SURVEYS

• ALTA/ACSM

An ALTA/ACSM (American Land Title Association / American Congress on Surveying and Mapping) Land Title Survey is one of the most detailed surveys available. It typically includes all improvements on the property along with references to a Title Commitment, which shows any easements and encumbrances found in the process of a title search. It also includes options to show topography and underground structures. We do dozens of these surveys every year for some of the most prominent national corporations and title companies on sites anywhere in Minnesota. The work is typically conducted with the strictness of confidence. You can find more information on the American Congress on Surveying & Mapping Web Site.

• Boundary Survey

A Boundary Survey is an accurate survey of one or more parcels of land made to establish or to re-establish boundary lines on the ground, or to obtain data for preparation of a map or plan. Plans will usually show boundary lines and evidence of the same, buildings, monuments found or set, easements and rights of way, encroachments and lines of occupation, and other items affecting the real property being surveyed. The surveyor will normally research records at the County Recorder and other municipal offices, as they relate to the property surveyed and abutting properties. If deed descriptions or evidence on the ground are vague or conflicting, research and field investigation can be more extensive. The survey plan is often recorded as a permanent record with the County Recorder, and is relied upon for the preparation of a legal description of the property.

• Certificate of Survey

A Certificate of Survey is based on a thorough examination of the description of the property deed and the deeds to adjoining properties and re-tracing based on a field survey. It often will also show any permanent structures (buildings, fences, pools) constructed on the property and their relation to the property lines. This may be the plan requested by the county, city or township building inspector.

Often, a homeowner wishes to build a fence, put up some new landscaping, take down a tree, or pave a driveway that is very close to a property line. Whenever there is a question of where the property line is, it is always a good idea to have a property line survey.  The stakeout will provide you with an on-the-ground location of your property line, and is conducted after the preparation of a Boundary Survey.  The property line(s) in question can be staked using a variety of materials when completed. We can also perform a site walk with you to show you where your property corners are and where your lines run when we are done.

• Subdivisions

From large tracts of land to the smallest parcel, everyone has the right to subdivide their land into more than one piece of land. How this is done is controlled by a complex and archaic set of laws that differs in every town. Sometimes you need approval from your local Planning Commission and sometimes you don't. Whatever your circumstances, it's best to have an expert on your side, a Professional Land Surveyor, who knows the laws where your land is. We survey in Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota and are familiar with many local Planning Commissions. Trust us to help you develop your most prized possession - your land.

• Construction Staking

During the construction phases of any project, the services of a land surveyor are often needed to help accurately place new structures, from shed to skyscraper, pathway to parkway, drain to ditch, as the designer intended it. This helps ensure compliance with the complex regulatory environment in each state, insurance that the structure is sized correctly, or just peace of mind!!  Whatever your purpose, we provide construction layout services on an hourly, daily, or monthly basis to help ensure that your project is completed to your satisfaction.

• Photogrmmetry & Photgrammetric

 Photogrammetry and Photogrammetric Control Surveys are often used for large scale Record Conditions Surveys or Data Accumulation Surveys.  We provide services to other Photogrammetric, Engineering, and Land Surveying Firms to provide the ground control to accurately associate the photogrammetry with existing ground conditions, horizontal datum, and vertical datum. We can accomplish this using either conventional survey equipment or GPS equipment.

• Record Condition Survey

A Record Condition Survey is generally ordered by an engineer to facilitate the design and development of a parcel of property. It will contain a Boundary Retracement Survey and a Topographic Survey and will be a snapshot in time of what the property looks like.  The level of detail collected and mapped is always negotiable, but often is the highest available where all objects on the property and as many objects under the property as possible are mapped.

• Topographic Survey

A Topographic Survey is used to show the natural physical characteristics of the terrain on the property as well as any physical improvements. It is often a critical component of Title Insurance (ALTA/ACSM) Survey and Record Conditions Surveys.

• Global Positioning System

Global Positioning System (GPS) Surveys use satellites circling the earth to tell a surveyor using special equipment an accurate location on the face of the earth.  GPS allows large scale surveying to be performed much faster than with conventional methods. It is often used for Control Network Surveys, Photogrammetric Control Surveys, and many aspects of other surveys that we perform.

• Geotechnical Surveys

Geotechnical Engineers often will drill into the soil for samples, collect from monitoring wells, dig test pits to examine soil strata, and many other site specific examples. Sometimes, it is preferable to know the relationship of these objects to each other on a map.  We provide Geotechnical Surveys and can prepare geotechnical maps of a particular area that the engineer or scientist identifies.