Tag Archives: Land Surveying

What Documents Does a Local Surveyor Review Before Starting?

Miami Land Surveying Posted on by
Local surveyor reviewing title documents, plat maps, and survey records before beginning field measurements on a property.

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Most people think a survey starts when a crew shows up with equipment. It doesn’t. The real work begins at a desk, with records. A local surveyor reviews a stack of documents before setting foot on a property. Those documents shape every decision made in the field. In Miami, where older subdivisions, drainage easements and county records all interact, the document review is what separates an accurate survey from one that misses something important. This article explains exactly what gets reviewed and why it matters.

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Why Deeds and Legal Descriptions Come First

The deed is the starting point. It contains the legal description of the property, which is the written record of where the boundaries are supposed to be.

A legal description can take different forms. Some use metes and bounds, which describe the boundary as a series of directions and distances. Others reference a recorded plat, using lot and block numbers from a subdivision map. Both types tell the surveyor where to look for the property corners.

The problem is that legal descriptions are sometimes outdated, poorly written or in conflict with neighboring deeds. A description written 50 years ago may reference a monument that no longer exists. Two adjacent deeds may overlap slightly, creating a conflict the surveyor has to resolve.

Reading the deed carefully before fieldwork begins tells the surveyor what to expect on the ground. It also flags potential issues before they become costly surprises.

How Previous Surveys and Plat Maps Build the Property History

A deed tells you what the boundaries are supposed to be. An old survey shows you what a previous surveyor found when they went to locate them.

Previous surveys are valuable because they document where monuments were placed, what measurements were taken and how the boundary was interpreted at the time. If the current survey finds something different from what the old one shows, that difference has to be explained. It might mean a monument was disturbed. It might mean the earlier survey had an error. Either way, the comparison is useful.

Subdivision plat maps are equally important. In Miami, most residential lots are part of a recorded subdivision. The plat is the official map that established the lot dimensions, street widths and public areas when the subdivision was created. The local surveyor uses the plat to understand the original layout of the area and to find the monuments set when the subdivision was recorded.

When current field conditions don’t match the plat, the surveyor has to investigate why. Reviewing the plat before fieldwork starts means the surveyor already knows what to look for.

Easements, Rights of Way and Recorded Restrictions

A property boundary tells you where the land ends. It doesn’t tell you what can be done with all of it.

Easements are recorded rights that allow someone else to use a portion of the property. Utility easements let companies access underground lines. Drainage easements protect stormwater paths. Access easements may give a neighboring property the right to cross the lot.

Rights of way are similar. They reserve strips of land for roads, sidewalks or utilities. In some cases, a right of way runs along the front of a property and reduces the actual buildable area even though the owner holds title to that strip.

A local surveyor reviews title commitments, recorded easement documents and right of way plats before fieldwork begins. Those records show exactly where restrictions sit and how wide they are. That information affects where improvements can be placed and what gets shown on the final survey drawing.

Skipping this step leads to surveys that miss restrictions entirely. A developer who builds over an easement finds out during permit review or after construction starts, and neither timing is good.

Permit Records and Site Plans That Show Past Improvements

Properties change over time. Additions get built. Fences go up. Retaining walls get installed. Driveways get extended. Not all of those changes are permitted, and not all permitted changes match what was actually built.

A local surveyor reviews building permits, site plans and development records before fieldwork to understand what improvements are supposed to exist on the property. That information helps the surveyor identify features during the field visit and flag anything that doesn’t match the record.

In Miami, permit records are available through the city’s building department. Reviewing them before the survey starts gives the surveyor a baseline for what to expect. If a permit shows a fence was approved at a specific location but the fence in the field is three feet off from where it was supposed to go, that’s a discrepancy worth noting on the final drawing.

Retaining walls and utility connections are especially important. These features often affect drainage and grading. Knowing they exist before fieldwork starts means the surveyor can measure and document them properly rather than discovering them mid-survey.

Why County GIS Maps Are Only Part of the Story

County GIS maps, tax records and online parcel databases are useful tools. They give a quick overview of lot dimensions, addresses and ownership history. Many developers and homeowners check these resources before calling a surveyor.

