Land Surveying

At CPS, our ability to provide quality surveying services is a direct result of the specialized training and experience of our team, along with the powerful tools that we use.

Utilizing Real Time Kinematic (RTK) GPS and total station survey equipment, our professional land surveyors provide the most precise data collection, land acquisition, right-of-way documentation and construction staking services in North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota.

We also verify a percentage of data points with traditional methods to ensure reliable and accurate information. It’s this combination of expertise and cutting-edge tools that ensures that all of our survey work is completed accurately and efficiently.

Services offered

A few of our land surveying services include:

Topographical Surveys
Boundary Surveys
American Land Title Act (ALTA) Surveys
Platting
Cadastral Surveys
Elevation Certificates
Floodplain
Hydrological Surveys
Property Legal Descriptions

Request A Land Survey Quote

Residential Lot or Farmstead

Large Rural Tract

Land Surveying FAQs

Should I Get A Land Survey?

If you are a landowner, you may have wondered about the benefits of obtaining a property survey. This type of survey describes, locates and maps landownership boundaries and corners, as well as identifies improvements that can be made to your land. While the decision to obtain a land survey is ultimately up to the landowner, there are several situations where one is usually requested:

When buying land, to protect the investment you are about to make (remember the old adage – Caveat Emptor: “Let the Buyer Beware!”)
When selling land, to ensure that you are selling just the portion intended
When land is not clearly defined by a plat or legal description
Before land is divided by a deed, a will or by a court
When a lending agency requires a survey, for mortgage purposes
Before a building, house or fence is built close to an indefinite property line (or sometimes on the adjacent property by mistake)
When purchasing title insurance
When a line or corner location is unknown or in dispute

How Much Does A Land Survey Cost?

Surveyors’ fees, like those of other professionals, are dependent upon the types of services required and the amount of information in his or her records. Based on your background information, the surveyor can provide an estimate of cost before beginning his services. The following factors help to determine the final cost of a survey:

The type of survey, personnel and equipment required
The amount of research required
The number of unknown property corners
The existence of buildings, fences and other structures
The clarity (or vagueness) of the legal description
The amount of land involved
The nature of the terrain
The accessibility of the land and the amount of vegetation on it
Disputes over lines
Whether the surveyor has made other surveys in the immediate area

How Long Does A Land Survey Take?

Just like the cost, the time a survey will take depends on a variety of factors including the type of survey requested, how much land needs to be surveyed, how much research must be done, and the location of the parcel. In general, however, a well-prepared land survey can take from a few weeks to several months to complete. The surveyor will provide an estimated schedule before beginning services.

Floodplain Survey FAQs

What Is A Flood Elevation Certificate?

The Flood Elevation Certificate reports the relative vertical distance above or below a base flood elevation (BFE) from a Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM). FIRMs were produced by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for use in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). FIRMs were designed to help determine whether a property and building were in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). CPS can determine base flood elevations near your property and measure how far your property is above the flood elevations. This information is also used to prepare Elevation Certificates or Letter Of Map Admendments, otherwise known as LOMAs.

What Is A BFE?

The base flood (also called the 100-year flood) is the flood event having a one percent chance of happening in any given year. FEMA defines the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) as the computed elevation to which floodwater is anticipated to rise during the base flood. The base flood is the standard used by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and other federal agencies for requiring flood insurance and regulating development. The relationships between the BFE and structure elevations determine flood insurance premiums.

What Do I Need To Do If My Property May Be In A 100-year Floodplain?

The 100-year floodplain is considered a high-risk area for development and is designated as a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). If you have structures located within the designated SFHA, you will be required to have flood insurance. If you believe your property is not located in the designated 100-year floodplain as shown on the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), and you would like FEMA to make an official determination regarding the location of your property relative to the SFHA, you may request:

A Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) when the natural ground elevation is above the BFE
A Letter of Map Revision Based on Fill (LOMR-F) if you raise the ground surface elevation above the BFE by placing fill

How Can CPS Help Me With A Floodplain Survey?

CPS will determine the flood zone designation for your property using the Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). From the existing flood maps and profiles, we would determine the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) to be used in your Elevation Certificate. If no published BFE exists for your property, we can perform a detailed flood study to determine the BFE.

CPS will complete an Elevation Certificate using survey data collected at your property. Your insurance agent would then submit the Certificate to FEMA to determine your flood insurance premium.

When appropriate, CPS will complete LOMA or LOMR-F applications to assist in obtaining updated flood hazard determinations from FEMA for your property.