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Boundary surveying is the process by which property or other boundary lines of a parcel of land are determined, mapped and monumented (marked), as defined by a legal description or deed. A boundary survey typically begins with the researching of land evidence records. Next, field work is performed to collect the location of physical, natural and artificial monuments as well as lines of possession, in order to compare and analyze them against the information contained within the land evidence records. The Professional Land Surveyor then makes a determination of the actual location of the property boundaries before setting monuments (markers) to identify them. Lastly, a plan of land is prepared.
Topography is a detailed graphical representation of the surface shapes and features of the Earth, illustrated by contour lines. A topographic / existing conditions survey is a survey of both the elevation and physical aspects or properties of a parcel of land. Typically, this information is used for land planning or as a base map for other design work such as an OWTS design or a Proposed Conditions Site Plan and are often required by Architects, Civil Engineers and Landscape Architects. Features commonly shown on a topographic / existing conditions survey plan include contour lines, buildings, above ground and evidence of below ground utilities, roadways, trees, edges of vegetation and other improvements.
An Elevation Certificate is an administrative tool of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) which is used to provide elevation information necessary to ensure compliance with community floodplain management ordinances, to determine the proper insurance premium rate, or to support a request for a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) or a Letter of Map Revision based on fill (LOMR-F). Letter of Map Change (LOMC) is a general term used to refer to the several types of revisions and amendments to FEMA maps that can be accomplished by letter. They include Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA), Letter of Map Revisions (LOMR), and Letter of Map Revision based on Fill (LOMR-F).
An ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey is a comprehensive boundary survey performed to a strict set of standards developed by the American Land Title Association (ALTA) in conjunction with the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS). These surveys are acceptable to a title insurance company insuring title to real property. Other key elements of an ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey include: rights of way, access, lines of possession, improvements along the boundaries, buildings, easements and servitudes, cemeteries and water features.
Construction layout is the process of staking or laying out a set of reference points, as shown on a set of design plans which can show or represent the location of proposed structures such as roads or buildings.
An as-built survey is a survey that documents the finished horizontal and/or vertical location of something that has been recently constructed. They are commonly used to compare and report deviations from a proposed design plan or as a permanent record of infrastructure whose position may become obscured.
In the State of Rhode Island, permitting is usually required through agencies such as the Department of Environmental Management (DEM) and the Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) whenever a land development project occurs in the vicinity of an environmental resources such as freshwater wetlands or salt marshes.
Subdivisions in Rhode Island come in three varieties; Administrative, Minor, and Major. An Administrative Subdivision does not include the creation of any new lots, but is instead the rearranging or moving of existing property lines in order to transfer a piece or pieces of land from one parcel to another. A Minor Subdivision involves the creation of five or fewer new parcels and a Major Subdivision is typically the creation of six or more new parcels, or any subdivision not classified as being either an Administrative or Minor Subdivision.
A site plan is a graphic representation or map of either existing or proposed conditions or a combination thereof on a parcel of land. Typically, a site plan is prepared by a licensed Architect, Engineer, Landscape Architect or Land Surveyor and if it depicts boundaries, must be prepared by a Land Surveyor. It is a bird’s eye view of a property, drawn to scale.
Wetland mapping is used for land use planning and permitting projects. A professional wetland biologist will first delineate or flag the wetland edge. A land surveyor can then accurately locate these flags to show them graphically on a site plan. This plan can then be used to show the appropriate buffer or distance from a proposed project, usually for the purpose of permitting.
Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (OWTS), commonly known as septic systems, are designed and constructed at sites not served by municipal sewer systems to properly treat and disperse wastewater. When properly designed, operated and maintained they are highly effective in the treatment of wastewater, producing an effluent that when released into the environment will not cause public health or environmental impacts.
Control surveys are high-accuracy surveys typically required for large-scale geodetic control networks or construction projects such as bridges, tunnels and other complex urban area improvements. Their complicated methodology and high cost are factors that generally render control surveys unnecessary for private boundary purposes.