Straight Answers About Land Surveyor

Straight answers for Medford, the things people actually ask before hiring.

Do I need a new survey to build a fence or an addition?

Usually yes, and often the permit requires it. Building to an assumed line is how encroachment problems start, a fence a foot over the line can cloud a future sale. A current boundary survey shows exactly where you can build and keeps the improvement on your own ground.

Do you set physical markers I can actually see?

Yes. Where corners are missing we set stamped iron rods or caps carrying the surveyor's license number, and we flag them so you can find them. The markers are part of the record, moving or destroying them is both a practical problem and, in most states, against the law.

What do you need from me before you start?

The property address and, if you have them, a copy of your deed, any prior survey, and your title commitment. Access to walk the property helps, and if there's a specific reason for the survey, a fence, a sale, a building permit, telling us up front lets us scope it right the first time.

What's the difference between a boundary survey and an ALTA survey?

A boundary survey locates and marks your property lines. An ALTA/NSPS survey is a detailed standard used for commercial real-estate deals, it adds easements, improvements, and specific 'Table A' items that lenders and title insurers require. An ALTA is more thorough and costs more because it shows far more detail.

How long does a boundary survey take?

Most residential lots take a few hours in the field once the research is done, but the whole job usually runs one to three weeks start to finish, record research, scheduling the field crew, computing the boundary, and drafting the sealed plat all take time. Acreage and parcels with conflicting deeds take longer.

What is a FEMA elevation certificate and when do I need one?

It's a form a licensed surveyor completes documenting your building's elevation relative to the base flood elevation. You'll need one to buy or reduce flood insurance in a mapped flood zone, or to support a Letter of Map Amendment if you believe your structure was mapped into a floodplain by mistake.

Will a survey show easements and things crossing my property?

A boundary survey with improvements locates visible features and the easements shown in the record, utility lines, drainage, access, and any structures near the lines. A full ALTA goes further. If a recorded easement doesn't show on your deed, the title research is where it turns up, which is one reason the record work matters.

Didn't find your question? Call (781) 628-7809 and ask, it's free.