Site Plans & Engineering
Survey Coordination
Boundary surveys, topographic surveys and elevation certificates prepared by licensed surveyors and coordinated with design, permitting and construction.
Overview
Almost every project that changes a building’s footprint, its site or its elevation starts with a survey. A survey establishes where the property lines are, what is on the lot, how the ground slopes, and – in flood zones – how the building’s elevations relate to the flood requirements that apply.
Surveys are prepared, signed and sealed by a licensed professional surveyor and mapper. We define what the project needs from the survey, engage or coordinate with the surveyor, and make sure the result reaches the architect, the engineers and the building department in a form they can use.
If you already have a survey, we review its date and contents. An older survey may still be useful, but changes to the property, a missing topographic layer or a building department’s age requirements can mean an update is needed.
Who it’s for
- Owners planning a new home, addition, pool or other work that changes the footprint
- Buyers who want to understand a property’s boundaries, easements and encroachments
- Properties in flood zones that need an elevation certificate for design, permitting or insurance
- Projects needing topographic information for drainage, grading or civil design
- Commercial sites that need surveys for site plan approval
What’s included
Typically included
- Defining the survey type and level of detail the design and permits require
- Coordinating a boundary survey showing property lines, easements, setbacks and existing improvements
- Coordinating a topographic survey with spot elevations, contours, trees and utility features where needed
- Elevation certificates for structures in flood zones, at the stages the project and permit require
- Construction stakeout of building corners and key features before foundation work
- Foundation or form-board surveys where the building department requires them
- Final or as-built surveys for permit closeout
- Distribution of survey files to the architect, engineers and permit package
Common exclusions
- Title searches, title insurance and legal resolution of boundary disputes
- Wetland delineation, environmental surveys or tree surveys beyond what is shown on the topographic survey
- Subsurface utility locating beyond the public utility locate service, unless scoped separately
- Fees of the surveyor, which are set out in their proposal and shown separately
Every proposal lists its own inclusions and exclusions in writing.
Materials, design options & upgrades
How pricing works
Survey coordination is priced per project. The surveyor’s fee depends on the type of survey, lot size, terrain, vegetation and the amount of research needed to establish the boundary; we include their proposal in the estimate and show it as its own line.
Construction-stage surveys are planned up front so the full survey cost across the project is known at the start, rather than discovered at each milestone.
What changes the cost
- Type of survey: boundary, topographic, elevation certificate or construction stages
- Lot size, vegetation and terrain
- Age and availability of prior surveys and recorded plats
- Number of construction-stage surveys the jurisdiction requires
- Flood zone and elevation requirements
- Commercial site plan requirements such as utility and tree details
If this work is part of a larger project, it’s priced within that project’s budget — please don’t add separate estimates together. Read the pricing guide.
Typical stages
Define needs
We confirm which survey types and details the design, permit and construction schedule require.
Engage surveyor
The licensed surveyor’s proposal is reviewed and the field work is scheduled.
Field work and drafting
The surveyor researches records, locates monuments and features, and prepares the signed and sealed survey.
Design use
The survey is distributed to the architect and engineers and used as the base for site and floor plans.
Construction stages
Stakeout, foundation and elevation surveys are performed at the points the plans and permit call for.
Final survey
A final survey and elevation certificate, where required, are added to the closeout documents.
What affects the schedule
- Surveyor availability, especially during busy construction periods
- Site access, vegetation and weather for field work
- Research needed where records are incomplete or monuments are missing
- Timing of construction milestones that trigger stage surveys
Questions & answers
Can I use the survey from when I bought the house?
Sometimes. It depends on its age, whether anything has changed on the property, and what the design and building department require. We review it and tell you whether an update is needed.
What is an elevation certificate?
It is a document prepared by a licensed surveyor showing a building’s elevations relative to the flood requirements for its location. In flood zones, it is often needed for permitting and may be used for flood insurance.
Do I need a topographic survey?
If the project involves grading, drainage, a pool, a new home or an addition where ground levels matter, a topographic survey is usually needed by the engineers. A simple interior project typically does not need one.
Start here
Planning survey coordination?
A short form — three steps, a few minutes. Share plans or photos if you have them. We’ll review it and follow up using the contact details you provide.