Answer:

A state survey is a detailed record of the features, orientation, dimensions, boundaries and overall layout of a given slice of belongings, all fatigued on a two dimensional map.

how do i read a land survey?

It is based on exact measurements taken past a surveyor and creates a legal clarification of the land.

A survey tin can tell you lot if the trees, driveways, bodies of h2o, ability lines, fences and sidewalks are really function of the holding you are interested in buying.

Title Company Requirements

The title company volition crave a survey before they will issue the title. If the current owner already has a survey, the title visitor will have to review information technology to determine if information technology is acceptable (most are).

If there take been changes to the property similar a converted garage or a pool, a new survey is required. If the seller does provide a survey, they must complete (and accept notarized) a T-47 grade (too known as a Residential Real Holding Affirmation).

If the owner does not have a survey, the buyer typically pays the fee. A survey volition cost around $350 in Texas.

Being able to read a survey will tell you the exact nature of the property yous are purchasing.

This volition help you avoid any misunderstandings (including time to come legal arguments over who owns what).

Examples of Texas State Surveys:

how do i read a survey survey 2 survey 3 survey 4

Land Survey 101: Common Terms

Easements

An easement states who can access or utilise the state (and for what).

Instance: A local utility visitor that has to be able to arrive to read a meter or even install a serial of power-lines.

Easements can also allow a neighbor to walk or drive through your belongings in guild to get to their country. Easements can exist specific or full general. The affair to go along in mind is that easements say who tin use the property and puts limits on what y'all can do with information technology. (You can't build something that volition block access to someone who has an easement.)

Encroachments

Encroachments occur when one belongings owner infringes on the rights of another.

Example: If a fence is built iii feet onto the adjoining state or a building is really located partially or completely on an adjoining belongings. Sellers are required to tell buyers of whatsoever known encroachments.

If at that place are encroachments, and you lot are considering buying, you should proceed with caution. You might even want to seek legal counsel before going any further. Some encroachments are serious.

The Legend

The fable of a survey is the primal that unlocks the pregnant of all of the symbols, lines and colors of the survey.

Every line or symbol on the survey has a corresponding meaning to place features on the land such as lakes, rivers, utility lines, elevation and depressions in the state, and even the type of vegetative growth on the land parcel, too equally boundary lines.

If the survey does not have a fable (non all practice), bank check out the mutual symbols online by going to a state or federal website such equally the Bureau of Land Management.

Scale

The scale tells you how the lines on the paper chronicle to the real world dimension of the property.

Example: A calibration of 1:10,000 (i to 10,000) means that each inch, centimeter or meter represents ten,000 inches, centimeters or meters on the actual ground.

Survey Title or ALTA Coverage

Survey title coverage or ATLA (American Land Title Association) coverage is a course of insurance that tin merely be issued once a survey has been completed. ALTA coverage is designed to protect the buyer from issues that they were not enlightened of.

Case: If you bought the land not knowing that someone else had a right to the property and had to get to court, the insurance might cover some or all of your expenses.

Real Estate Pro-tip:

When you purchase the survey title (ALTA) coverage, make sure that y'all talk to the championship company most getting an "extended" policy that has no deletions.

You should talk over all of your options with the title company to make certain that you are covered against unreported liens, mining claims, h2o rights, disputes over purlieus lines, encroachments and other issues that you lot might non be aware of.

Surveys tin also contain:

  • Location of the state
  • Names of subdivisions
  • Size or acreage
  • Date of the survey
  • Calibration bar (a bar that shows the lengths of sure lines in relation to others)
  • An arrow that shows orientation (in relation to Magnetic Due north)
  • Surveyor's information
  • Surveyor's seal
  • Plat Fable (a form of draftsman shorthand that explains what the symbols, abbreviations and lines mean)
  • Easements and restrictions
  • A location sketch

The all-time communication is always to practise your homework. Make sure that you lot understand exactly what you are getting when you buy a home or property.

Ever enquire questions about annihilation you lot exercise non empathise.