Frequently Asked Questions
Check out our Glossary Page for definitions of surveying terms
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Phone us, Drop by, or Email us. We can direct your inquiry, and a proposal will be sent from an Ontario Land Surveyor.
Provide us with the Address (or location) for the Survey, Name, Phone and Email address.
RENFREW: renfrew@aksurveying.com 613-432-3048
PEMBROKE: pembroke@aksurveying.com 613-735-0746
BARRYS BAY: barrysbay@aksurveying.com 613-756-3003
Office addresses on the Contact Page
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The Association of Ontario Land Surveyors (AOLS) Code of Ethics for members, section 5 states:
”ensure the clients are aware of the complexity of the type of surveys recommended and the nature of fees for service;”Part of our role as a professional is to determine your needs. We may ask probing questions in order to find out exactly what is required to solve the problem, or achieve your goal. Once we know what your needs are, we can advise what product or process would be required.
In order for us to do this, we would need the following pieces of information:
Property Details: Property address or location, PIN (if no address is available), or Roll Number (if no PIN or address is available).
Describe the Problem to Solve, or Goal to Achieve: Are you planning to develop or build on the property, obtain a building permit, resolve a boundary dispute, obtain a mortgage or insurance, divide the property, sell a piece of land to your neighbour? If so, we need to know. Let’s start your conversation to determine what is needed to make it happen.
Existing Documents: If you have any existing survey records, property documentation, Site Plan, Severance Notice of Approval, Engineering Drawings, Architectural Drawings, anything that may be relevant … share these with us! The more information we have, the better we can assist you.
All information we obtain from clients or members of the public is stored on a local server, is confidential, and is not shared with any person. (AOLS Code of Ethics sec. 4: “preserve the confidence of clients and regard as privileged information obtained in respect of clients' affairs;”)
Lastly, Special Requirements or Concerns: If there are any specific concerns or requirements related to the survey, such as access restrictions, encroachments, or specific features to be surveyed, please advise us so we can include this in the project.
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The duration of a survey can vary significantly depending on many factors, including but not limited to:
the type of survey,
the size and complexity of the project and the specific requirements,
the availability of survey evidence on the ground (iron bars or other monuments,
availability of occupation that relates to the monuments,
reliance on measurements from existing records,
reliance on natural boundaries,
reliance on testimonial evidence,
reliance on anecdotal evidence,
the availability of existing survey records in our office or other offices,
or additional complexities such as retracement of original township fabric,
presence of original water’s edge on controlled water bodies,
presence of original contours of elevation related to flooding, etc.
There are many factors that can contribute to the cost and timing of a survey project, which are studied in detail prior to providing an estimate of fees and time.
It's important to note that the time to complete a project may fluctuate based on the findings (or lack of findings) and the actual time required may vary depending on the specific circumstances.
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As each project is entirely unique, we provide a quote based on your specific requirements, free of obligation.
Not sure what you require? Contact us anyway, we are happy to work through your considerations to commission a survey project.
Each project request we receive is individually estimated after careful research of survey records nearby, and review of the clients requirements. The reason for this: Each project is unique. One project might have been previously surveyed as a Lot in a new Plan of Subdivision. The next might require retracement of lines and corners dating to the Original Township Survey from the mid 1800s.
The following is a summary of the work involved to complete any survey project:
When surveyors determine an existing boundary, their challenge is to locate the boundary where it was originally established. Since many boundaries were created decades or more ago, it can be a challenge finding the required information. Surveyors usually start with a Land Registry Office search but unlike lawyers their search must go beyond looking at the current parcel abstract. They must search back far enough to understand how and when the boundary was created in relationship to surrounding parcels. Often not all information is available in the Land Registry Office. They may have to retrieve the original crown patent maintained by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, find related records available in the Archives of Ontario, search for municipalities for appropriate by-laws, and consult a variety of other information such as local historical information, water elevations and historical photography. They also must acquire information from other surveyors that may have surveyed in the area and left evidence of the boundary (approximately only about one quarter of survey plans are stored in the Land Registry Office).
Our advantage for our clients, to our archive of all Survey Records of Renfrew County. Having 95% of the survey records in this County on our company server, and seldom requiring notes/plans from other firms who’ve done work in the area, means we can pass on these efficiencies to our clients.
