Why Contour Surveys Are Primary Whenever You Consider Purchasing Any Land
Posted on: 7 July 2017
If you have grandiose plans to develop a new parcel of land, you may have some options available to you. You believe that the land in question would be suitable, but realise that you are only at the beginning of a complicated research process. Before you get too far ahead of yourself, you need to engage a proper survey. What is involved here?
The Real World View
It's very unlikely that the land in question is completely flat and in fact, an area with a certain amount of elevation is typically preferable for aesthetic purposes. Of course, you won't be able to see that on a typical map as it is two-dimensional. However, when you get a contour survey done, you'll be able to look at everything from a topographical perspective.
When you conduct this type of survey you can precisely map out the elevation changes across the property, which could be crucial to stages of development. The survey will record different spot heights and render individual contours, to show you the land in three dimensions. Engineers and architects will be able to take this information to determine how the various slopes and contours will affect their planning work.
Planning for Drainage
One person in particular will be very interested in this outcome and that is the civil engineer. They have to account for storm water and drainage and the contour projection will tell them how to plan for "fall off" towards the boundaries.
Projecting the Possibilities
This type of survey shouldn't be underestimated. It's crucial for many reasons, not the least of which is that a small error can lead to structural problems with the eventual building. A number of different software programs are available to help specialists determine how the survey data points can affect any type of construction. The digital terrain models can be referenced by all the various experts as the project is ongoing.
Realising the Scope
With so much at stake, it pays to get a comprehensive land survey done for each piece of land you're interested in. Bring in a specialist to create contour surveys with very precise data and never think about making an offer on a parcel of land without it. You'll need to get the input of civil engineers, quantity surveyors and architects after the survey has been distributed.
Taking the Time
The more time that you spend on this right now, the more successful you are going to be with your major project.
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