One of the questions we get asked the most is whether a survey is even required for a small home improvement project, but providing an answer sometimes requires we know more about your property, project, and past documentation. It wasn’t always that way.
Do I Need a Survey for Small Improvements to My Home or Property?
Back in the day when average property sizes were larger, if you wanted a new deck or fancied a hobby shed on your property, you called a few friends, made a share platter of snacks, and got it going with a fun work party.
Today, things are more complicated for all kinds of reasons, and having a land survey may be necessary before starting your project. Whether you’re building a kid’s playhouse or aspiring to your best HGTV life with dreams of a grapevine-covered pergola, a building permit and land survey could be part of that future.
Why Are Surveys Necessary for Improvements?
Site surveys (aka Topographic Plans) are generally required for new building and development applications. If a renovation is not changing the exterior dimensions of the building, then a site survey may not be required as part of the permit application process for your municipality. Perhaps you’re replacing an existing deck but not changing its footprint,— a survey may or may not be required, you’d have to consult with your local municipality.
If enlarging the deck, however, then that land survey likely becomes necessary, because it changes the property’s lot coverage, which is generally described as the amount of buildings or coverage you can have on your property up to a certain percentage of the overall lot area.
But, like real estate, sometimes it all comes down to location, location, location. Is your improvement near a property line? that’s typically when you may be required to engage a land surveyor to ensure minimum setbacks are met by setting out the points for construction work—it may be the prudent thing to do, even if not necessarily required by the municipality. Once construction has been completed, municipality will usually request a Building Location Survey to prove the minimum setbacks have been adhered to.
Different Surveys, Different Needs
There are several kinds of land surveys possible, like Topographic Surveys, Construction surveys, Building Location surveys, Boundary surveys, and more. All serve different purposes. For instance, a bank may require you provide something like a Building Location Survey before they approve a loan for a costly addition (or even a property sale) to ensure they’re providing funding for a building whose setbacks can’t be contested at a later date.
And of course, the bank has the right idea.
Any improvement is an investment in your property, and the bigger the project is, the more sense it makes to make sure your project goes off without a hitch by getting all the right permits and supporting surveys.
At Isaak, Osman & Associates, we’ve been surveying land in the Fraser Valley for over 75 years. No one knows the lay of the land in Langley and the Valley better than we do.
If you’re not sure how to proceed with your project, get in touch with us before you get started. We can help you figure out what you need, if anything, and we’re happy to provide you with an estimate. You might be surprised how affordable that peace of mind can be.