Once at the site our Field Crew will look for evidence which will include survey monuments, natural boundaries (e.g. the water’s edge), and other physical evidence such as fences or buildings that may be related to the location of the boundary. They will look for features that may encroach over the boundary. At this point they can start measuring. Our two-person Field Crews use a variety of advanced technology to measure, ranging from robotic total stations to global navigation satellite systems (e.g. GPS), data collectors (rugged field computers), even drones. Measurements will be recorded using a combination of field notes, recorded on site, and digital metadata files to depict relationships of the features captured.
With the information downloaded in the office, and a process of data reduction to clean and resolve any errors with the data completed, calculations are now performed to understand the relationships of the evidence tied in. This is compared against documentary evidence (i.e. information shown in descriptions and plans) to determine how it fits together. As should be expected, often old measurements shown in the documentary evidence do not always match the dimensions measured today. Additionally, physical evidence (e.g. survey monuments, fences, and buildings) might not align with a single location of the boundary. The Calculator / Draftsperson (or Ontario Land Surveyor overseeing the project) must apply boundary law principles to help determine which evidence should be afforded the most weight in determining the location of the boundary. The weighted evidence is then analyzed to determine the most likely location of the original boundary. Surveying is not just a matter of measuring but requires professional judgement based on a foundational understanding of Statute Laws and Regulations, and Common Law principles. At this point the location of any new survey monuments required or new boundaries for severances can be calculated and survey monuments planted.
A revised plan is provided to the client for their review. Circulation of the plan with various stakeholders such as the County, Registry Office, Lawyers, Real Estate Agents, Ministries, is fulfilled, depending on the project.
Ultimately the surveyor will sign the plan and report to the client. They generally also prepare a report for the client that addresses any issues uncovered during the survey (e.g. physical features that may be over a boundary line or limitations on the property such as easements or rights-of-way).
This short article is a simplification of the process, which can be quite involved and can be iterative (e.g. new evidence found in the field can involve additional research). The fieldwork represents only a small portion of the work required to complete a thoroughly researched and evaluated survey project.
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We believe our clients should not be surprised when they receive the final invoice. That is why all disbursements are included in the quotation. What we estimate, is what we invoice. No surprises.
All the following are included in the quoted fee:
a. Registry Office search (Purchase of PINs, Instruments, Block Maps, Reference Plans)
b. Survey Office requests (Fees to purchase other Surveyor’s records/notes/plans/etc.)
c. Iron bars/wood stakes/pins/nails/flagging
d. R.O. Deposit and/or courier fees
e. Prints & other media
f. Vehicle & UTV mobilization
g. All other disbursements
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1. We would attend the site, survey the necessary lines and corners to re-establish and provide an opinion of the boundaries of this parcel.
2. We would find/replace all corners/bends along the side and rear lines and mark all lines with additional iron bars, as required for clarity/visibility.
3. All iron bars would be identified with wooden stakes and orange ribbon for visibility.
4. No Plan is prepared for Markout Surveys.
If you require a Plan, then a Markout Survey is not for you. Please inquire with our Team what your needs are, so we can determine what type of Plans you may require.
Protect your Interests:
You should protect your investment by making sure that you are building on your own property and by recognizing the setback requirements of the local municipality’s zoning by-laws. A mislocated fence, driveway or carport can cause legal problems and extra construction costs. Before you build, let a licensed surveyor determine your property boundaries and replace any missing survey monuments.
Allowing a surveyor to mark the location of your fence or building on site before construction begins will also ensure that you meet setback requirements and other restrictions enforced by the municipality in its zoning by-laws. Failure to comply with zoning by-laws could result in a “stop work “ order, the non-advancement of mortgage funds, or the loss of a future sale.
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Depending on what your goals are with your property, an old plan of survey may not be acceptable, or worse: may not show up-to-date changes that took place since it was prepared.
There are various reasons why reliance on old surveys can be problematic:
Updated Information: Over time, property boundaries, physical features, and land use can change with updated surveys occurring nearby.
Legal Compliance: Land surveying standards, regulations, and requirements may have changed since the time your old survey was conducted.
Boundary Disputes: If there is a dispute or uncertainty regarding property boundaries, a new survey can help resolve the issue. If the dispute is based on a fence that is not shown on the old plan, only a new survey can clarify the facts to help resolve the dispute (either a markout to mark the boundary on the ground) or a Plan of Survey (to depict the fence relative to the Boundaries).
Financing and Insurance: Lenders or insurance companies may require an updated survey (typically a Surveyor’s Real Property Report (SRPR)) when considering financing or insuring a property.
Future Planning: If you have plans for property development, construction, or subdivision, a new survey is often required by Municipalities, in order to depict structures and proposed construction relative boundaries and setbacks.
