Contour and Detail Surveys in Brisbane

Before embarking on any design work for buildings, extensions or new roads, a Contour Survey or Detail Survey must first take place to enable your selected designer/engineers to create the optimal construction plan for your land that fulfills council requirements while remaining safe for building.

Noting the distinction, only registered cadastral surveyors can accurately draw a property boundary on a detailed plan, making any attempt at altering or removing these permanent survey marks illegal.

Boundary Surveys

Delineating property boundaries is an integral component of land ownership, as defining them without exception will prevent disagreements regarding use for residential purposes such as building houses, carports or sheds or for commercial development such as driveways, parking lots or pools.

A boundary survey is a legal document that establishes the true property corners and describes the parcel being surveyed, while also noting any easements or encroachments, such as rights-of-way across another person’s land for accessing public roads.

Research begins with deeds, maps and other records being examined for possible clues to property boundaries. Next, the surveyor visits the site and retraces those boundaries according to deed or plat. They may locate existing monuments such as iron pipes, rebar, concrete or stone markers or set new ones before combining their field work and research efforts into creating a survey plan and description of property.

Subdivision Surveys

Surveyors specialize in subdivision surveys to help divide up land into separate lots for new development purposes or selling off portions of it. This is often necessary when expanding on an existing property, or selling off certain portions for individual development projects.

Subdivision surveys involve creating new lot plans for each proposed new allotment to be subdivided, including title arrangements, any easements and existing buildings or improvements on the land being subdivided.

Before undertaking any subdivision project, a development permit application must first go through an impact or code assessment with the local council to ascertain if its suitability for that site.

If the DA is approved, specific development conditions will be prescribed and must be adhered to during construction. Surveyors can certify compliance with these conditions through “plan sealing”, typically included as part of subdivision surveys.

Contour Surveys

Contour or topographic surveys can be invaluable tools when it comes to your land. They show the different elevations on your parcel, and assist architects and builders in designing homes that take full advantage of natural landscape features.

Conducting a contour survey prior to building can also save costs, since steeper slopes tend to cost more. A contour survey will enable you to select designs for your block that are cost-effective while making decisions regarding designs for building on it more easily.

Contour surveys can also provide invaluable data when it comes to negotiating fixed prices with builders, as it reveals how much will need to be spent on grading and site works – eliminating surprises when starting construction on your home or project.

Building Surveys

Council requires a detailed survey of your property when lodging a planning application, to help determine the precise locations of proposed structures, land services, fences and roads, easements allowing other people access to your land as well as any easements allowing other people access.

Building surveyors evaluate roofs, walls, partitions, uncovered floors and fireplaces to assess their structure and condition as well as evaluate services such as water, electricity, gas and drainage.

All local government areas in Queensland impose building height restrictions above natural ground level, meaning any structure exceeding this limit requires a height certificate from a chartered surveyor.

source https://citysurveyorsbrisbane.wordpress.com/2023/06/01/contour-and-detail-surveys-in-brisbane/