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Topographic Surveys: Is It Worth Developing the Land? | Corona, CA

When buying a parcel of land to develop, it is important to know what kind of land you are buying and whether or not it is able to be developed. The solution is a topographic survey, showing the exact location of both human-made and natural features, both vertical and horizontal, in order to determine changes in elevation on a parcel of land.

Most people want to have as much information as possible before beginning a project, and topography is no exception because elevation has a considerable impact on land usability. Finding issues before it’s too late will not only save money but gives an opportunity to plan alternative options when developing the land.

A topographic survey will show the results of a 3D world on a 2D sheet of paper. The more data the surveyor collects, the more detailed the topographic survey drawing will be. However, since there aren’t any national standards regarding topographic surveys, you’ll need to consider exactly what it is that you want to know. These are the most commonly requested:

Contour levels. The focus is on the vertical changes on the property and they are shown in a series of contours on the drawing.

Vegetation location. You can specify the location of a certain size of tree trunk or a particular type of tree (carnivorous or deciduous), vegetation lines, etc.

Streams or creeks. You can specify if you want the thread (center line), the thalweg (deepest part) or just the banks to be located and shown on the drawing.

Natural occurring structures. Peaks, valleys, hills, cliffs, etc.

Manmade structures. Items such as buildings, utility lines, streets, fences and retaining walls.

To find out more about topographic surveying, please contact us at (800) CALVADA or visit www.calvada.com.

Calvada proudly serves Corona and all surrounding areas.

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The Importance of Land Surveying | Corona, CA

When you purchase something, you make sure to find out exactly what you’re buying. After all, you’re spending your hard-earned money – you should know what you’re paying for. This should be the same for purchasing land. This is where a land survey comes into play. Not only do surveys help plot out the land but surveyors are used in the design and planning of said land to make room for things like roads, utilities and landscaping. It may seem to many that surveying land is a fairly new concept, but it is one of the oldest professions the world has ever known. Land surveys have dated back thousands of years to Egyptian surveyors dividing land along the Nile River and Australian surveyors trying to design their early settlements. Even famous explorers like Burke and Wills used their surveying background in their work. Yes, it may seem like a new-found industry, but we’ve needed land surveying for as long as we’ve had land to develop.

But why are they so intricate to creating our structures? Believe it or not, but it isn’t just about plotting open spaces to place buildings and other structures upon. Surveyors work with lots of other important industries like engineering, geology, architecture and planning in order to create a successful construction site. They measure the land and map it all out before anyone even steps foot on the site. These findings are given to the architects, who create a blueprint based on the needs of the client. Once complete, engineers use those plans to create a structure that will be successful based on the land available. So, as you can see, land surveys are the environmental trackers of structural design.

To find out more about land surveying, please contact us at (800) CALVADA or visit www.calvada.com.

Calvada proudly serves Corona and all surrounding areas.

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How to Add Drone Surveying Equipment to Your Business with Microdrones | Corona, CA

April 26, 2022

NY-Drone surveying equipment has become more prevalent in surveying, engineering, and construction industries. Many businesses find themselves researching UAV solutions, costs, operations, and workflows in order to keep up with the competition. They need to know what is the best way to add drone surveying equipment to their business.

To help find the solution, Microdrones is hosting a special webinar: “How to Add Drone Surveying Equipment to Your Business.” This presentation will answer questions and explain how to complement traditional surveying methods by adding drone surveying equipment to your toolbox.

The main presenter for the webinar will be Matt Rosenbalm, the Northeast US sales manager. He’ll explain how the fully integrated systems from Microdrones offer powerful aerial surveying technology to enable you to work more efficiently, accurately, safely, and profitably with the combination of our unique mdInfinity software for data processing.

“I have a strong surveying and engineering background, having been in this industry for my entire career,” said Rosenbalm. “I know how this technology can fit into your workflow on a daily basis and help grow your business.”

Drone surveying equipment improves efficiencies, saving time and money, making drones an increasingly valuable tool for a variety of projects. Register for the webinar, “How to Add Drone Surveying Equipment to Your Business,” to find out how Microdrones is providing drone solutions with everything needed to do drone LiDAR and surveying the right way, with convenient and flexible pricing options.

We look forward to showing you how to get started with everything needed to use drones for complex surveying work.

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Boundary vs. Topographic Surveys | Corona, CA

When you are preparing to purchase, sell or develop land, it is important to get a survey done in order to know exactly what you’re getting into. But which survey is the one that you need? Here is what you need to know about boundary and topographic surveys:

Boundary surveys. A boundary survey plots out the boundary lines of a parcel of land in order to provide specific information about where the property ends and where it begins. In addition to pinning down the precise boundary lines, many types of boundary surveys provide extra information, such as:

  • The locations of any easements (permissions to enter or cross the property, such as for utilities)
  • Encroachments, or improvements on other properties that intrude into the plot
  • Limitations, including zoning regulations

Certain boundary surveys, such as ALTA/NSPS surveys, will include even more information in accordance with ALTA and NSPS standards.

Topographic surveys. One bit of information that many boundary surveys do not provide is topographical data, or the elevations and contours of the land described in the deed, both man-made and natural. This is especially useful for those who intend to develop the land since it gives detailed information on where different features are located, including:

  • Trees
  • Slopes, hills, valleys, and other changes in elevation
  • Streams and rivers
  • Buildings
  • Streets and walkways
  • Utility poles
  • Manholes
  • Fences and walls

The elevations on the land are shown on a map as contour lines. Construction contractors, engineers, and architects use this type of map to design and plan improvements to the land.

To find out more about boundary and topographic surveys, please contact us at (800) CALVADA or visit www.calvada.com.

Calvada proudly serves Corona and all surrounding areas.

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The Importance of Getting an ALTA Survey | Corona, CA

When you buy property, it is important to make a thorough assessment of what exactly you are purchasing. Not only to have peace of mind about what you’re buying, but because the bank and title companies will likely expect it. This is easily done by having an ALTA survey done on the plot of land. Once you fully know what you are buying, it will also be easier to build. Here are more benefits of getting an ALTA survey:

Verify a purchase. When you buy a property, you and your lender will have to make sure that the property is worth the proposed amount and is free of problems. If the survey gives a negative report, you can make decisions accordingly prior to finalizing.

Depicting easement size and location. Having adequate knowledge of easements on the property you acquire is important and an ALTA survey will reveal these details.

Locating improvements and encroachments. An ALTA survey depicts all the buildings and structures existing on a property, every property improvement and any encroachment of other people’s property.

Property access. When you buy a property, knowing the routes to your property is important. A survey will show all roads, alleys, highways, and routes that grant access, impeding structures that restrict access and other necessary easements.

Help identify and locate utilities. Whatever might be the reason for you wanting to buy a property, you will want to know if the property has the utilities you require and this can be done by showing all the utilities on the property and their various locations.

To find out more about ALTA surveys, please contact us at (800) CALVADA or visit www.calvada.com.

Calvada proudly serves Corona and all surrounding areas.