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Need a surveyor for fence installation?

I want to install a fence on my property and I am looking for a surveyor that will come and mark the property line and do it for a relatively low price. I am in the Tysons Corner area in VA. I looked on Angie's List and not many were rated. I did find one but they were a bit on the pricey side. About $350.

Public Comments

1. You are wise to have the property surveyed before installing your fence. Check with you community's planning department; they may have a referral for you. $350.00 sounds like a good chunk of change, but having a licensed , qualified surveyor document your property lines can save you a whole lot more $ and the aggravation of dealing with an angry neighbor who may dispute the installation of the fence
2. $350 is cheap compared to what it would cost in my area.
3. $350 is very, very, very cheap for a survey. I would look with suspicion on any survey that was done for that cheap, as the amount of work that could be done for that little means that the surveyor could easily miss problems that may exist with your property, and that low quality of a survey almost certainly wouldn't hold up in court if you get into a dispute. The bare minimum we charge for finding existing property corners in a subdivision is $900-$1200. If it isn't a subdivision (like an irregular or a country property), it could be $2000+. There's a ton of work that goes into a boundary survey, far more than just the field work that you see, and a ton of liability for the surveyor. It is a good idea to get your line surveyed before building a fence, but a lot of people don't because of the expense. If you don't, be aware that you might have to tear down the fence if the neighbor has a survey done and your fence is found to be over the line.
4. Actually, $350 is a pretty good price. Out here in California even a simple boundary survey with well documented history can run $1500 when the mandatory recording and filing is included. Call the Virginia Land Surveyor's association (here is their link: http://www.vasurveyors.org/links.shtml ) most surveyors in any state join the state's association. They can provide you with a list of surveyors who operate in your area (you do not want to hire someone from some distance away since they may not have the unique knowledge of your area necessary to provide you with an efficient service - in effect, you pay for his/her education) Ask if the cost of the survey included any mandatory filing or recording. If the surveyor is NOT doing the filing that he is supposed to be doing, then that gives you an idea of how good his work is. He is already cutting corners and he has not even got the job. THere is, however, an inexpensive alternate: If you and your neighbor can agree on the location of a fence, without regard to the boundary line, then create a fence line agreement, sign, notarize and record it .. THe agreement should state some basics 1) Its just a fence.. it is NOT a boundary: Neither of you gives up rights to your respective land and neither of you makes claims against the others' land simply because of the fence location. Bind the heirs and successors to the agreement. 2) Who takes care of the fence and how? 50/50 all yours, all theirs.. whatever.. PUT IT IN WRITING. 3) What if either side wants to move the fence to the boundary... how will this be accomplished? who pays? 4) Liability: the accident happens on your property on HIS side of the fence. THis is a simple indemnification.. 5) Anything else you can think of that might go wrong or be questioned in the future. Solve them now before one of you dies or moves out and the classic 'neighbor from hell' moves in. All in all, this should cost you a bottle of wine, some cheese and a nice afternoon with the neighbors. (or you can hire a surveyor).