Get matched with top land surveyors in Medford, MN

If you can’t find any records online, you’ll need to contact your county clerk’s office to do further research. They should have property records on file, or can at least point you in the right direction of who to contact. You can also speak with your neighbors about when their houses were built because they were likely built around the same time.

A land survey includes the layout of a single property, including precise measurements and to-scale drawings of boundary lines, land improvements, and sometimes other features, like topography and drainage information. A plat map includes the layouts and boundary lines of several adjacent plots and basic structure measurements. Surveys are normally more valuable for homeowners and buyers, and plat maps are for governmental use.

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.

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.