The problem is that these tools were never designed to replace a professional survey. GIS data is compiled from recorded documents and aerial imagery, but it’s not survey-accurate. Parcel boundaries shown on a county map can be off by several feet. Property lines near canals, roads or subdivision boundaries are especially prone to misrepresentation in GIS data.

A local surveyor uses GIS maps and public records as background information. They provide context. They help the surveyor understand the general layout of an area before fieldwork starts. But the actual boundary positions are determined by field measurements tied to recorded plats and legal descriptions, not by what appears on a county parcel map.

Relying on GIS data alone to make building or permitting decisions is a shortcut that frequently causes problems. The county maps are helpful. They’re just not a survey.

Frequently Asked Questions

What documents does a local surveyor need before starting a survey?

A local surveyor typically reviews the deed, legal description, previous surveys, plat maps, easement records, and other public documents related to the property.

Why are previous surveys important?

Previous surveys provide historical information about boundaries, monuments, and improvements that can help identify discrepancies or changes over time.

Does a local surveyor review title documents?

Yes. Surveyors often review title commitments, easements, rights of way, and other recorded documents that may affect property use and ownership.

Are county GIS maps accurate enough for a survey?

No. GIS maps are useful reference tools, but they are not considered legal boundary documents and should not replace a professional survey.

Can missing or outdated records delay a survey?

Yes. Incomplete legal descriptions, missing plats, or conflicting records may require additional research before the surveyor can accurately establish property boundaries.

What a Commercial Property Surveyor Checks Before Redevelopment Starts

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Commercial property surveyors using surveying equipment to document existing site conditions before redevelopment of a commercial property.

A redevelopment project can look simple from the outside. The building is old. The lot is large. The zoning works. Then a commercial property survey comes back with problems. An access easement cuts through the planned parking area. A retaining wall sits six inches over the property line. A drainage swale doesn’t show up on any old site plans. In Miami, older commercial properties carry decades of informal changes. Surprises are common. This article covers what a commercial property surveyor checks before work begins.

Existing Easements and Access Rights That Can Limit Redevelopment

Easements are recorded legal rights. They let someone else use part of your property. Utility easements let utility companies reach underground lines. Access easements may give a neighbor the right to cross your lot. Drainage easements protect stormwater systems that serve more than one parcel.

Easements don’t go away when a property changes hands. They stay with the land. A developer who buys a site without knowing where easements are may plan a building directly over a recorded utility corridor. The utility company won’t allow that. The permit office won’t approve the plans until the conflict is resolved. That means a redesign. Redesigns cost money.

A commercial property surveyor finds every recorded easement on the parcel. The surveyor maps each one onto the site. You can see exactly where the restrictions are before the design starts. The design team works around them early, not after the permit application is already in review.

Older commercial properties also carry shared parking and access agreements. These don’t always show up in a basic title summary. A surveyor who pulls the full chain of recorded documents gives the developer a clear picture before any commitments are made.

Boundary Line Conflicts Hidden by Older Improvements

Older commercial properties often have fences, walls and paving that were built without a survey. Over time, those improvements drift. A shared fence gets replaced slightly off its original spot. A curb gets poured past the legal boundary. A neighboring building gets expanded close to the line.

None of this shows up in a visual check. It only shows up when a surveyor compares the physical location of those improvements against the legal boundary.

This matters for redevelopment. The approved site plan must reflect the true legal property lines. If a wall on the next parcel sits inside your boundary, that changes how close you can build. If your own pavement extends past the line onto a neighboring lot, it has to be fixed before permits are issued.

In Miami’s older commercial areas, boundary conflicts are more common than most developers expect. Finding them before the design is done avoids the cost of revising plans after the permit review reveals the problem.

Site Features That Affect Demolition and New Construction

Before a commercial site can be redeveloped, someone needs to know what’s on it. That sounds simple. In practice, many commercial sites have underground structures, old drainage systems and utility connections that aren’t in any available record.

A commercial property surveyor documents all visible above-ground improvements. Buildings, canopies, paving, curbing, signage, utility structures, fencing and drainage inlets all get located and measured. That information feeds directly into the demolition scope and the new construction plans.

