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Here are some reasons you might need a Survey…

  • So that you can see exactly what you are buying or selling.
  • To determine if there are easement lines for utilities such as water, sewer, drainage ways, power lines, etc. on your property.
  • To know if there are any encroachments like driveways, fences or buildings on the property.
  • To know the exact property line measurements and the precise locations of all structures, fences, or driveways related to those property lines.
  • To determine if you are in a floodplain.
  • To be able to put up a fence on your property in the correct location.
  • To subdivide your property to divide it among family members.
  • To make sure the building you are constructing is on the lot, within the setback lines, and not encroaching on any easement lines.
  • To determine if your lot is usable for an onsite septic system. (While technically not a survey, these are commonly done by surveyors.)

Call Maxwell Land Surveying at (256) 854-9503 or fill out our contact form to discuss your land surveying needs.

When a Flood Elevation Certificate Makes Sense

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Licensed surveyor measuring an elevated home for a flood elevation certificate to determine building elevation and flood risk.

A flood elevation certificate is a paper that shows how high a building sits compared to the flood level expected in its area. If you own property near water or in a flood-prone zone, this paper can matter a lot. It records exact heights and shows the building’s flood risk. Many owners only learn about it when a lender, agent or insurance company asks for one. Knowing when you actually need it can save you time, money and stress.

Here’s what it shows and when it really helps.

Find Out What a Flood Elevation Certificate Shows

The certificate records the height of a building against a fixed point. A licensed surveyor measures the lowest floor, the next floor up and any gear outside the home, like an air conditioner. The surveyor then checks these heights against the base flood elevation. That’s the level floodwater could reach in a bad flood.

The form also lists the flood zone the property sits in and other site facts. Together, this tells you clearly how the building stands against flood risk. If the lowest floor sits above the flood line, that’s good news. If it sits below, the paper makes that clear too.

Think of it as a height report card for your building. It puts real numbers behind what used to be a guess.

Know When You May Need One

You won’t always need this paper, but some moments call for one. Buying or selling a home in a flood zone is the most common reason. Lenders and insurance firms often ask for it before they close the deal.

You might also need one when you fix up or rebuild part of a home. Adding a new level, raising the home or doing big repairs can change its height and its flood standing. Local permit offices sometimes ask for a fresh certificate before they approve the work.

Owners in higher-risk zones run into this need more often. If your home sits in a Special Flood Hazard Area, expect the topic to come up. Knowing the rule ahead of time helps you dodge delays later.

See How It Can Help with Flood Insurance

The certificate gives insurers the exact numbers they use to judge a building’s risk. Instead of guessing how high the home sits, they get measured facts. That clear data helps them set terms that match the real property.

The paper shows whether the lowest floor sits above or below the flood line. That one detail shapes how an insurer prices a policy. A home raised above the line often looks far less risky than one sitting low.

This also helps if you think your property looks riskier on paper than it really is. With solid height data, you can show exactly where your building stands. Real numbers give you something firm to work with instead of a guess on a map.

Learn What Information Is Collected

To fill out the form, a surveyor takes several key measurements. They record the height of the lowest floor, including any basement or crawl space. They also measure attached garages and any machine placed outside the home.

Beyond heights, the surveyor notes the building’s spot, its flood zone and the maps behind the data. They may take photos of the home from a few sides. All these facts go onto one standard form, so the details stay clear.

Accuracy here really matters. A small error in one measurement can change how others judge a building’s risk. That’s why this work needs trained hands and the right tools.

Work with a Licensed Land Surveyor

This kind of certificate has to come from a trained pro, usually a licensed land surveyor or engineer. They have the skills and tools to take exact height readings. Guesswork won’t cut it, since insurers and permit offices count on these numbers being right.

A licensed surveyor knows how to read flood maps and tie each reading to the right point. They follow strict rules, so the paper holds up when others check it. That trust is just what lenders and agencies want to see.

Picking someone with real experience also makes the job easier. A good surveyor explains what each number means and answers your questions in plain words. When the surveyor gets it right the first time, you skip repeat visits and extra costs.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if I need a flood elevation certificate?

Start by checking whether your property sits in a flood zone, since that’s the biggest factor. Your lender, insurance agent or local permit office can also tell you if they require one. If you’re buying, selling or planning major work near water, it’s smart to ask early.

How long does it take to get a flood elevation certificate?

Most take a few days to a couple of weeks once a surveyor visits the site. The exact timing changes with the surveyor’s schedule and how complex the property is. Booking early helps you avoid holdups during busy seasons.

Can I use an old flood elevation certificate?

