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Types of Surveys and Other Information
Subdivision Plat
A legal instrument intended to take a large parcel of land and
divide it into smaller parcels of land. A subdivision plat may
also create public rights-of-way or easements, and is usually
filed with the public real estate records of the county.
Surveying
A blend of several disciplines, from mathematician and law
scholar, to expert measurer and translator. By interpreting the
legal descriptions and applying the science of measurement, the
surveyor translates a legal description for construction plans
into tangible positions on the ground. These positions then
become the basis for construction or for the establishment for a
particular location, possibly to show lines of ownership or to
document change over time.
Title Commitment
A commitment to provide title insurance to a parcel of land. The
surveyor is interested in the legal description and the
exceptions.
Right-of-Way
A parcel of land, granted by deed or easement, for
construction and maintenance according to a designated used.
This may include highways, streets, canals, ditches or other
uses.
ALTA Survey
An ALTA survey is a boundary survey prepared to a set of
minimum standards that have been jointly prepared and adopted by
the ALTA/ACSM (American Land Title Association and American
Congress on Surveying and Mapping). Additionally, an ALTA survey
shows improvements, easements, rights-of-way, and other elements
impacting the ownership of land. An ALTA Survey is often
prepared for commercial properties, as it will provide the title
company with the information required to insure the title to the
land and improvements to the high degree that a commercial
development may require.
Legal Description
A method of describing a particular parcel of land in such a way
that it uniquely describes a particular parcel and no other. A
legal description may be a single reference to a lot as shown on
a subdivision plat or be described by metes and bounds. To be
adequate, it should be sufficient to locate the property without
oral testimony.
Monument
An object placed to mark the physical location of a position. A
property corner monument is often a link of iron rod driven
vertically into the ground, so that the top is at or below
natural grade. A cap identifying the registration number of the
surveyor responsible for placing the monument may be placed atop
the monument.
Building Line
The allowable minimum setback for a house or building from the
lot lines. Setback lines are established by zoning
considerations or by developers and enforced by local municipal
zoning administrators.
Certified Survey Map
A recordable map, which divides land, up to four lots. The State
and local municipalities have laws and ordinances that regulate
these surveys.
Easement
Areas of land owned by the property owner, but in which other
parties, such as utility companies, may have limited rights,
granted for a specific purpose.
Encroachment
A structure or part of a structure that occupies the
property of another.
Subdivision Plats
A Subdivision Plat is exactly what it sounds
like; a plat that subdivides. For either large or small
subdivisions, the goals are the same; to meet the requirements
of current land use ordinances and to provide a method of
creating smaller parcels of land. Because the subdivision plat
creates several parcels of land simultaneously, it avoids the
need for determining junior/senior rights within the
subdivision, and provides for a much simpler legal
description when referring to any particular parcel
of land within the subdivision.
The primary purpose of a subdivision plat is to take a
large parcel of land and divide it into smaller parcels of land.
The creation of a subdivision usually takes place under the
jurisdiction of a local agency, which will have a review process
and a set of guidelines to be met. The surveyor's involvement in
this process begins with a boundary
survey of the overall parcel to ensure that design
elements and lot creation occurs entirely within the boundaries
of the parcel. Depending on the nature and size of the
subdivision, the surveyor may also be called on to provide a topographic survey, improvement survey plat, ALTA survey, or other
survey. On a large subdivision, some of this information may be
given to a civil engineer, who will create grading plans, storm
drainage plans, waterline plans, sanitary sewer plans, and
street plans. In the preparation of a residential subdivision,
the surveyor will be working in cooperation with a civil
engineer to balance design considerations with the boundary
issues (including dedication of public rights-of-way
for streets and creation of easements
for utilities or other purposes). After the design and approval
of a subdivision plat, the surveyor may also be involved in the
many aspects of construction surveying for
the development of the land.
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