layouts created by Topographic Surveyors Swindon are essential for architects to utilise the land optimally.

Construction or development worksites are always visited first by the surveyors. These land surveyors in Calgary can be involved in a host of project tasks like planning, design of new developments, or transformation of an existing property. They also contribute to infrastructure development projects like roads, bridges, farming, and sports facilities.

Any developer who is planning to buy a property and start development will have to get a land survey done. They must get the proper details about the pros and cons of the property. This foundation report is more important than anything else as this will provide directions for all future decisions in recognizing boundaries, subdivision, and town planning.

Does Anyone Need A Land Survey?

To create the best business plan for developing any site, one should be well informed. As many data inputs a developer can get, will make the plan stronger. There are many variables at play. Every site is unique in its dimensions and topography and having precise knowledge of that is paramount for developers. The rules and regulations of an area will have certain restrictions or curbs, and you must comply with that. The land survey will bring forth all this information.

Local government departments have their own set of guidelines. You will have to acquire a planning permit if you are looking to alter the land use or build, renovate, develop or subdivide the land. Your plan will be assessed in terms of permitted land uses, land zoning, municipal strategy policy, and overlays.

The same will be scrutinised against planning documents. Developers must realise that rules vary with zones and the intent of land uses. Not all zones allow the same land uses. In some places, things like wildfire, vegetation protection, and heritage are part of overlays. They might have restrictions in the subdivision for minimum and maximum size of land, the height of the buildings, or plot ratio. An accurate land survey plan helps you understand all the rules and challenges right at the time you are planning your project.

How They Do It:

Accuracy of the land survey report can be achieved if the tools and instruments used for the calculations are superior. The modern-day technique of land surveying uses the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and electronic theodolites. This state-of-the-art equipment guarantees the most precise reports. In some cases, UAV (drones) are also being used to map the topography of a large tract of land.

The next step is to make a detailed report and plan for the client. This has to be submitted by the client or the survey company directly to the authorities that administer property development in the area. The submitted plans are scrutinised by the authorities. The land boundaries are checked to see if they align with the boundaries in their records and correspond to the other boundaries on the periphery of the site.

How Does The Cost Vary:

• The prime question that lingers when deciding to have the land surveyed is the cost of the survey. An expert home loan broker will vouch for that though are many things that one must consider while making the decision. Some of the most important ones are,
• Property size: The time taken for the survey is directly proportionate to the length and breadth of the property.
• Property Location: Certain factors affect the price of the property. The location of the property can also affect the price value. If there are many trees on the property or if accessibility is inconvenient for vehicular traffic, then the charge you pay can be higher.
• Topography of property: The cost of surveying can escalate if the property is situated on hills or mountains especially if it has plenty of trees. These kinds of properties are difficult to access and survey because of the topography being irregular.
• The irregular shape of property: This is directly related to the number of hours the surveyor spends assessing the land. If the shape of the land is simple, the time taken is lesser than if the shape has a jagged periphery.

How Do Surveys Impact Your Financials?

Money saved is money earned. It is prudent for any business company and especially developers, to be financially astute. The trick is to know where the cost should be controlled and what is an expense that should not be skimped.

The common mistake that financial planners make is to reduce costs uniformly. They must understand that there are some aspects which eventually help in saving much more than what they cost. Land surveying is one such function of the business of land development that leads to financial security.

Cost control and reduction are a direct result of good planning. When one has considered all aspects, then a substantial amount of money can be saved. A detailed land survey report clearly outlines the nuances and detailing of the land. This information helps the planners to avoid errors and wrong decisions.

The construction team becomes confident of the decisions they make, and it saves them time which results in money saved. The land survey document helps create a construction timeline, a material list that is accurate and avoids wastage. When a construction project works efficiently, and without wastage, it directly helps the bottom line to remain positive.

Be Prudent With Money:

When buying a property, one must conduct a land survey to clearly understand the boundaries of the property. The local government authorities may have old land survey data available with them. This data will be dated, and a new land survey must be done to match the previous surveys. There could be anomalies in the old records or new changes which would not have been updated.

The boundaries and dimensions of your land should match precisely as per the records. The surveying activity could save you legal trouble and cost. A dispute may arise with neighbouring property owners, local councils, or government bodies. You might make an error in erecting a fence, or raising a wall or structure, or utilising land beyond your boundary. The legal cost to manage the dispute can be exorbitantly high.

Make The Right Choice:

When selecting a land surveyor, you need to choose the right people. Companies that have a background in handling financials for property owners and developers are the most suited. These financial brokers are experts with the law of properties. The property owner or developer is assured of financial security as this company has a proven record of being financially responsible, especially in property matters.

Developers have a lot on their plate as they go about handling marketing and sales besides juggling permits and permissions. When a developer is partnered with the experts to guide every step, then the probability of going wrong is nil. The right decision taken at the right time will ensure that important things are not left to chance and fate. Being lucky means being prepared when the opportunity comes knocking.