Mortgage Loan Inspection (MLI):  This service is only performed so a bank can obtain title insurance on the property it holds a mortgage on.  It includes a review of the current deed and an on-site inspection of the parcel.  A rough sketch is then prepared to show the lender where the improvements are with respect to the APPARENT boundaries.  The word apparent means the surveyor is not sure if they are the correct boundaries since no research is performed.  The surveyor does not determine if the markers are correct or if they have been moved.  No rebars are set and the MLI does not certify anything to the actual home owner.  The sketch may help you find things the surveyor used to reach an opinion about the boundaries based on that limited evidence.  But that opinion is really nothing more than an educated guess!  Most MLI's cost between $350 and $500.  We would be happy to send you a brochure that can answer your questions about this service in greater detail.  Contact Us.  You can learn more about the specfic standards we follow at MLI Standards.

Deed Analysis:  Many deeds only have references to adjoining land owners without dimensions.  The adjoiners may not even be alive today.  In deed analysis, the first step is to research the chain of ownership back in time until the deed which created each boundary is found.  In most cases (but not all), this deed may have dimensions or at least a better description.  The parcel may also need to be traced forward to see if portions of the lot have been sold.  Deed Analysis can usually provide a sketch showing your record boundaries.  But “record” means what the deeds say you SHOULD own.  It does not necessarily mean you actually do own that much land.  Land can be lost by adverse use, deeds may have errors or a sale of part of the land may not be recorded.  Only you can tell if the record boundaries are sufficient for your needs.  At about $1000, deed analysis is less expensive than a full survey and if a surveyor determines more work is needed, the research is used in the next step.

Boundary Survey:  This service is the top of the line for residential surveys.  Eight hours or more of research and analysis are often needed to determine the record boundaries of your land.  A field survey is then performed to look for and map any evidence we find that would help determine your legal boundaries.  Orange flagging may be hung near that evidence, but the flags are not necessarily on your boundary.  Large nails will also be set as reference points wherever the instrument was set up so that it can be set up in the same spot later when we come back to set rebars.  In the office the licensed professional land surveyor will spend another day analyzing the evidence, calculating your boundaries and preparing a plan.  Finally a field crew will come back to set rebars with a cap showing our business name and surveyor's license number at any corners without an existing monument.  The cost of a full boundary survey begins at $2500 and can be double or even triple that amount for more involved surveys.  Email us to ask for a brochure published by the Maine Society of Land Surveyors titled "Questions and Answers about Boundary Surveys"  Contact Us.

GPS Mapping:  Often with larger lots the seller may know where the boundaries are.  The lines may be blazed and painted, there may be a wall on one side and an old rail fence or bits of wire on the other.  In such cases, a prospective buyer may only be interested in verifying that the deed acreage is really there.  Hand-held GPS units you buy in a sporting goods store may only have an accuracy of about fifty feet and that much displacement along a one mile sideline would generate an area uncertainty of six acres or more.  You would also probably not have any way to make a plan or prove your measurements to a prospective buyer.  But if  you can show our technician the limits of land you are interested in, we can determine the area with Map Grade GPS (sub-meter accuracy) for about $1000.  This IS  NOT a boundary survey.  But by adding full deed analysis, a map grade boundary survey can be completed for far less than the cost of cutting lines of sight around your entire perimeter.