It also prevents costly surprises during demolition. A contractor who doesn’t know where an old vault or a buried utility line sits will find out during excavation. At that point, the discovery delays the project and changes the budget.

The survey creates a record of existing conditions. When the design team draws the new site plan over that record, they work with real data, not guesses.

Elevation Changes and Drainage Conditions That Affect Redevelopment Plans

Miami is flat. But flat doesn’t mean uniform. Commercial sites have grade changes that affect how water moves. Low spots collect runoff. Drainage structures direct flow toward outfall points. Pavement grades control whether water moves toward buildings or away from them.

A commercial property surveyor measures existing ground elevations. The surveyor also documents drainage features across the site. That information is essential for the engineer designing the new grading and stormwater system.

Miami-Dade County has post-construction stormwater rules for commercial redevelopment. The engineer must show the new site handles runoff correctly. That analysis starts with knowing what the existing conditions are. A survey that captures current grades, drainage inlets and outfall connections gives the engineer real numbers to work from.

Without that data, the stormwater design is built on guesses. Wrong guesses generate plan revisions. Plan revisions delay permits and push the construction start date back.

Encroachments and Setback Issues That Can Delay Approvals

An encroachment happens when a structure sits on land it doesn’t belong to. A wall that crosses the property line onto a neighbor’s parcel is an encroachment. So is a canopy that extends into a public right-of-way without a permit.

Setback violations happen when a structure sits too close to a property line. On older Miami commercial sites, some structures were legal under old rules. They may not meet current requirements. When a redevelopment permit is filed, reviewers check the survey against current setback standards.

If the existing building has a setback violation, the city may require the new project to fix it before the permit is approved. That can change the project scope and the budget.

Finding encroachments and setback conflicts before the design is drawn gives the developer options. Those options include negotiating with the neighbor, redesigning to avoid the conflict or adjusting the project scope. All of those conversations are far less expensive before the permit application goes in.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does a Commercial Property Surveyor Do Before Redevelopment Starts?

A commercial property surveyor verifies property boundaries, documents existing site conditions, identifies recorded easements, and gathers the information engineers and architects need to prepare redevelopment plans accurately.

Why Is a Survey Needed Before Redeveloping Commercial Property?

A survey helps uncover hidden restrictions, boundary conflicts, drainage concerns, and encroachments. If these issues are discovered late in the process, they can delay permits and increase construction costs.

Can a Commercial Property Surveyor Find Easements on a Property?

Yes. A commercial property surveyor locates recorded easements and maps them onto the site. This allows the design team to understand where building restrictions apply before plans are finalized.

When Should a Commercial Property Survey Be Ordered?

A commercial property survey should be ordered during the due diligence stage, before architects and engineers complete the redevelopment plans. Identifying problems early helps keep the project on schedule and reduces the risk of costly revisions.

Can Boundary Problems Delay a Commercial Redevelopment Project?

Yes. Encroachments, setback violations, and conflicting property lines can require redesigns and additional review. When these issues are discovered late, they can delay approvals and significantly increase project costs.

Can You Use an Old Plat of Survey for a New Home Addition?

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Plat of survey being reviewed by a surveyor before planning a new home addition on a residential property.

A plat of survey is one of the most useful documents a homeowner can have before planning a home addition. But an old plat of survey only tells you what your property looked like on the day it was drawn. If the property has changed since then, or if local building rules have been updated, that old drawing may not give you the full picture you need. Knowing what a plat shows, and understanding its limits, helps you decide whether it’s enough for your project or whether updated information is worth getting first.

What an Old Plat of Survey Shows About Your Property

A plat of survey is a scaled drawing of your property. It shows the lot lines, the dimensions of the lot, and the location of structures that were on the property when the survey was made. Most plats also show driveways, fences, and other visible features recorded during fieldwork. Some include easements that were noted in property records at the time.

The plat is a snapshot. It reflects conditions as they existed on one specific date. A surveyor measured the lot, noted what was there, and produced a drawing based on those observations. Everything on the plat was accurate when it was made. The question is whether those same conditions still exist today.

