Before your local building department issues you a building permit, they will require you to have a Certified Plot Plan performed by a licensed surveyor. A Certified Plot Plan is a survey plan of a lot showing property lines, monuments, fences, and any existing or proposed structures with setbacks to the property lines. The building inspector needs this information to determine if your existing and proposed structures meet the applicable zoning setbacks. When construction is complete, the building inspector will then require an "as built" certified plot plan showing the actual location of the new construction.

Depending on the size of your project, you may also need an existing conditions plan for design purposes and/or construction layout services. We usually work directly with the contractor or architect to provide these services as needed.

Putting up a new fence?

While good fences make good neighbors, putting up a fence on your neighbor's side of the property can make for damaged relations, boundary disputes and lawsuits. Before putting up a new fence anywhere near your property line, be sure to have your property line staked. We will stake your property corners with 3' long steel rebars (or other permanent markers depending on conditions) set flush in the ground with wooden witness stakes. We can also stake you corners with more robust granite or concrete bounds for an additional fee.

Paying too much for flood insurance?

In you live in a flood zone as determined by FEMA, it is always a good idea to have flood insurance, and it is required by mortgage lenders. On the flip side many FEMA flood maps are inaccurate or out of date, and may show your house to be in a flood zone even when it is actually several feet above the local floodplain. If you believe your home is incorrectly labeled as being in a flood zone, you can have it surveyed and file a request with FEMA to have this designation removed. This could potentially save you hundreds of dollars a year on flood insurance and increase the resale value of your home.

Upon request, we will perform an accurate elevation survey of your home and fill out the necessary FEMA Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) forms. If you are unsure whether you should have a survey done, feel free to give us a call and we will check the FEMA records for your area and our own in-house data to see if you have a chance of succesfully challenging your flood zone designation.

For more information on the National Flood Insurance Program, go to the program website.