Land Surveying

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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:

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

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.