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Land Surveying questions, answered by experts

A few different types of land surveys can help determine certain features and boundaries of your property. These include:

  • Boundary surveys describe the actual borders of a property. These are generally required when trying to get construction permits issued. 

  • Location surveys provide much of the same information as a boundary survey but also include in-depth information about any improvements made to your property. 

  • Mortgage location surveys are usually required by lenders and title companies before financing or offering an insurance policy. 

  • Site-planning surveys are done before applying for building permits and can be issued before any major home improvements. 

  • Topographic surveys provide a formal map of land elevations. It can also describe the location and size of natural features and any land improvements.

Prior to excavation, you should prepare the dig site and call 311 before you sign anything.

To get your site ready for excavation, you should move anything in the area that isn’t affixed to the land. You can save money on the excavation by removing hardscaping, including walkways, decks, concrete patios, and paver patios.

Before you carry out any digging, you should call 311 to confirm that there are no utility lines running through your excavation site. Skipping this step could lead to severe injury and property damage if your excavator hits a water, sewage, or gas line.

Several government-backed lending programs can help first-time home buyers purchase a home with little money down. FHA, USDA, and VA loans are options for qualifying borrowers, though many conventional mortgage lenders will lower down payment rates to as low as 3 percent.

If you or your mortgage lender think your land survey needs to be more accurate, double-check the survey report and get at least a second opinion from the original surveyor and an inspector, if possible. Although it’s unlikely, even reputable surveying companies can make mistakes. An inaccurate survey can cause problems down the road in the case of any property line disputes, so it’s best to resolve any inaccuracies as quickly as possible.

Professional well contractors may use electromagnetic mapping to look for places with a high likelihood of water. Water access can vary significantly, even on the same property, so it can be difficult to know where to drill if you don’t have specialized tools to look for water.

The Alden, IA homeowners’ guide to land surveying services

From average costs to expert advice, get all the answers you need to get your job done.

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