Top-rated land surveyors.

Get matched with top land surveyors in Lyons, SD

Enter your ZIP and get matched with up to 5 pros

Need a pro for your land surveying project in Lyons, SD?

Select your specific project to find the pro for you.

Find Land surveyors in Lyons

No results for Land surveyor in

Try adjusting your search criteria.
Land Surveying questions, answered by experts

Building a road on a slope requires careful planning and will normally require a drainage system underneath to prevent flooding and damage to the road over time. Your professional may lengthen your road to create switchbacks if the slope directly to your home is too steep, as there are regulations for maximum road slope. The drainage system will help prevent runoff from the higher side of the slope from damaging the asphalt or concrete. Keep in mind that building a road on a slope isn’t a good DIY project, as a lot can go wrong.

Depending on the type of land survey, the report will mark the boundaries of your property, the topographical changes of the landscape, as well as major natural and added structures to the plot. A more detailed survey, like an as-built survey, will note the measurements of the structures and landscape following major construction. A topographic survey will also help your contractor determine the cost of land development projects.

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.

Land surveys don’t technically expire. They do serve as a point of reference and a snapshot of your property, though, so as soon as you make changes to your property (and even if your neighbor makes certain changes to theirs), your existing land survey becomes inaccurate, and a new one must be done. Even if you don’t make any changes to your property, many states only guarantee the accuracy of a land survey for five to ten years.

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

The Lyons, SD homeowners’ guide to land surveying services

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

See all articles