Lower Village Survey Company has built a reputation of providing quality surveying services to professionals, their clients, and landowners in beach and coastal Maine areas. With almost 60 years of combined experience, we offer experienced professionals, in conjunction with today’s technology, to provide our clients a commitment to excellence in the services they require. The following provides an overview of some of the services we offer:
Boundary Surveys
A boundary survey determines the locations of property lines or limits of ownership of a particular parcel of land. It will also indicate the extent of any easements or encroachments and may show the limitations imposed on the property by municipal land use regulations. A boundary survey is strongly recommended before buying, selling, dividing, or commencing any construction activities on the property to help ensure that no encroachments or other costly or time-consuming issues occur
Deed Research
Deed research is usually the first task undertaken when conducting a boundary survey. The ownership history of the property being surveyed, as well as that of all abutting properties, is researched from the current deed back to the date when the property was divided from a larger parcel of land. This process provides us with descriptions of the boundaries and ownership of the property according to the records which we then use in our field work to look for evidence of the locations of those boundaries on the ground. Deed research also can be performed to search for answers to more specific questions such as whether a record easement exists affecting the property.
Boundary Retracement Surveys
For properties that have been previously surveyed or are part of a subdivision, a retracement survey is often needed to re-establish the boundaries and possibly set new corner monuments if original monuments are missing. A retracement survey typically involves less deed research than a boundary survey and may or may not include the drafting of a plan showing the boundaries of the lot with buildings or other improvements.
Dividing a larger parcel of land into two or more smaller lots first requires a boundary survey, followed by additional survey work needed to satisfy all regulatory dimensional requirements such as lot size, frontage, lot width, building setbacks, and lot coverage. In addition, other licensed professionals may be required to provide services such as wetlands delineation, soils tests, engineering, and permitting before a lot division can be completed.
When a property is converted to a condominium, legal documents such as the condominium declaration and by-laws must be prepared and recorded in the county Registry of Deeds along with a condominium plat prepared by a licensed surveyor. Individual unit boundaries and common areas are defined on the condominium plat. We work closely with the attorney preparing the condominium declaration so that the plat conforms to the legal requirements of the governing documents.
An Existing Conditions Survey or Plan is used to aid an engineer or architect in their design work for a proposed development or structure. The plan usually includes locations of all existing improvements, utilities, and any natural features that would impact the development of the property, including topography.
An as-built survey is often required by municipal authorities and is carried out during or immediately after a construction project to provide a record of compliance with zoning regulations or other conditions of the permitting or approvals for construction. The as-built plan may include the locations of the newly-constructed buildings, roads, utilities, landscaping features, lot coverage areas, and as-built building heights and elevations.
The Elevation Certificate provides information for insurance companies, lenders and community flood control administrators to estimate the risks for flooding. Elevation Certificates are required by the National Flood Insurance Program, which is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This certificate is required in areas which have been identified as having a potential for flooding.