Finding property line (on the cheap)??

[DirtPoor]

I have a small 1.12 acre wooded property. It was surveyed just prior to my purchase 8 years ago. There are steel marker posts at each corner that I can rely on.

However, I have some building projects that 'may' be fairly close to the property lines. I can't use line of sight to verify my limits because of the trees and natural brush.

I don't want to pay for a re-survey if I can come up with method to roughly find my property lines.. If it looks like I will come too close, I will move in or contact a surveyor..

Does anyone know of a DIY method I might try..

BTW. I have considered using a GPS but have problems converting the geo survey info on my plot map to longitude and latitude, etc. Basically I can use it on nautical charts but don't understand the land survey info.

Any advice or experiences would be appreciated.

Steve

[beenthere]

Welcome to the forum. Your bio filled out would help.

The corners can't be too far from each other on that small plot. If mine, I'd just cut the brush so I could establish the lines. That won't cost much. If the lines were run just 8 years ago, I suspect they were brushed out at that time, so it shouldn't be too bad.

I would establish the lines so the neighbor doesn't think they are somewhere else, and begin to encroach on them without either knowing. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

GPS doesn't work too well to get accurate readings if there is a thick growth of trees and brush, to my knowledge.

[DirtPoor]

The property line I'm interested in is 381 ft from post to post, over rough terrain. Some of the trees are 20-30 year old firs. As has been the practice around here, lot owners normally leave the trees along the set-back for a buffer between properties. So with a 5 ft set-back on each side, that leave a buffer of 10 ft of tree and brush growth..

As it happens, the neighboring property is totally undeveloped and timbered.. I wouldn't want to risk cutting anything therefore (75 yo trees). Some my be mine but are in the set back buffer.

The surveyors have some way to do the property lines without the need for 'line of site' and therefore are never bothered with the trees, brush or terrain.

In the brush/timber, they frequently tie day-glow ribbins on branches between survey markers but these are gone after a few years.

I may be forced to call in the surveyor for the prop. lines of interest.

Thanks,

Steve

[Chuck52]

If the sides of your property adjoining your 381 ft line are parallel, and you know where they are, and you can reach a line-of-sight position where you can see both these lines, you can carefully measure the same distances along these lines from the corners, fix points, and establish a line parallel to your 381 ft line. Then simply measure from this line to wherever you wish to mark the line, being sure to stay perpendicular to your new line as you measure. If the sides of your property are not parallel, you can still get there this way, but you'll need to use your highschool geometry.

Chuck

[bczoom]

I would do what Chuck recommends.
Use ladders and 2 people if necessary to get above brush if necessary.
DirtPoor - How close to the property line do you intend on building? Code in our area is you can't build within 20' of a side line without a variance. Not wanting to get the variance, I built "close" to that 20' line which assures it is at least on my property.

[DirtPoor]

The set back from property line in my county is 5' for buildings and 30' for sepetic drain fields or well.

BTW. my property is actually developed as a residetial lot , hence the set backs that I mentioned.

Steve

[beenthere]

Now I have a 'better' picture, and suggest you offset and measure from the the known lines as suggested by Chuck. Once you clear the 'area' you intend to build on, you can likely run lines to the corners, and use some geometry to determine where the building will be with respect to the known corners and any line (imaginary because you don't know where it really is) that you want to stay away from. It shouldn't be too difficult, unless the acre is solid trees. Surveyors do offsets all the time to get around objects.

[ThistleKop]

To establish a line with known corners, two people with one or two long poles or pipes with a high-visibility flag on top can sight a third point in the line I would think from one of the corners. Once this is done you can sink a stake and continue this process to locate more points. Simply locate a third point between any two known points.

TK

[JazzDad]

Don't let the fact that I once worked with a surveyor skew my opinion. I vote for the professional surveyor. You should get a break on the cost if you get the same company out, as all they have to do is "re-mark" your lines. Consider the liability aspect: if they tell you wrong, and you infringe upon an easement, they pay for it. If YOU build over a line, YOU get to move whatever you built. Consider the risk versus the cost savings.