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The answer to this is based on your acceptable level of risk in development. An old survey of any kind can mislead the user, if changes have taken place in the passing years. Development is expensive. Minimizing risk by commissioning a new up-to-date topographic survey is often worth the cost.
Ontario Land Surveyors are covered by Professional Liability Insurance, and governed by the Association of Ontario Land Surveyor (AOLS)’s Code of Ethics and Regulations governing the practice of Land Surveying. We are professionals in all activities of our practice, including Topographic Surveying. More importantly, we are responsible for all information provided to our clients. This assurance is critical to project stakeholders who rely on an OLSs information, but is only applicable to new surveys, not historic information.
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A Surveyor’s Real Property Report (SRPR) shows everything physical on a property and boundaries.
Property Boundaries: The SRPR displays the property boundaries, indicating the exact dimensions and shape of the property.
Improvements: The report shows any existing improvements on the property, such as buildings, structures, fences, driveways, or utilities.
Easements and Encroachments: The SRPR identifies any easements or encroachments affecting the property.
a). Easements are rights granted to others to use or access a portion of the property, such as utility lines or rights of way.
b). Encroachments refer to any structures or improvements that extend beyond the property boundaries or onto neighboring properties.
The AOLS’s brochure on SRPRs:
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Elevations and contours are not shown on an SRPR.
Proposed Construction is not shown. (We prepare Site Plan for this purpose).
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Reference Plans serve as a public record of a property and the mathematical description of its boundaries. The Reference Plan (or R-Plan) describes the parcel’s location using coordinates, bearings and distances, and describes the geographic location using lots, concessions, registered plans, townships, etc.
The plan becomes a part of the land registry office’s public records, providing the parcel information for future reference. The Government of Ontario, through the Land Titles Act, guarantees ownership of all parcels, using the system of recorded documents that include Instruments, Reference Plans, Plans of Subdivision, Registered Plans, etc.
Reference plans are used extensively in property transactions, such as sales, purchases, leases, or mortgages.
Reference plans are also relied on where a legal description is incorrect, erroneous or otherwise unacceptable for transactional purposes. A Reference Plan is typically a lawyer’s solution to resolving these types of issues in order to facilitate a legal transaction.
Buyers and sellers rely on these plans to confidently describe and depict the exact location and extent of boundaries of the property.
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The OnLand website is where you can search or browse land registry records in the Ontario Land Registration system.
You can search for historical books, documents and property title records in any LRO, for viewing or download.
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We get this question quite often.
In order to provide a good answer, we have prepared two Process Guides:
1) Submitting a Severance Application
2) Survey Process for Severance
Feel free to email us or drop in, if you have any questions
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Although this differs depending on the Municipality where your parcel is located (email us for our guide for this list), Typically it takes 4 to 8 months for the municipality to complete a severance application.
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Municipality has authority to approve or deny severances due to size/location/quantity/etc.
Pre-consultation process (free of charge) is available to determine the viability, before officially applying.
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Although that is not a question, we are happy to provide consultation with Ontario Land Surveyor free of charge, whether you are a client or not.
We believe access to information should not restrict your vision and your goals with property.
Drop by our office, give us a call or send us an email. See CONTACT Page for this information.
Our Team will be happy to direct your inquiry, and setup a time to speak to an OLS.
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Our estimates are free, and have no obligation.
Contact us today to start your conversation.
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No. We cannot operate in Quebec due to license restrictions. After all, we are Ontario Land Surveyors.
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No. This is part of Quebec.
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First of all, what you are timelines? When do you need a crew on site?
Provide us with a copy of your Site Plan, Architectural/Engineering drawings related to the construction project, and anything else relevant to the project/building.
Provide us with the location information for the site (address, PIN, etc.)
Also any specific requirements or specifications relevant to the construction layout. Do you require a layout for a) excavation, b) footings, c) walls, d) all of the above?
If you aren’t sure, we can discuss the costs and advantages of each.
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Typically the fieldwork to layout a house or multiplex dwelling can be done in less than a day. However, prior to attending the site, the party chief responsible for your layout project will calculate the building dimensions per architectural or engineering drawings, and (if information is available) situate the building on the property per the provided Site Plan.
This preparation work sometimes can amount to more hours than spent outdoors doing the layout, but is critical to ensuring the building dimensions (and setbacks) shown on the drawings are correct.
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Yes.
