Site mapping and equipment
We locate trees, structures, drainage, and utilities for the design team. For open-ground elevation and feature shots, we use GNSS RTK rovers. When we need detail under heavy canopy where GPS won't hold, we switch to a robotic total station.
Designing for Melrose winters
Hard winter freezes here drive freeze-thaw cycles that stress foundations, slabs, and buried pipes. Architects and engineers rely on our topographic data to design grading and drainage plans that move water away from these vulnerable areas before it can freeze.
Pricing
A topographic survey for a residential lot costs between $700 and $1800. The exact price depends on the size of the property and how much heavy canopy requires us to switch from GPS to the robotic total station.
What to Expect
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Tell Us What You Need
A two-minute call is enough for us to understand the job and what it'll take.
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We Take a Look
We come out, look at the space, and confirm exactly what the job involves.
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Know the Price First
We put the work, the timeline, and the number on paper — take your time with it.
In practice, on a job like this:
- Setting vertical and horizontal control across the site
- Collecting ground shots, breaklines, and every visible feature and utility
What It Typically Costs
These are planning ranges. Nothing is final until it is in writing.
$500–$1500
Questions Melrose Customers Ask
A land survey includes researching deeds and prior surveys, locating boundary markers, measuring the property, resolving boundary conflicts, and setting new markers if needed. It also identifies improvements, easements, and encroachments. The surveyor drafts a sealed plat or map detailing these findings.
Free property surveys are rare. Most require professional expertise and equipment, incurring costs. Some municipalities may offer basic records, but these are not substitutes for a legal survey. Always hire a licensed surveyor for accurate, legally binding results.
A boundary survey focuses on defining property lines and corners. Other types include ALTA/NSPS surveys for commercial properties, topographic surveys for elevation details, and construction staking for building projects. Each serves specific purposes and varies in complexity and cost.
If your survey has errors, contact the surveyor immediately to request corrections. Licensed surveyors are obligated to fix mistakes. If they refuse, escalate to their licensing board or seek legal advice. Always review the survey thoroughly before accepting it.
To avoid surprises, request a detailed written estimate upfront. Confirm what’s included (e.g., markers, staking) and ask about potential additional charges. Discuss property complexity, access issues, and any known boundary disputes. Choose a reputable surveyor with transparent pricing.
Surveyors use GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) and total stations for precise measurements tied to state coordinate systems. They also use tools like metal detectors to locate buried markers and software for drafting detailed maps. Advanced equipment ensures accuracy, especially in wooded or challenging terrains.
AI is not replacing land surveyors. While technology aids in data collection and analysis, surveying requires human judgment, legal expertise, and field skills. Surveyors interpret complex boundary issues and ensure compliance with regulations, tasks that AI cannot fully replicate.
A Few More Questions
Yes. Where corners are missing we set stamped iron rods or caps carrying the surveyor's license number, and we flag them so you can find them. The markers are part of the record — moving or destroying them is both a practical problem and, in most states, against the law.
No. A phone's GPS is accurate to several feet at best and isn't tied to your deed or the corner monuments, so the lines those apps draw are approximate and carry no legal weight. Survey-grade GNSS fixes a point to the centimeter against a reference network — a different instrument for a different job.
The property address and, if you have them, a copy of your deed, any prior survey, and your title commitment. Access to walk the property helps, and if there's a specific reason for the survey — a fence, a sale, a building permit — telling us up front lets us scope it right the first time.
Price tracks the work, not the lot size alone. A clean platted lot with good corners is quick; a parcel with missing monuments, conflicting deeds, heavy tree cover, or a metes-and-bounds description takes far more research and field time. We quote after we see the deed and the record, so the number is real.
Usually yes, and often the permit requires it. Building to an assumed line is how encroachment problems start — a fence a foot over the line can cloud a future sale. A current boundary survey shows exactly where you can build and keeps the improvement on your own ground.
Where We Work
We work across Melrose, MA. Call (781) 590-6899 to confirm coverage for your address.