Land Surveying (how much, price, money)

[cohaagen]

Anyone have any idea what it might cost to have a 70-acre, wooded, hilly tract re-surveyed? We're beginning to have land disputes due to a 1970s survey of the tract and those around it being incorrect (surveyor placed many pins far - in some places as far as 500 feet - from the actual corners because the corners called for by the 1911 survey were marked by impermanent features (trees, stones, etc.), and all subsequent surveys have referenced the pins set by the 1970s survey. The older survey did have good distances and directions that don't match the 1970s survey, but do line up with the landscape much better.

I have no idea what kind of price range we're talking here. $1000? $5000??? My tract has been short nearly 10 acres since the 70s thanks to this bogus survey and I really want it fixed.

[thefinalsay]

not sure how much it would cost, but there is a lot of it you can do yourself to save some money. you would probably be looking at at least $5,000 if I had to guess. you could do the grunt work yourself and just have a surveyor come in behind your work.

[cohaagen]

What grunt work? I've already flagged the actual corners as described by the earlier deeds.

[thefinalsay]

Originally Posted by cohaagen

What grunt work? I've already flagged the actual corners as described by the earlier deeds.

the surveyor is going to need a line of sight between the property corners to come in and locate them. if there is brush, saplings, ect., you can clear it out with a brush ax or a machette. no sense in paying a crew $300 an hour or something. clearing the line of sight is what takes all the time. you are paying a professional surveyor to do a laborers job.

[rodwoman]

Originally Posted by cohaagen

Anyone have any idea what it might cost to have a 70-acre, wooded, hilly tract re-surveyed? We're beginning to have land disputes due to a 1970s survey of the tract and those around it being incorrect (surveyor placed many pins far - in some places as far as 500 feet - from the actual corners because the corners called for by the 1911 survey were marked by impermanent features (trees, stones, etc.), and all subsequent surveys have referenced the pins set by the 1970s survey. The older survey did have good distances and directions that don't match the 1970s survey, but do line up with the landscape much better.

I have no idea what kind of price range we're talking here. $1000? $5000??? My tract has been short nearly 10 acres since the 70s thanks to this bogus survey and I really want it fixed.

Oh wow! N.C. mtns is where my husband first started surveying. He has told me about some of the unbelieveable places he had to go to find corners. I feel for you. He had to rely on stones, fense posts, certain kinds of trees, it did not sound easy figuring that out. But you don't have to totally clear the line of site! If my husband, who is a registered land surveyor, can figure how to survey around boganvilia,(a thorny bush) etc., any surveyor should be able to do the same. It does require more shots, but it can be done. And surveying by meeks and bounds is different from section work like here in FL.
And yes, you will pay more if the line is not cleared, I'm just saying you don't have to totally clear the line. And if a line is off 500ft. how are you going to clear a line that is possibly on someone's property? But maybe its not.
All I know from helping him for the last 8 yrs. is that the majority of people think they know where their property corners are, but are seldom right.
I would charge you at least $5,000 minimum depending on how hilly and woody it is. Surveying is hard work especially in the mtns.

[rodwoman]

Originally Posted by cohaagen

What grunt work? I've already flagged the actual corners as described by the earlier deeds.

That sounds familiar!