Pinnell Survey, Inc. offers a variety of land and property survey options.  Below are the types of surveys we offer and their descriptions:

Boundary Survey

For thousands of years, societies have understood the importance of secure land boundaries. Whether it is a residence, office building, retail center or an industrial plant, the purchase of real property is a major investment. That's why it is important that a thorough boundary survey be done of the property prior to closing. Surveys can be a rather simple drawing of the property, or may entail very detailed depictions of every aspect of the property.

If you are purchasing property, you should discuss with your attorney and lender exactly what type of survey you will need. 

ALTA Survey

If the value of your transaction is large, you may be asked to provide an, "ALTA" survey. This is a survey done in accordance with the Minimum Standard Detail Requirements for ALTA/ACSM Land Title Surveys. These standards were adopted jointly by the American Land Title Association, and the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping. ALTA/ACSM survey requirements call for submission of Table A to the surveyor when you request the survey. Table A is where the scope of the project is determined. Your lender or attorney should be able to provide you with the information you need to complete Table A.

Topographic Survey

An accurate and detailed Topographic Survey is a great benefit for many types of projects. Architects, Engineers, Urban Planners, and others depend on the Topographic Survey as the basis for their work. Whether the project is an addition to an existing structure, new building construction, road, water and sewer design, or hydraulic studies for flood plain determination, it all depends on having an accurate depiction of the site as it exists.  

The Topographic Survey allows Engineers to determine volumes of materials needed for fills, the amount of cut required on a site and provides the information needed to tie the grading of a new site into its surroundings in the most economical way, by balancing the cut and fill.  After excavation, Topographic Surveys are used to determine the volume of material removed or placed on a site.  Depths of underground utility lines can be determined prior to construction, as well as their grades, allowing the design to conform to local municipalities standards and to avoid conflicts and potential disruptions to service.

The Topographic Survey also shows the Designers important features of a site that may need to be preserved, such as existing utilities and items of historic or environmental importance, such as cemeteries and unique plants or trees on the site.

As-Built Survey

A finished structure seldom corresponds exactly to the original plans in every detail. Unexpected, usually unforeseeable difficulties often make variations from the plans necessary— or, occasionally, variations may occur accidentally that are economically unfeasible to correct. The purpose of an AS-BUILT SURVEY is to record these variations. The as-built survey should begin as soon as it becomes feasible—meaning that the actual horizontal and vertical locations of features in the completed structure should be determined as soon as the features are erected. At times, variations from the original plans are recorded on new tracings of the working drawings, on which as-built data are recorded in the place of the original design data when the two happen to differ. Sometimes, reproductions of the original drawings are used with variations recorded by crossing out the original design data and writing in the as-built data. In either case, the term as-built survey, together with the date of revision, is written in, or near, the title block.

 

Elevation Certificate

A “Flood Elevation Certificate” is often required by lending institutions when financing a new or existing home, and by municipal authorities prior to issuing a building permit for new construction. 

In the case of existing dwellings, the certificate, which must be completed by a Licensed Land Surveyor, indicates the relationship between the structure and any flood zones that may be shown on the Federal Emergency Management Agency Flood Map of the community in which the dwelling is located.  The information on the form is used by lenders and the insurance provider in determining if flood insurance is required, and if so, how the insurance rates will be set.  For example, a home that is one foot below the flood elevation will have a lower insurance rate than one that is ten feet below the flood elevation.  Other information besides elevation which the surveyor must furnish on the certificate include the type of building, ground elevations around the building, and elevations of any machinery or equipment serving the building.  These factors are also used in determining the flood insurance rate.

Often when applying for a home loan, the purchaser is told by the lender that he or she is required to buy flood insurance.  Because the cost of flood insurance can run into thousands of dollars per year, it is advisable under these circumstances to have a Licensed Land Surveyor perform a Flood Elevation Certificate Survey.

Construction Layout

From custom homes, entire subdivisions, road layout to major building expansions and new site construction, our team has the knowledge and experience needed to help make a job run smoothly. Our construction layout team has experience in all aspects of construction layout and will work with clients / contractors to make sure layout is performed accurately and in a timely fashion.

Subdivision Platting

If you are attempting to develop a large parcel of land, you may be required to Plat the property. This is a process of dividing real property into three or more lots, parcels, tracts, tiers, blocks, sites, units or any other division of land. It also includes establishment of new streets, easements and alleys, additions and resubdivisions. On average, the platting process takes approximately one year to complete.

Special Purpose Survey

A Special Purpose Survey may needed if you run into certain situations that don’t require or don’t allow conventional types of surveying. These surveys are defined as, surveys which are performed for a purpose other than the purposes encompassed by the definitions set forth by the Florida Board of Professional Surveyors and Mappers, where unusual conditions make it impracticable or impossible for the performance of one of the types of surveys set forth by said board.