Our Services

Surveying

THE TYPES OF SURVEYS LISTED BELOW FROM LEAST EXPENSIVE TO MOST:

1) BOUNDARY INVESTIGATION OR "FLAG-UP":

Research deeds, subdivision plats, aerial images or County mapping data
On site visit to locate buried or lost property corners with a metal detector and shovel
Mark all found corners with wood stakes or lath and florescent flagging

⇒ Allows you or a realtor to show the property to prospective buyers for the least cost

2) IMPROVEMENT LOCATION CERTIFICATE:

Research deeds, subdivision plats, aerial images or County mapping data; these are typically ordered by a realtor who will supply us with a title commitment on the property
Survey crew finds and measures existing property corners, house, and all built environment details; download of the field data and computations done by Professional Land Surveyor
Product is an 18" by 24" drawing showing the house with dimensioned walls, the property lines with bearings and distances, physical improvements on the lot such as driveways, walls, walks, fences, well and septic with setback distances measured from the major buildings to the property lines
Surveyor's certificate text includes the legal description, reference to title insurance information (easements and exceptions) and the surveyor's seal and signature.
It cannot be used to build fences or other structures unless specifically addressed (see PLOT PLAN).

These are sometimes referred to as "mortgage surveys" in some states. Even though ILCs are commonly referred to as "surveys", they are technically not and are prepared only for the specific purposes required by a lending institution. There are no monuments set and the resulting document is not deposited as are Land Survey Plats and other types of Boundary Surveys.

⇒ This is the minimum document required by most mortgage lenders to assure the lender and title insurance company the property has no glaring problems

3) PLOT PLAN OR SITE PLAN:

Same steps as the ILC, but the final product shows a proposed house, garage or any addition to the property with setback distances from the proposed building to property lines - May require a topographic survey (see ↓)

⇒ This is the minimum document required by most jurisdictions to obtain a building permit; we supply this information to your architect or engineer for the design of a new house, garage or other structure and it usually becomes the first page of your construction documents and plans. Some jurisdictions require a boundary survey for a plot plan (See 5 and 6).

4) TOPOGRAPHIC SURVEYS:

Research deeds, subdivision plats, aerial images or County mapping data
On site visit to locate buried or lost property corners with a metal detector and shovel - any found corner can become the starting elevation or benchmark Survey
crew measures ground elevations surrounding a proposed house or building site, a new driveway or an addition to an existing structure
Product is a contour map of the existing ground elevations, structures and improvements - can be in electronic form or printed

⇒ The topographic map is essential for design work by engineers, architects or landscape architects; we can e.mail this data set to other design professionals for their work which is necessary for building permits

5) BOUNDARY SURVEYS - LAND SURVEY PLATS:

Steps to prepare the Boundary Survey or LSP are similar to the ILC (Item 2 above); a title commitment is a prerequisite - supplied by the client or realtor
Survey crew does initial site measurements to determine the boundary, but structures, fences or built improvements on the property may be required as evidence of possession lines or encroachments
Professional Land Surveyor calculates boundary and sifts any additional data
Crew makes a second site visit to set missing property corners
Survey drawing is required to be either an 18" by 24" or 24" by 36" size - it is reproduced on a mylar plastic sheet for archival purposes and is filed with the Clerk and Recorder in the county in which survey was performed
Surveyor's certificate includes the legal description, references to title schedule B information (easements and exceptions), the surveyor's seal and signature as well as notes discussing bearings and other evidence found

Commonly known as "boundary surveys" or "pin surveys", this work requires strict adherence to specific laws and standards. These are defined by the Colorado Revised Statues, the State Board of Registration and the accepted standards of practice.

6) IMPROVEMENT SURVEY PLATS:

Steps to prepare the ISP are like combining the ILC (Item 2 above) with the BOUNDARY SURVEY PLAT (Item 5 above) - The title commitment is a prerequisite which can be supplied by the client or realtor
Survey crew does site measurements and all improvements; downloaded data is processed by Professional Land Surveyor
Crew makes a second site visit to return to set missing property corners
Survey drawing is required to be either an 18" by 24" or 24" by 36" size - it is reproduced on a mylar plastic sheet for archival purposes and is filed with the Clerk and Recorder in the county in which survey was performed
Surveyor's certificate includes the legal description, reference to title information (easements and exceptions) and the surveyor's seal and signature as well as notes discussing bearings and other evidence found

7) ALTA/ACSM LAND TITLE SURVEYS:

A national standard which incorporates all of the laws and standards for a LAND SURVEY PLAT, together with specific requirements to meet the needs of the AMERICAN LAND TITLE ASSOCIATION (ALTA) and the AMERICAN CONGRESS OF SURVEYING AND MAPPING (ACSM) through the NATIONAL SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL SURVEYORS (NSPS). These types of surveys are generally ordered for commercial property and require that a title commitment be furnished to the Professional Land Surveyor when the survey is ordered.

8) EXPERT WITNESS:

As the former County Surveyor (elected Nov. 2002) Mr. Chambers duties included Expert Witness testimony, Boundary Mediation, Depositions and writtenreports as appointed on private cases by Jefferson County judges. He spent many hours each week counseling the public on a pro bono basis (there was no salary for the position at that time). Mr. Chambers has served on a Boundary Mediation Commission appointed by the Clear Creek County Surveyor. He has also testified as as an Expert Witness in cases in Jefferson and Gilpin Counties. A resume is available upon request which includes references, court case numbers and synopses of the work performed. If you would like to discuss your situation with complete confidentiality, make an appointment with Mr. Chambers for a free consultation.