You can in some cases, but only if nothing about the building or the flood maps has changed. New construction, raised homes or updated maps can make an old one outdated. When unsure, a fresh copy gives you the most reliable facts.

What information will I receive after the survey is complete?

You’ll get the finished form with all the recorded heights, the flood zone and supporting details. It often includes photos of the building and notes about the maps used. Keep this copy safe, since you may need it for insurance or future projects.

Does a flood elevation certificate expire?

The form itself doesn’t have a strict end date. Still, it can fall out of date if the building changes or new flood maps come out. Insurers and lenders may ask for a current version, so check before you lean on an older one.

Construction Staking Survey for Accurate Building

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Surveyor performing a construction staking survey with a total station to mark building layout and stake locations before construction begins.

Approved plans look perfect on paper. The real test comes when crews build it on raw dirt, with no grid lines to follow. A construction staking survey bridges that gap. A licensed surveyor places marked stakes across the site to show where each part of the project goes. Without those marks, builders would be guessing, and guesses get expensive once concrete sets.

Most people picture staking as one quick step. The real work runs deeper. These five parts decide whether a build lands where it should.

Gather the Right Documents Before Staking Begins

Staking can’t start with a bare site and good intentions. A surveyor needs the approved plans first, since they hold the exact coordinates for every structure, road and pipe. They also pull the recorded plat, grading plan and any permits for the work.

These documents have to be the final, approved versions. If a crew stakes from an old draft, every mark could land in the wrong spot. So a careful surveyor checks the revision dates and confirms nothing changed before heading out.

Site readiness counts too. Staking works best after the land is cleared and rough graded, so marks sit in stable ground. The surveyor times the work with the crew so the ground is ready first.

Know Who Reads the Stakes on Site

Many workers depend on those stakes, and each reads them in their own way. The excavator operator uses cut and fill marks to know how deep to dig or how high to build up the ground. The concrete crew uses corner and offset stakes to set forms in the building’s footprint.

Utility installers follow their own marks for water lines, sewer pipes and electrical runs. A stake there isn’t only a location. It often carries a depth note too, so the pipe sits at the right slope.

Inspectors check the stakes against the plans as work moves along. When a stake and the plan agree, the project keeps moving. When they don’t, the inspector can pause work until someone fixes the gap.

Plan for Weather and Ground That Move the Marks

Stakes live outside in the weather, and the ground they sit in doesn’t always stay put. Heavy rain can wash out the soil around a stake or float it loose in clay. Frost in cold months can push stakes up and out of true, which throws off their readings.

Soft or sandy ground brings its own trouble. A stake that looked solid Monday can lean or sink by Friday after equipment rolls past. Loose fill that hasn’t settled can shift under a stake and move it just enough to matter.

So surveyors often return to reset marks during a long job. A quick re-stake costs far less than a foundation poured off line. Smart crews treat stakes as live points that need a check after big storms or heavy earthwork.

See How Utility Staking Differs from Building Staking

Staking a building and staking underground utilities aren’t the same job. Building stakes mostly deal with the footprint and finished floor height. The marks show where walls meet the ground and how high the slab should sit.

Utility staking adds a layer buildings don’t stress as much: depth and slope. A sewer line has to drop at a steady grade so gravity keeps the flow moving. The surveyor marks the pipe path and depth at each point, so the installer holds the right fall end to end.

The order of work matters too. Crews usually stake and install underground utilities before the building goes up, since digging for pipes after the slab is poured creates a mess. Getting the utility layout right early keeps the build from hitting buried surprises.

Connect Staking to the Final As-Built Survey

Staking and the as-built survey sit at opposite ends of the same project. Staking happens first and shows where things should go. The as-built survey happens last and records where things actually landed.

When the staking is done well, the two should match closely. The surveyor returns after key parts are built and measures their real positions. Then they check those numbers against the plan to confirm the work followed the design.

This final check protects everyone. Lenders, officials and future owners often want proof the structure sits where the plans promised. A clean as-built survey, backed by accurate staking from day one, gives them that proof.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can construction staking be used for small projects?

Yes, even a single home, garage or fence line can benefit from staking. The scale is smaller, so the job takes less time, but the goal stays the same. Accurate marks keep the build in the legal spot and off the neighbor’s land.

Can staking start before the design is fully approved?

It shouldn’t, since stakes set from a draft can send the whole build off course. A surveyor wants the final, approved drawings with current revision dates. Working from an older set risks marks that don’t match what the permit office approved.

Do crews need a surveyor on site to follow the stakes?

Not for daily work, because the stakes carry the information crews need to keep building. A surveyor usually returns only to reset disturbed marks or stake the next phase. Day to day, the trades read the stakes on their own.

How is staking for underground utilities different from staking for a building?