Why an Old Plat of Survey May Not Match Your Property Today

Properties change over time. A shed gets added to the backyard. A driveway gets widened. A detached garage goes up. A fence gets moved. None of those changes appear on a plat that was drawn before they happened.

For a new home addition, those changes matter. The permit office reviews your site plan against current conditions, not against what the property looked like ten or fifteen years ago. If your old plat doesn’t show a shed that now sits near where you want to build, the reviewer has no way to evaluate whether the new addition and the existing shed both meet setback requirements at the same time.

Changes to the property aren’t the only issue. Local zoning codes can change too. A setback distance that was acceptable when your plat was drawn may be different under current rules. An old plat won’t reflect those updates automatically.

Things to Check Before Using an Old Plat of Survey

Before deciding whether an old plat is enough for your project, a few simple checks help clarify how useful it will be.

First, find out when the survey was made. A plat from two or three years ago on a property that hasn’t changed may still be reliable. A plat from fifteen years ago on a property with several new structures is a different situation entirely.

Second, walk the property and compare what you see to what the plat shows. If anything on the ground doesn’t match the drawing, the plat is already out of date in at least one area.

Third, check whether any permits were pulled for work done after the survey date. Permitted additions, shed installations, or driveway changes all represent changes to the property that won’t appear on an older plat.

Fourth, ask your local permit office what they require. Some offices accept older surveys for small projects. Others require a survey dated within a certain number of years. Knowing that requirement before you submit saves time.

Rules That Can Affect a New Home Addition

Building a home addition isn’t just about having enough yard space. Local rules set specific limits on where new structures can go, and those limits apply whether or not an old survey reflects them.

Setback requirements define how far a structure must sit from the property line on each side of the lot. These distances are set by local zoning and can be updated over time. A setback that applied to your original house may be different from what applies today, and an old plat won’t flag that difference.

Easements are another factor. Many plats include easements recorded at the time of the survey, but easements can also be added to a property after the survey was made. A utility easement recorded five years after your plat was drawn won’t appear on that plat. Building an addition over an unrecorded easement creates a conflict that’s much harder to resolve after the structure is already built.

Some neighborhoods also have deed restrictions or subdivision covenants that limit the size or placement of additions. Those rules exist independently of the survey and apply regardless of what the plat shows.

Signs You May Need a New Plat of Survey

Certain situations make a new plat of survey a practical step before a home addition moves forward.

If the property has had multiple changes since the last survey, a new plat captures current conditions accurately. The permit office sees exactly what is there now, and the addition can be designed around verified information.

If the planned addition is large, a new survey reduces the risk of a design problem discovered during permit review. A major addition often requires precise setback calculations from all four sides of the lot. Current field measurements give those calculations the accuracy they need.

If any part of the boundary is unclear or if a neighbor has made changes near the shared line, a new plat confirms the lot lines before construction begins. Discovering a boundary issue after an addition is framed is far more expensive than finding it during the planning stage.

If the old plat is more than ten years old and the property has seen any changes at all, updated information gives the project a cleaner starting point.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a plat of survey?

A plat of survey is a scaled map that shows a property’s lot lines, dimensions, and the location of buildings, driveways, and other features present when the survey was made. It also often includes easements noted in property records at the time.

Can I use an old plat of survey for a new home addition?

An old plat may still be useful, depending on how much time has passed and whether the property has changed. If new structures have been added, if the plat is many years old, or if local building rules have changed, updated survey information may give the project a more reliable foundation.

Can a plat of survey become outdated?

Yes. A plat reflects property conditions on the date it was made. Sheds, additions, driveways, fences, and other changes made after that date don’t appear on the old drawing. Local zoning rules can also change in ways that affect how current the information is for a new project.

Does a plat of survey show easements?

Many plats include easements that were recorded at the time of the survey. However, easements added to the property after the survey date won’t appear on an older plat. Checking current title records alongside the plat gives a more complete picture.

How do I know if I need a new plat of survey?

If the property has changed since the last survey, if the old plat is more than several years old, or if the planned addition is large enough to require precise setback calculations from all sides of the lot, a new plat of survey gives the project accurate, current information to work from.