When it comes to employing a land surveyor, the price alone must not be the sole deciding factor. Land surveyors and land surveying firms are there to measure and map the land. Land surveying is a particular science. Below are a few valuable tips that must help you in engaging the proper land surveyors.
First of all, ensure that the surveyor is licensed by the right authorities to offer professional land surveying services. Employing unlicensed surveyors is illegal, and the survey report they come up with will not be termed as valid. It will also be worthwhile crosschecking with the licensing board for a confirmation of whether the specific land surveyor you intend on working with is licensed.
Surveyors must also possess professional liability insurance. This is critical in protecting yourself when the surveyors or their report is defective. You must also note that even the competent surveyors are prone and fallible to making mistakes.
A competent and proficient surveyor must have workers compensation insurance. This way, they will have to pay for any expenses in case the employees or the surveyor gets injured during the land surveying process. There are those states whereby the workers’ compensation insurance is non-compulsory.
Find out whether the surveyor is experienced in performing the needed services. Practice caution when selecting the best kind of surveyor since most of them specialize in particular areas like geodetic, boundary surveys, construction layout, mapping, and topographic surveys. Also, make it your goal to verify the year the professional has been working in the field since the experienced surveyors will be better placed to do a perfect job and will be knowledgeable in different matters in the industry.
Use your wisdom in discreetly enquiring if the surveyor keeps a top of all technological changes in their profession and whether they keep updating with all modifications in legal needs. Also, ensure that they are aware of the newest developments like computer-aided drafting; global positioning systems or robotic survey systems that help with better accuracy in different land surveying projects.
Ideally, you choose a surveyor who is professional in their approaches. They should be businesslike and should promptly return calls, answer emails, and must also explain to their customers how surveys are conducted. Remember to ask the professional or a written contract. The written agreement should stipulate the services that will be rendered and all payment terms. The typical practice is for the professional to get part of the total fee when they sign the contract and sending the bill balance once the work is done satisfactorily. A surveyor must mark property corners using permanent markers that will stay indelible through the years. The primary purpose of employing professional land surveyors is determining the outline or extent of the property. The right permanent markers to use nowadays include magnetic nails, railroad spikes, plastic stakes, iron pipes, and iron rods.
Please understand that your land is a precious possession and you must hire topnotch land surveyors even when it means paying more money. You should also strive to develop a cordial relationship with the professional all through. Ensure that the expert is willing and ready to walk with you identifying the actual markers and monuments marking property corners.