Utility stakes deal mostly with how deep a pipe sits and the angle it follows underground. Gravity has to move the flow, so a steady grade matters more than for a wall. Building stakes, by contrast, center on the footprint and finished floor height.

What is the difference between construction staking and an as-built survey?

Staking comes first and marks where the project should be built. An as-built survey comes last and records where everything ended up. One guides the work, and the other proves the result matches the plan.

Mortgage Survey Tips Before Closing on a Property

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Licensed surveyor performing a mortgage survey on a residential property before closing to verify property boundaries and visible improvements.

Buying a home is exciting. It can also get stressful fast, especially as the closing date gets close. A mortgage survey is one of those steps that quietly protects you from big surprises. It maps out the property you’re about to buy and shows where the lines, buildings and other features really sit. Most buyers never think about it until a lender brings it up. By then, you want to already know what it does and why it matters.

Know What a Mortgage Survey Covers

A mortgage survey checks the basic layout of a property. A licensed surveyor visits the site and records where the property lines fall. They also note the house, garage, driveway, fences and other visible features you can see from the ground.

The goal is simple. It confirms that what’s on the property matches what the records say. If the deed describes a half-acre lot with one house, the survey should back that up. When something doesn’t line up, you find out early instead of after you own it.

This kind of survey usually costs less than a full boundary survey. It gives buyers a clear picture without the deeper detail. For most home purchases, that’s exactly what you need.

Watch for Problems Before You Buy

Sometimes a survey turns up things nobody expected. A fence might sit two feet over the property line. A driveway you assumed was yours might actually be shared. A shed or garage could cross onto the neighbor’s land.

People call these issues encroachments, and they’re more common than you’d think. They don’t always stop a sale, but they can slow it down. You may need the seller to fix the problem first, or you might agree on a price change to cover it.

Catching these problems before closing puts you in control. Once you own the home, the problem becomes yours to deal with. So it’s far better to know now, while you still have room to walk away or negotiate.

Plan the Survey at the Right Time

Timing makes a real difference. You’ll usually want the mortgage survey done after your offer is accepted but well before the closing date. That gives everyone enough time to review the results and handle any issues that come up.

If you wait too long, you risk delaying the whole closing. Surveyors get busy, especially during peak buying seasons. Booking early helps you avoid a last-minute scramble.

Your lender or title company will often tell you when they need the survey in hand. Listen to that date and work backward from it. A little planning here keeps the rest of the process moving smoothly.

Understand How the Results Are Used

A mortgage survey helps more than just you. Several people in the deal rely on it. Your lender uses it to confirm the property is what they’re lending money against. They want to know the home sits where it should and that no major issue threatens its value.

The title company also reviews the survey before they issue title insurance. They check for encroachments, easements and anything that might affect ownership. If the survey shows a problem, they’ll want the seller to clear it up before closing.

As the buyer, you get the same information to make a smart choice. You can see exactly what you’re buying. That shared view keeps everyone on the same page and helps the closing go through without surprises.

Pick the Right Surveyor

Not every surveyor is the same, so choosing well matters. Start by making sure they’re licensed in your state. A license means they’ve met the training and testing standards needed to do the work correctly.

Experience counts too. A surveyor who has worked on many home purchases will spot problems faster and explain them in plain language. Ask how long they’ve done this kind of work and whether they know your area well.

Good communication is just as important as technical skill. You want someone who answers your questions and walks you through the results clearly. If a surveyor rushes you or talks in confusing terms, keep looking. The right one makes the whole process easier to understand.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is a mortgage survey different from a property inspection?

A mortgage survey looks at land, boundaries and where structures sit on the lot. A property inspection checks the condition of the home itself, like the roof, wiring and plumbing. They answer different questions, so many buyers get both before closing.

What happens if a mortgage survey finds a problem?

You’ll usually have a few choices. The seller might fix the issue, you might adjust the price or you could ask for legal papers that clear it up. In some cases buyers decide to walk away if the problem is serious enough.

Can an older mortgage survey still be used?

Sometimes, but the lender has the final say, and a lot depends on how much has changed. If a fence, addition or driveway went in after the old survey, the information may be out of date. Many lenders prefer a fresh survey to be safe.

How much detail does a mortgage survey include?

It covers the main features you can see, like buildings, fences and property lines. It doesn’t go as deep as a full boundary survey with exact corner markers. For a standard home purchase, that level of detail is usually enough.

Do I get a copy of the mortgage survey after it is finished?

Yes, you should receive a copy for your records. Ask your surveyor or title company how they’ll send it to you. Keeping that copy helps later if you renovate, build a fence or sell the home down the road.