Land surveying is a somewhat difficult business that requires a lot of training and education to excel at. Given the fact that there are few people out there with land surveying experience, and that land surveying is a necessary part of modern life, especially if you want to buy or sell property, there is an abundance of myths out there about the surveying process that simply are not true.
Here are some of the most common myths about our industry, and about property surveys in Muscogee County, GA in particular.
Myth 1: If you can find your survey stakes, you don’t need a land survey.
First of all, a lot of what people think are “survey stakes” don’t end up being survey stakes at all. And if they are survey stakes, and they are accurate, while it will give you an accurate picture of your property line, you’ll still almost certainly need a new survey in the event of a dispute, as the stakes themselves won’t hold up as proof in court—only a professional survey will.
Myth 2: The older your fence, the more likely it is to represent your accurate property line.
Again, this is wrong. The older the fence, the more likely the builder of the fence was just taking their best guess at the property line! Survey records used to be far less accurate than they are today.
Myth 3: I can build a fence on my property without a property survey if I’m cautious.
This one has some truth to it, but it’s problematic. It’s true that a fence within your property is safe from being torn down over property disputes—but without an actual survey you’ll still be susceptible to the dispute in the first place, if your neighbor isn’t happy with your fence. Then you’ll have to pay for a survey anyway. You might as well get the survey up front and head off any unnecessary drama later.
Myth 4: All the land in any given town or city has already been surveyed.
Again, there is some truth to this, as there are usually old maps that can be found that were originally created for figuring out property taxes. However, these maps are not always accurate, and in some cases might not even be based on survey data at all.
Myth 5: Property surveys are expensive
Property surveys in Muscogee County, GA are an investment, as they head off drama and expense that might occur somewhere down the line—especially if you one day build a structure that extends into your neighbor’s property. Then you may be required to tear it down, or negotiate an easement with your neighbor. In the long run, getting a survey before any problems arise can potentially save you thousands of dollars.
Moon, Meeks, Mason & Vinson, Inc. has been providing land surveying and civil engineering services to the Muscogee County area since 1946. We are registered surveyors who have always used the most state-of-the-art equipment to provide the most accurate surveys in the area. Give us a call today for a free property survey estimate!