A land survey is a legal document of your property showing clearly all structures on the property, in relationship to the property line.  It is a drawing that includes all structures drawn to a scale with all offsets to the property lines, certified, stamped and signed by a licensed land surveyor.

The first step is to have Holgan Land Surveying do a complete survey of your property to determine any and all existing encroachments.  All encroachments will be accurately shown, with exact dimensions to your property, on your new land survey. At this point, we recommend that you have a conversation with your neighbor to see if the dispute can be resolved amicably. A land survey is an official, legal document, stamped and signed by a licensed land surveyor. 

We first recommend having a land survey showing all structures in relationship to your property line, with exact dimensions to your property line.  Having stakes set on your property corners, or along the line is an option that we could provide for you.

It has been our experience that you will need a new survey of the property showing all existing structures when planning any new renovations.  For example, pool, patio, deck, garage, shed. But you would need to check with your local town’s building departments.

It is important to always check with your local municipality. If you are located in Nassau County,  Long Island, click here as you may find this website to be a good resource for contacting your town. If you are located in Suffolk County,  Long Island, click here for more information on how to contact your town. Lastly, if you are located in the borough of Queens, NY, click here for contact information.

From our experience, you will need a new survey of your property after construction is complete, however it is important to always check with your local municipality. Click on the following links for contact information in your area, Nassau County, NY, Suffolk County, NY, Queens, NY.

A flood elevation certificate is to be used to provide elevation information necessary to ensure compliance with community floodplain management ordinances.  Your insurance company may require one to determine the flood zone you are in and your insurance premium rate. An elevation certificate may also help to support a request for a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA).   Many towns on Long Island require flood elevation certificates for new construction.   Some areas may include Rockville Centre, Baldwin, Freeport, Merrick, Bellmore, Wantagh, Seaford, Sea Cliff, Massapequa, Massapequa Park, Amityville, Amity Harbor, Copaigue, Lindenhurst, Babylon, West Islip, Bay Shore, Islip, East Islip, Great River, Oakdale, Sayville, Patchogue, Bellport, Bluepoint, Mastic, Shirley, West Hampton, Hampton Bays, South Hampton, Bridge Hampton, East Hampton, Amagansett, Montauk, Atlantic Beach, East Rockaway, Oceanside, Island Park, Long Beach, South Oyster Bay.  Due to the positioning and low elevation of the North and South Forks, both are also considered vulnerable to flooding in the event of another strong hurricane. The largest flood zones on the Island are found on the south shore of Nassau and Suffolk Counties. For more information on flood zones on Long Island, click here.

A flood elevation certificate will tell you where a house falls within a floodplain determined by FEMA. In many cases, a new flood certificate can help to lower flood insurance premiums.

A complete survey of the property will be the first step necessary to move forward with any property line adjustment.  Please call our office at 631-321-4732 to discuss your project.

Yes, we strongly recommend a new survey before purchasing any property.  It’s the only way to determine whether all structures have the proper co’s (Certificate of Occupancy). The survey will also determine if  any adjoining neighbors are encroaching on the property you intend to purchase.  

Even after you receive a building permit, hire a construction team and complete your project, there is still one more final step. It is to obtain a certificate of occupancy. This process is essentially closing the original permit with the town that you obtained. This is standard for most municipalities on Long Island, however it is best to always directly check with your town.

It is very possible on Long Island, your town will require a survey to be completed before you start your project. This is something that you will have to find out directly with your town, however, we do recommend that a survey is completed before a project is started.

Most towns on Long Island have a ridge height restriction that you cannot exceed. Many towns, architects, and construction companies need this elevation height in order to determine the height of your new construction.   The ridge height elevation can be included on your land survey or provided as a letter on company letterhead from our office.

A benchmark is a point of known elevation, set by Holgan Land Surveying, on or close to your property. It is used by your architect or builder to determine the height at which your first floor will be built. 

Test boring is performed to determine the makeup of the soil for building purposes.  Soil boring is a technique used to test the makeup of soil by taking several shallow cores out of the sediment.  It is necessary for many new constructions or when upgrading septic systems.