7 QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE HIRING A LAND SURVEYOR
There are a lot of good reasons for hiring a land surveyor. It can help you avoid nightmare scenarios like the man who was paying taxes on land that actually belonged to the city of Toronto.
Yikes! It’s well worth it to hire a land surveyor, but they’re not all created equal. What questions should you ask to determine the best land surveyor to hire?
1. Are You Fully Licensed in My State?
While there is a similar path to licensure throughout the United States, each state board for surveyors has its own specific requirements in order to obtain a license. These licenses typically need to be renewed either every year or every two years. It also isn’t uncommon for states to require completion of continuing education courses at the same time as the license renewal process.
2. Do You Have Liability Insurance?
The last thing you want is someone without liability insurance working on your property. It is essential that you are protected in case something unfortunate were to happen while work was being done.
Beyond this, not having liability insurance is a red flag that a land surveyor isn’t professional. Take the time to find a high-quality land surveyor. It will be well worth it and save you a potentially huge headache
3. What Is the Estimated Cost?
Getting a price estimate is important to help you budget and have an expectation of the ballpark figure. Any high-quality land surveyor would be more than happy to give you a sense of the land surveying fees. If a land surveyor is unwilling to give you an estimate, this is a sign that you’re better off going with someone else.
4. Can You Supply References and Reviews?
You can also call one of the company’s previous clients to ask what their experience was like. This is a great way to get an unbiased opinion. If the client has adopted the surveyor as one of their trusted contractors, you can feel more certain of their competence.
5. How Experienced and Educated Is Your Crew?
Experienced crews, on the other hand, will have the ability and confidence to get the job done efficiently and effectively. When it comes to finding boundary evidence and survey markers, they’ll know what to look for.
6. What Will I Receive From the Work You’re Doing?
This is important because if a company does not get the document recorded with the county, you’ll be without legal documentation in the case of a dispute. You’ll want to make sure that any land surveyor you hire will be available in the future to offer support if necessary.
7. How Long Do You Think This Job Will Take?
Every piece of land is different, so no two surveys are exactly the same. There are a lot of different reasons to get a property survey and a lot of different types of properties.
