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Detailed mapping of elevation changes and natural features on the property.

The small lines on the tape measure either indicate inches, fractions of an inch, or centimeters and millimeters. On the imperial unit side (aka the inches side), the longest lines indicate inches, followed by the next shortest lines that indicate a half-inch, and then the quarter, eighth, and sixteenth-inch. On the metric side, the lines break down meters, centimeters, and millimeters.

When planning for land survey costs, you should consider the following elements as major contributors to the overall cost:

• Size of your property in terms of acres or square feet

• Complexity of the terrain in terms of hills, elevation changes, rocks, water, and other features

• Type of survey you need (boundary survey, topographic survey, or a combination of survey types)

• Distance traveled for the professional surveyor

Measure from zero on a measuring tape by placing the metal hook right up against the edge of what you need to measure. You can also latch the hook onto an open edge—of, say, a table—to accurately measure as well. If you begin at the 1-inch mark, you'll need to subtract an inch from your total.