Frequently Asked Questions about Surveying in Massachusetts
Do you have questions about surveying services with Chongris Engineering? Check out the following information, and if your question isn’t answered here, get in touch with us for more information!
Note: the following answers may vary depending on your specific situation or local regulations. You can always contact us to get advice on surveying services for your property.
Why do I need a land survey?
Homeowners typically consider their property to be the most important asset that they own, yet few truly know the extent of this property and any appurtenances that may benefit or burden it. Even fewer have read their insurance policy to realize that there are typically exceptions from coverage for matters which would be disclosed by an accurate survey or inspection of the premises.
Is my “Mortgage Inspection Plan” (a.k.a. “Mortgage Plot Plan” or “Mortgage Inspection Survey”) accurate?
The short answer to this is “no”. Most lenders require a Mortgage Inspection Survey when a homeowner purchases their home. These types of surveys differ from typical land surveys in that they serve a specific purpose, which is to verify that the property, as described in the legal documents, appears to be suitable as collateral for the mortgage loan. While these plans may seem like an accurate survey to most homeowners, they contain a note specifying they are not to be used for construction or boundary determinations and are typically considered to depict approximate locations at best. Since these mortgage surveys require such a limited scope with considerably less accuracy and effort, they can be produced at a fraction of the time and cost which is necessary to keep pace with the fast-paced real estate market.
How much does a land survey cost?
We often receive feedback from clients that they read online that an average land survey in the US costs in the area of $500-$1,000, and they are surprised to find estimates they receive from local surveyors are much higher. While every state and region has different requirements to produce a land survey, this range is drastically skewed by the disproportionately higher number of Mortgage type surveys (see above for further explanation).
The cost depends on many different factors with the two largest considerations being which land surveying service(s) you are looking to have completed and the quality of the record documents for your property. Please reach out to our experts with your needs and property location so that we can provide an individual estimate.