Ludlow Engineering and Land Survey

What is an ALTA survey?

ALTA stands for American Land Title Association. The ALTA is a group that represents the land title and title insurance industry. In addition to ALTA, the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM) also accepts and conforms to ALTA survey conventions. An ALTA survey is a survey done in such a way that it conforms to ALTA standards. The good thing about this is that most surveyors know and understand this format – so once you get used to reading an ALTA survey you will be able to do it over and over again on subsequent transactions.

What does an ALTA survey contain?

Like any survey, an ALTA survey shows the physical characteristics of the property you are purchasing. The first thing an ALTA survey will give you is a description of the metes and bounds of the property. In other words, the survey will give you the actual description (longitude and latitude) of the property boundaries. Most buyers perform their own survey for due diligence to ensure that the property they are purchasing is the size they thought it was.

An ALTA survey also shows improvements on the property, rights of way on the property, as well as any easements granted by previous property owners. For land that you are considering developing, this is incredibly important. If you have an easement granted to the power company that goes straight through the middle of the property, it may be difficult, or impossible, to develop.

ALTA Survey and Title Insurance

An ALTA Survey and Title Insurance go hand in hand. You need to have a current title commitment before you can complete and ALTA survey. This initial title commitment will provide the initial description of the property.

The title company, however, will need the ALTA survey to be completed to finalize the transaction. When a land title company provides title insurance to you, they are guaranteeing you that there are not any unknown encumbrances on your property. To make that guarantee effectively the title insurance company

will use a survey to help delineate where the existing encumbrances, improvements, and easements are located.

ALTA is acceptable to lenders

One of the most important things about an ALTA survey is that it is approved by a host of different groups for use in transactions. That means that your financial partner will accept the information from an ALTA survey as accurate and can use it to help them determine the financing you will receive. This convention will save you money so that you do not have to conduct a special survey for each of the parties involved.

Land, Property, and Boundary Surveys Are All The Same

Although they are often call different things, these types of surveys are pretty much one and the same.

A Land Survey, is a mathematical closure of real property located in various breaks or systems.  They can be part of a Townsite.  They can be part of a commercial subdivision, residential subdivision, block, and more.

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Boundary survey is the process of finding, identifying, measuring, evaluating, analyzing as well as reporting the location of the boundary lines of a land. A boundary survey discloses any type of land encroachments. The land surveying firms perform a boundary survey in accordance with the pre defined technical standards. The land surveyors make determinations on the reliability of existing land corners. A boundary survey plat is then created by depicting the output of the survey. It is used to resolve boundary disputes for any subdivision of land, road boundary realignment, etc.

A land surveyor identifies and examines the historical records relating to the land. Apart from the legal documents and registry of deeds this research may also include the probate issues, town offices, and historical associations. This research is helpful to locate existing buildings, monuments and other evidences of the boundaries. The results of the past and present field work are compared with the research and the surveyor then coordinates all the information to arrive at a final mapping.

The actual cost of a boundary survey mainly depends on multiple aspects, some of which can be known only after commencing the survey work. The size, terrain, vegetation and location influence the cost. Boundary surveys are used to help property owners to accurately establish the boundary lines. It also expounds information about your property or any easements or encroachments. The methods used in the boundary survey can be tailored to match the size and requirements of the project. Moreover, you should select a firm that offers comprehensive engineering, land surveying, construction management and other surveying services like geodetic survey, ALTA / ACSM land title surveys (ALTA Surveys) and GPS land survey, etc. for responsive and professional services.

Armando Dupont, a professional land surveyor started his career in surveying in 1977 and has extensive experience in managing personnel and projects.

About the Author:
Mr. Dupont founded Calvada Surveying, Inc. in 1989 and is a licensed professional land surveyor in the State of California. As an elite land surveying firm, Calvada Surveying, Inc. offers professional land surveying services, including ALTA Surveys, ACSM Surveys, 3D High Definition Land Surveying (High Definition Laser Scanning) services, boundary surveys, and other land surveying services throughout the Western United States