How to read a survey

The first text box shows item by item what to look for and what each item means.
The second text box shows which professionals look at what items on a survey.
The third shows the different types, or purposes, of surveys and what they show.

For any specific question on an actual survey, it is imperative that you ask the surveyor himself. That's what you've paid him for, and you have too much at stake.

But for general information, this page should help.

Adjacents:
Look outside the heavy line for the labels of the lands next to your land.

Area:
Used to determine land value and building and zoning matters.

Bearing Reference;
The line direction that all the other directions are based on.

Block Tie:
Distance to the nearest block corner, used to show lot location.

Boundary:
The heavy black line. Lots of numbers on it. What's important is where everything else on the drawing is in relationship to the heavy line.

Building Ties:
Perpendicular distances between property lines and structures. Used to note whether structures are within setbacks, outside of easements, and whether or not they leave room for additional building.

Corners:
Shows you what the phyisical corners of your land are, so you can see them in the ground.

Easements:
Maybe the most important item. Shows what parts of your land are under severe limitations due to public utilities, public access, etcetera.

Fences:
We only tell you where the fence is. Whose property the fence is on. The fence belongs to whoever bought it, erected it, maintains it, and claims it. You get no more right to your neighbor's land from where he puts his fence than from where he parks his car. You also get no more rights to your neighbor's fence when its on your land than you get rights to his car when he parks on your property.

Legend:
Just what it sounds like.

Legal Description:
This is copied directly from your deed. It is the written description of the boundary, or heavy line, shown on the survey. This is your property.

Location Sketch:
Show's you where in world you are.

Net Property line Distances:
Size of property with access easements removed.

North Arrow:
Used to orient the drawing.

Notes:
These mostly limit the surveyor's liability. Read them carefully.

Pertinent Improvements:
The important word here is 'pertinent.' All improvements on the propery are pertinent. They improve property values. Outside the property the type of road is pertinent. Pavement is better than mud. Having utilities is good, despite how much trouble they give you. Also docks are hardly ever only on the property they benefit. Driveways are pertinent.

Revision list:
Explains how many times the drawing has been issued, what changes have been made, and for what reasons.

Signature:
This is the name of the person who stands behind your survey.

Scale:
You can buy an engineers scale from any office supply store and 'measure' distances that aren't stated.

Street Name(s);
The common name of the street the property is on, also the nearsest cross street. May also include old, record, or plat names.

Type of Survey:
Probably a Boundary Survey, this is a one-word description of what you're looking at.

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