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To contact up please call 781-279-1055Massachusetts Association of   Land Surveyors   and Civil Engineers, Inc.
Our staff of engineers and surveyors employ the latest computer aided design technology to plan a variety of residential, commercial and municipal projects. Massachusetts GIS
THE LAND SURVEYING PROCESS
Middlesex South District  Registry of deeds  

Contacting a Land Surveyor:



You can choose a Surveyor based on prior recommendations or your local Yellow Pages or on the internet.

You should make your needs known to the Surveyor as clearly as possible and as soon as possible. Be sure the Surveyor knows why you want the survey made, and exactly which services you require. This will ensure that the fee estimate the Surveyor gives you is accurate. A Land Surveyor is an integral part of a professional team composed of: attorneys, engineers, architects, and planners.

You should supply copies of any survey maps, deeds, records of title, or any other pertinent information about your property to the Surveyor at your first meeting (if possible).

The Survey:


The Land Surveyor will perform research through a variety of sources, including County Clerk's offices and other agencies, to gather information affecting the boundaries of the property, as well as reviewing the documents and maps you provide.
After this information has been gathered, the Surveyor will send a field crew to perform a field survey of the property. These trained professionals will locate any physical evidence that may affect the property boundaries, as well as locate any physical improvements to the property. If engaged for the project, the Surveyor, Survey Crew, or other professionals may visit the site to perform various other tasks like wetland delineation, percolation testing, and general site reconnaissance.
After performing the field survey, the Surveyor will make a determination of the property lines based on research and field evidence. This information will be downloaded into a computer and mathematically proven, and then a map, or plat, will be drafted for the parcel.

Boundary Survey:

A combination of boundary and
topographic surveying is used for
design and construction of roads,
subdivisions, pipelines, buildings, etc.


A survey for the express purpose of locating, describing, monumenting and mapping the exact boundaries and corners of a given parcel of land. This involves record and field research, field measurements and computations with the findings shown on a survey plat that is given to the land owner. A description may also be required for purposes of recording a new deed.

Topographical Survey:


A survey locating natural and man-made features such as elevations, contours of land, streams, buildings, fences, etc.

Subdivision Survey:


A survey for the division of any lot or tract of land into smaller lots, with monumentation and a subdivision plat conforming to the governing ordinances including boundary descriptions for new deeds as required.

Mortgage Location Survey:


A survey which meets the specific needs for title insurance. The survey plan must show particular information discovered from measurements taken at the site, and not necessarily evidence by public record.

How Much Will a Survey Cost?


The cost of a survey depends on several things including the type of survey needed, the time required to perform the survey and preparation of necessary plats and descriptions. Some variables which affect the cost of a land survey are:

Terrain and Accessibility:
A level, open field is much easier to survey than a wooded, hilly tract of land.

Time of Year: Dense vegetation in summer often restricts the line of sight. Snow in winter may conceal field evidence.

Size and Shape: An irregularly shaped tract of land has more corners and a longer perimeter than a square containing the same area.

Field Evidence: The presence of iron monuments, corner stones, etc., in the survey area aid the surveyor, their absence makes the survey more difficult.

Deeds: At times the legal description of the property to be surveyed may be vague, incomplete, contradictory, and/or mathematically inaccurate. It may also be necessary to resolve an unrecorded deed, agreement or easement.

When Do You Need A Survey?


A survey should be performed when any of the following situations arise:

1. The title to land is to be transferred and the land is not clearly defined by plat, description, or location on the surface of the earth.

2. Land is to be divided by land contract, will, deed, court order, or desire of the owner.

3. Land is to be improved by the construction of buildings, roads, fences, lakes, etc.

4. There is a boundary dispute between you and your neighbor or you believe someone is encroaching upon your land.

5. There is reason to believe the description, plat or the location of any property line or corner is incorrect.

 

Why Benchmark?


This firm has a solid reputation for providing accurate title surveys, efficiently completed for properties ranging in size from less than one quarter acre to fifty acres or more.

We can engage other consultants to carry out preliminary studies, and environmental issues to submit with the draft subdivision plan-and ensure compliance with local, state and federal laws.

We can represent you and your project at Planning, Building, Zoning meetings, if required.
We can help simplify the Land Development Process and make recommendations as to the feasibility of projects.

Benchmark Survey | 38 Montvale Ave. Suite 180 | Stoneham, MA 02180 | 781-279-9109 | fax 781-279-9136
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