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Property Owner's Questions
1. Why Choose a Professional Land Surveyor?
2. How Do I Select a Land Surveyor?
3. What Will a Land Survey Cost?
4. When Do I Need a Land Surveyor?
5. What Will a Land Surveyor Do For Me?
6. What Does the Surveyor Need From Me?
7. Cautions for Landowners and Clients
8. What if I Have a Concern or Complaint with a Professional Land Surveyor's Work?
9. Protecting Your Interest in Property Rights
Why Choose a Professional Land Surveyor?
A Professional Land Surveyor renders a highly technical service in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, codes and court decisions established by city, county, state and federal authorities.
Kansas statutes limit the practice to only those persons duly licensed by the Kansas State Board of Technical Professions.
Minimum Standards for Boundary Surveys and Mortgage Title Inspections have been established to protect the public from inferior land surveying. These standards mandate requirements and procedures for conduct of a survey and information to be provided to the client.
How Do I Select a Land Surveyor?
Professional Land Surveyors are listed in the yellow pages of the telephone book. Check with a local abstractor, attorney, realtor or other individual with knowledge of Professional Land Surveyors that practice in your area.
Base your decision of retaining the services of a Professional Land Surveyor on their reputation, experience and availability, not on the fee or costs associated with their services.
What Will a Land Survey Cost?
Many Professional Land Surveyors charge by the hour. The cost is dependent on many factors such as the type of survey and equipment required, weather conditions, availability of existing records and controlling survey monuments, type of terrain, access to the property and the surveyor's familiarity and knowledge of the area.
In addition to salary costs, hourly fees include allowance for business overhead, such as taxes, rent, telephone, postage, utilities and other costs related to the conduct of a Professional Land Surveying business. The costs for monuments, vehicle mileage, copying, recording fees, and other related costs associated directly to the service provided to you may be charged in addition to the hourly fee.
Due to these variables, it is often difficult to determine a flat rate fee for a land survey. Most often a land surveyor can provide an estimate of final cost based on their general experience.
To reduce the possibility of a misunderstanding or disagreement, the land surveyor may request or require that you sign an agreement or contract that includes a description of the services to be performed, an approximate completion date, a lump sum fee or hourly rate and payment schedule.
When Do I Need a Land Surveyor?
- Before you sell your home or land.
- Before you buy your home or land.
- Before you develop or subdivide your land.
- Before you construct a building, fence or other improvements.
- Before a boundary line dispute arises.
What Will a Land Surveyor Do For Me?
The Professional Land Surveyor will conduct all work in accordance with city, county, state or federal laws and regulations and do so with the highest standards of ethics and practice.
The professional Land Surveyor will at your request:
- Study your property description and show or indicate, in their professional opinion, what the records and facts indicate the boundaries of your land to be.
- Advise you of defects, which can have adverse effects on the ownership of the land with which you hold title to or have consideration of, with respect to the recorded description or encroachments onto or from adjoining description or encroachments onto or from adjoining properties.
- Set monuments at your property corners and mark monuments to be easily found.
- Set additional monuments upon the boundaries as specified by the client for construction or other uses.
- Provide a "Plat of Survey" (drawing), depicting the elements of the survey and indicating the findings for the service provided. This document shall include a "Certificate of Survey" or “Professional Certification” which is signed and sealed by the Professional Land Surveyor.
- File a copy of the "Plat of Survey" with the appropriate office or agency at your request or if required by resolution, regulation, standard or law.
- Provide additional copies to other parties as specified.
- Conduct all or portions of the service in cooperation with your attorney, banker, realtor, engineer or architect.
- Prepare a written description of land for conveyance of title, interest, easement or rights of way.
- Help you plan and layout a subdivision of land into lots, blocks and streets for resale or development.
What Does the Surveyor Need From Me?
( * Indicates items that are mandatory.)
- *The purpose and type of survey.
- *The deed of your property or a copy of the deed.
- Any survey documents or information related to the property.
- The history of ownership if known or available.
- Name and address of adjacent property owners.
- *Information about disagreements over the location of boundaries of the land.
- *The Land Surveyor should be shown all monuments marking the corners or lines of your land & any knowledge of their origin that you are aware of.
- *Abstract and title opinion if available or if required by the Land Surveyor.
Cautions for Landowners and Clients:
- Contact the surveyor well before the survey is needed.
- DO NOT replace a survey monument with a post. Set a post beside the monument.
- DO NOT move, remove or replace a survey monument.
- Removing or disturbing a survey monument is punishable under Kansas Statute Law.
What if I Have a Concern or Complaint with a Professional Land Surveyor's Work?
- Ask the Land Surveyor for an explanation.
- Obtain a second opinion from another Land Surveyor.
***** If you have a serious complaint contact:*****
Kansas State Board of Technical Professions
Suite 507, Landon State Office Building
900 S.W. Jackson Street
Topeka, Kansas 66612-1257
Protecting Your Interest in Property Rights
The Professional Land Surveyor locates the property in which you enjoy your livelihood and for which future improvements could be planned and constructed. Their professional service will cost less in time, worry and expense than relocating a building, fence or other improvement or defending a lawsuit in court due to a land boundary controversy. Retain a Professional Land Surveyor before planning your development and investing funds, as a protection of your interest.
The Professional Land Surveyor renders a highly technical and complex service. In cases of controversy they can appear as your expert witness, if necessary. The surveyor assumes responsibility for their professional opinion and accuracy of their work.