Resources
Jarrod R. Schnell, RPLS
Registered Professional Land Surveyor
State of Texas No. 6869
254-281-9050 info@surveystx.com
Land Surveyors are boundary line detectives – neutral, objective, and in search for the true location of each property line.
Only a state Registered Professional Land Surveyor can locate your property boundaries on the ground.
Research
Each survey is different. It usually begins with researching the deed for the property and the adjoining properties along each boundary. If recorded plats or road records are available from the county, those are also valuable resources.
These records are used to calculate the location of the lines and corners of the property, he adjoiners’ corners, and any other survey points that may help piece the survey puzzle together.
Field survey
Once the records are reviewed and preliminary points are calculated, the field survey can begin. On site, the surveyor looks for at least two initial survey monuments to use, to get oriented to the land. Then those two points can be used to adjust the pre-calculated points (based on the research), and a more precise location of the corners can be known. At each corner, the trusty shovel is the primary tool, along with a specialized magnetic locator that can help narrow down the location of rebar or iron pipes that may have been set by surveyors of the past at the property corners. All corners that are found are measured. Often the location of fences, walls and buildings are measured as pieces of the puzzle.
Back to the office
After the initial field survey, all of the points measured are brought into CAD software for review & analysis. Here the measured points on the ground are compared with the angles and distances in the deeds and other records.
The surveyor uses math, of course, but a lot of legal principles, case law, the surveying standard of care and local and historical surveying custom in the area are also factors that cannot be overlooked.
The charge given to the surveyor by the courts is, “Follow the footsteps of the original surveyor.” We are responsible to weigh all the evidence available, in documents and on the ground, to determine the location of those footsteps.
Marking the lines
The surveyor returns to the property, either to look for more evidence or property corners, or to set the missing corners and mark the property lines (per the scope of the contract). Replacement corners set are usually 1/2″ or 5/8″ rebar, but in areas of rock or concrete, a cotton picker spindle, railroad spike, survey nail, or even a drill hole are set to mark the location on the ground.
It’s important to me that each client can see every corner and have a solid understanding of the location of their property lines. I always take time (if desired by the client) to walk the boundaries and answer any questions or concerns.
The plat
Once the field survey is complete, a plat must be prepared. This map documents that the survey was performed by an RPLS. Field evidence and existing and replacement corners are shown, as well as the record information and documents that the surveyor used in performing the survey. The bearings and distances of each line along with the acreage are also provided. This plat tells the story of how the surveyor did the work. The signature, date and ink/embossed survey seal are the final stamp of approval, that this work was performed by the surveyor.
More information about Land Surveying
If you’d like to do further research on your own, the links below can provide you with more information about land surveying.
Member – Texas Society of Professional Surveyors
Member – National Society of Professional Surveyors
Texas Board of Professional Engineers & Land Surveyors https://pels.texas.gov/
What is Land Surveying?
https://www.becomeatexassurveyor.com/what-is-it
