Choosing the best person for your next land survey
When you are considering a property purchase, conducting building work or becoming involved in a boundary dispute, then one of the people you will definitely want to speak with is a land surveyor. Land surveying can show you what is possible with your land, provide you with the legal paperwork you need to advance your building project and help to restore good relationships with your neighbour by making it clear where the boundary is between two properties. With so much hinging on land surveying, it is easy to see the importance of choosing the right surveyor to carry out the work.
Before deciding which land surveying company to choose, there are a few questions which you will need to ask.
Is the land surveyor properly licensed and qualified?
It's likely that only the work of a licensed surveyor will be accepted by the planning authorities or as evidence by the courts. If you want to use the work of your surveyor, you must ensure that the quality of their work or their professional qualifications aren't open to challenge.
Are they properly insured?
Land surveying isn't generally dangerous, but accidents can still happen. If you have a land surveyor or any other professional working on your site, they should have public liability insurance as a minimum. With public liability insurance, you can be confident that should there be any incident during the time the surveyor is on the site or as a result of his activity, you are not going to be left dealing with a claim for compensation.
Do they have appropriate experience?
There are different types of surveyors, and even among land surveyors, you will find people with a huge range of experience. There are some that concentrate on marking out the boundaries of properties to resolve disputes while others will spend their time examining the viability of large commercial developments. Take the time to ask the land surveying team what experience they have working on projects which are similar to yours. That is the best way to find a surveyor who can complete your task to a high standard at a competitive price.
Is everything written down?
It's easy to be seduced by promises of getting a great job done for you, but how certain can you be that what you are told will actually happen? Before the land surveying team starts work, make sure that there is a written contract specifying exactly what they will do, when they will do it and how much it will cost. A good land surveyor will value customer service and have no problem setting out clearly exactly how the project will proceed.