FAQs (frequently asked
questions)
How much?
Land surveying can be extremely complex, and
every project is unique. Surveyors therefore rarely quote a “per lineal foot”
or “per acre” fee. Most survey projects involve too many unknowns for us to quote
a lump sum fee and will therefore usually be billed at hourly rates/ cost of
materials. However, we will normally quote a “should not exceed” fee in our
initial proposal. If a lump sum fee quote is required we can usually provide
one but we will have to do some preliminary (and billable) work first.
Can’t I save a lot of money by just getting a Mortgage
Loan Inspection? I don’t care about a foot or two here or there.
Once the survey is done does that mean it’s
official and that my lines are where the plan says they are?
No. A boundary survey indicates the land
surveyor’s professional opinion as to where your boundaries lie. In
complex situations the opinions of two qualified surveyors may differ, just as
two doctors may disagree on a diagnosis or treatment.
Once the plan is recorded, does that mean it’s
official and that my lines are where the plan says they are?
No. Recording simply preserves the plan and puts the public on notice as to its content.
Well, how DO I make it “official,” then?
If uncertainty or disagreement exists an attorney should be consulted. Ultimately only a court of law has the authority to say where, as a matter of law, boundaries lie (though the surveyor’s opinion and testimony will normally have great weight in the court’s decision). Alternatively, it is often possible for abutting landowners to execute such documents as an attorney may recommend (i.e. boundary agreements) to resolve such questions amicably and much less expensively.
Why can’t I just go by the tax maps?
Tax maps, like Mortgage
Loan Inspections, are usually based on the most recent deed description. If
it is vague or ambiguous the boundaries shown on the tax maps may vary from the
true boundaries, sometimes substantially.
How much is “more or less?”
There is no “rule of thumb.” Generally (though
not always) “more or less” indicates that some other call in the deed is
intended to control things, i.e. “200 feet more or less to an iron pin” usually
runs to the pin even if it is 201 feet.
“More or less” acreage calls are often “close
enough” but can sometimes vary dramatically from the true acreage that a survey
would reveal.
What does “PLS” stand for?
“Professional Land Surveyor.” This
designation was adopted by the Maine Board of Licensure of Professional Land
Surveyors in the early ‘90’s. Licensees had previously been known as Registered
Land Surveyors (RLS). Prior to about 1967 land surveying in Maine was not
licensed.
Your Mortgage
Loan Inspection claims I’m in a flood zone but there’s no way. I was here
in the flood of 1987 and we didn’t even get wet then.
If the FEMA maps show
that the structure is in a flood zone then so will our M.L.I. sketch,
irrespective of the true elevation. This reflects the rule under federal flood
insurance requirements. Unfortunately the FEMA maps are sometimes less accurate
than we’d like them to be. If the structure is in fact sufficiently
well-elevated, an Elevation Certificate
may be required in order to prove this to FEMA (contact us for details).