Understanding Different Types of Land Surveys

Concept image of female land surveyor with smart device, wind turbine in the background: The NestForms GPS Land survey app

Accurate Land Surveys are essential for construction projects, real estate transactions, infrastructure development, and environmental assessments. Surveyors, engineers, and project managers rely on precise data to make informed decisions, avoiding costly mistakes, and ensuring compliance with regulations.

Using a GPS Land Survey App like NestForms can simplify these tasks by offering customisable forms, GPS tracking, and offline capabilities to streamline data collection in the field.

In this article, we’ll explore the different types of land surveys, their purposes, and how the NestForms surveying app can help you complete them efficiently and accurately.

1. Boundary Survey

A Boundary Survey identifies the exact property lines and corners of a parcel of land. This type of survey is critical for property ownership disputes, new construction projects, and real estate transactions.

How NestForms Helps:

2. Topographic Survey

A Topographic Survey maps the natural and man-made features of a site, including elevation changes, trees, buildings, and roads. This survey is essential for planning construction projects, infrastructure development, and landscaping.

How NestForms Helps:

  • Create customisable forms to record elevation data and site features.
  • Use offline survey app capabilities to collect data in remote locations.
  • Choose high accuracy GPS location tagging
  • Create extra map details using KML files
  • Sync data to generate detailed topographic maps and reports.

3. Construction Survey

A Construction Survey guides the placement of structures, roads, and utilities during the construction process. It ensures that everything is built according to the approved plans and specifications and that punch list application is streamlined.

How NestForms Helps:

  • Use Punch list forms to document tasks and track progress.
  • Implement new build snagging checklists to identify and resolve issues quickly.
  • Make calculations and provide measurements.
  • Capture GPS-tagged data along with map overlays to ensure accurate placement of structures.
  • Create a Site Handover Form or a Work Completion Form.

4. Subdivision Survey

A Subdivision Survey divides a larger parcel of land into smaller lots for development or sale. This type of survey is commonly used for residential or commercial development projects.

How NestForms Helps:

  • Customise forms to record lot boundaries, dimensions, and features.
  • Use Clone section for inspections on multiple parcels of land.
  • Attach images and notes to document each subdivision.
  • Generate Project Completion Reports to present to developers, buyers, or local authorities.
  • Allow for GPS map select within a response.

5. Mortgage/Title Survey

A Mortgage/Title Survey verifies property boundaries and improvements for real estate transactions. This survey helps lenders and buyers ensure there are no encroachments or boundary disputes.

How NestForms Helps:

  • Record GPS-tagged data for property boundaries.
  • Document improvements and potential encroachments with images.
  • Create clear, detailed Automated Inspection Reports for mortgage or title companies.
  • Provide audio commentary

6. Environmental Survey

An Environmental Survey assesses land for environmental concerns, such as wetlands, wildlife habitats, or contamination. This type of survey is essential for regulatory compliance and conservation projects.

How NestForms Helps:

  • Customise forms to document environmental features and conditions.
  • Provide comments and audio recordings.
  • Attach images and GPS location data to support findings.
  • Generate reports for environmental agencies or conservation groups.

Two Land surveyors with smart device and rope in a field with utility poles in the background: Nestforms GPS Land survey app

7. Floodplain Survey

A Floodplain Survey determines elevation levels and assesses flood risks for insurance purposes or development planning. It helps property owners understand their flood risk and insurance requirements.

How NestForms Helps:

  • Collect elevation data using GPS-enabled forms.
  • Document floodplain boundaries and risk areas.
  • Create reports to submit to insurance companies or local authorities.
  • Add extra map details as an overlay using KML files
  • Use a Signature form component for digital sign-off. 

8. Route Survey

A Route Survey is used to plan the location of roads, pipelines, power lines, and other linear infrastructure projects. It maps the proposed route and identifies obstacles or challenges.

How NestForms Helps:

  • Use GPS tracking to map the proposed route accurately.
  • Use Skip logic for efficient form flow
  • Document terrain features, obstacles, and potential issues.
  • Generate reports for engineers, planners, and contractors.

9. Site Planning Survey

A Site Planning Survey combines boundary and topographic surveys to plan developments like housing, commercial buildings, or parks. It helps ensure that the site is suitable for the intended use.

How NestForms Helps:

  • Collect boundary and elevation data in one form.
  • Document site features and conditions with images and map overlays.
  • Make calculations and provide land measurements.
  • Use Triggers to flag responses for the various stages of project completion.
  • Generate automated inspection reports for architects, engineers, and developers.

10. Utility Survey

A Utility Survey maps the locations of underground utilities, such as water lines, gas pipes, and electrical cables. It’s crucial for avoiding damage during construction or excavation.

How NestForms Helps:

  • Use GPS tagging to mark utility locations accurately.
  • Use QR and barcode for labelling various utilities.
  • Document utility types, depths, and conditions.
  • Create Installation Forms and Project Completion Reports, for contractors, utility companies, or municipalities.

Why Choose NestForms for Land Surveys?

One of the best surveyor apps, NestForms provides a versatile GPS land survey app that adapts to various types of surveys. With features like customisable forms, mobile data collection, and real-time syncing, the NestForms field service management software simplifies the survey process and ensures accuracy.

Whether you’re performing a boundary survey, generating a work completion report, or using a mobile survey app as part of your field service software, NestForms helps you get the job done efficiently.

Three land surveyors at table with laptop and smart device, maps and other surveying gear: The NestForms GPS Land survey app

Ready to streamline your land survey or project completion form? Find out more about how our mobile form app can assist your operations and get started with just a few clicks.

Your NestForms journey starts here with our mobile data collection app, one of the best apps for surveyors! Sign up today for the free two week trial. You can try out all of the features our Quality Control App has to offer during your 14 day free trial.

Have a browse through the following example templates that allow for modification to suit your Land survey form requirements. You can also see examples of a, Project Completion ReportWork Completion Report and a Health and Safety Audit. There are many other related templates at your disposal, installation forms, utility inspections and new build punch lists to name but a few. You can quickly and easily create client sign off forms, checklist, audit and snag list forms.

Upgrade your workflow with optimised processes and boost productivity. Don’t let outdated strategies slow you down. Try the NestForms offline survey app today and see the difference!