Upon confirmation, your project will be created, and overseen throughout its entire progress by an Ontario Land Surveyor, who will ensure the project is completed correctly and on schedule.
The OLS is the acting project manager, and should be your point of communication throughout the project. The Fieldcrew will report all updates and changes to the OLS.
If any changes are required, our fieldcrew will return to the office to review the changes, make necessary revisions, and return to the site for adjustments. Changes to the construction mid-project will incur additional fees, and may result in delays.
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When a surveyor retraces a boundary, their job is to determine where the boundary was originally established. They use a variety of evidence to determine the location of the original boundary. Sometimes surveyors will interpret evidence differently or provide more weight to some of the evidence than others. Boundary retracement can be complicated. As a result there are times when surveyors will have differing opinions on the location of a boundary.
When this happens, the Surveyors can often resolve the matter and issue new plans and reports. Where surveyors cannot resolve the issues, only a Court or a Boundaries Act tribunal can make a final determination as the true location of a boundary.
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Section 6 of the Surveys Act does allow a surveyor, or a person in the surveyor's employ to enter and pass over the land of any person at any time, or to enter into a building, at a time suitable to the occupant. They access your property to find evidence needed to retrace property boundaries in the vicinity. However, the surveyor is responsible for any damage resulting from his or her actions.
The AOLS recommends to its members that they attempt to contact the owner or occupant before entering a property. This is not always possible or practical, and the surveyor may have to complete the work without advising the owner. Surveyors and their employees are expected to identify themselves or provide contact information for the surveyor if requested to do so.
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Your municipality is responsible for setting conditions that must be satisfied before they will issue a permit for construction. These range from set-backs from boundaries or environmentally sensitive areas to limitations on the amount of coverage you can have on your lot. The conditions are imposed to protect you, your neighbours and the environment (e.g. to ensure fire fighting equipment can get to the back yard).
Surveyors provide site plans and up-to-date surveys to allow the municipality to ensure that their conditions have been met. Surveys cost a fraction of the development costs and ensure that your construction meet zoning requirements.
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Anything that can be seen, can be measured. Your requirements are our guide, but typical topographic surveys will show any/all of the following:
i. Centreline of Road, Driveways, Trails, Edge of Bush, etc
ii. Edge of Pavement, Gutter, Curb, Sidewalks, Gravel, Driveways, Interlock, Walkways, etc.
iii. Centreline of Ditches, Swales, etc., Top/Bottom of Slopes, Breaklines in topography, etc.
iv. Elevation of Culverts (Invert/obvert, size, material)
v. Centreline of Creeks, swales, ponds, drainages, Present edge of water (Lake) etc.
vi. Buildings, Cottages, Ancillary structures, Fences, Docks, Decks, Retaining Walls, (any permanent structures), etc.
vii. Aboveground Utilities: Hydro poles/ anchors/ wires, Firehydrants, Water Valves, Catch Basins, Sanitary/Storm/Communication Manholes, Bell/Comm. Pedestals, access covers, Wells, etc.
viii. Contours generated at suitable interval
ix. PINs and geographic information
x. Datum, coordinate system, street names, easements, right of way, etc.
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If required, we can include Boundaries on a Topographic Survey.
As required by Regulations, we will prepare a Plan of Survey, which is signed by an OLS. The Boundaries from the Plan of Survey can be imported into the Topographic Survey and shown as a heavy line to relate the Boundaries to the physical features of the site.
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Contact us to find out more how we can cut time and costs in your extraction or construction process.
Our in-house workflow with our company drone and software is ready to go to work for your operation.
One flight over your site; We will have obtained all the information we need to answer any question, such as:
Suitable locations for engineering design / drainage / crop management / topographic planning etc. (farms / golf courses / roads / construction sites / etc.)
Modelling / Volumes & Surfaces (quarries / stockpiles / open excavations / cut + fill, etc.)
Construction Applications / Quantities: (Stockpiles, Quantities extracted from original ground, Quantity required to Fill terrain, etc.)
Quality Assurance
Any survey data that is provided from us carries quality assurances as to the accuracy, precision and correctness of the information. Everything we do is protected by professional and general liability insurance policies (including the drone’s flight).
Quality Control
Data can be provided in typical file formats such as .dwg, .dxf, .pdf, .ply, .txt, 2d/3d contours, volume quantities, etc.
A topographic survey enables accurate volume calculations for earthwork and excavation projects, minimizing errors and optimizing resource allocation.
Inquire today. We’re excited to share these innovations with your operation.
