Purchasing Commercial Property? Make Sure You Hire A Commercial Land Surveying Service

If you are purchasing new land for a commercial business, there are many things you need to do to get it ready. One of these things is having the land surveyed by a commercial land surveying service. Below are some reasons why you should do this and the types of land surveys that can be used.

Reasons to Get a Land Survey

One of the main reasons to get a land survey is so you know you are getting the land you are paying for. For example, you may be purchasing four acres, but the land survey will show less than this. The land surveyor will mark all boundaries on your property, so you know exactly what you own. This is also important if there is a landowner nearby, such as land adjacent to your property. If you build over the property lines, the other landowner has the right to make you take what you build down. The same thing goes for them if they build onto your property. 

A land survey will also show you where utilities are located on the property. This is important as this will show you where you can and cannot dig.  You do not want to start digging and hit sewer pipes or telephone services are often buried underground.  

A land survey will ensure there are no problems with zoning ordinances. For example, the land you are purchasing may be zoned as commercial property or to be used as only residential property. The survey will list all easements, if any, where you can put access parking, and if there are any encroachments. 

Types of Land Surveys

When you contact a commercial land surveyor, there are different types of surveys they can use. One is known as an American Land Title Association (ALTA) survey. This may be required before you can obtain title insurance. This type of survey is generally done on investment properties or if you are buying properties to build homes. 

A boundary survey is used to mark the boundaries on the property. This can be used later if there are legal problems or if you need to find if there are easements. A location survey shows boundary lines and if there have been any improvements made on the property. You may need a location survey if you need to obtain a zoning permit. 

There are also site planning surveys which is often used if you are planning to apply for a building permit. You will use this survey if you plan to make any improvements on the land you are purchasing.  

The commercial and surveyor that you hire can tell you of other surveys that are available and give you more information about each of them.      

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