How to Survey Vacant Land With a GPS

GPS systems revolutionized land management.

Surveying vacant land with a GPS allows you to establish the boundaries of the property. This is important for any business deal about land or for legal disputes over land ownership or rights of way. With global positioning satellites (GPS) you can determine exactly where points of interest, buildings, rivers and boundaries lie. Having this information will allow for better development plans to be made as well as resolving any property line disputes quickly and finally.

Things You'll Need

• GPS unit
• Pen
• Paper
• Map
• Boots
• gloves

Instructions

1. Consult your local zoning board or real estate regulatory commission for maps and titles. You need to obtain maps of the area surrounding the vacant land to establish property lines. These maps are available from the government offices for a fee, though you may be able to secure the maps for free if you are a property owner in that jurisdiction. You also need to obtain information about who owns the vacant land. Just because the land appears unused does not mean that it is without an active owner. You also need to obtain the contact information for any landowner whose property you may have to cross to get to the vacant land.

2. Contact the vacant land's owner. If the owner is a private citizen, request permission to survey the land and tell them why you wish to survey it. Most owners will agree if you agree to provide copies of the survey. If the owner is a government department, you will need to fill out permission forms and liability release forms. Contact any property owners whose land you will have to cross to get to the vacant land for permission to cross over and specify if you will be crossing by foot, horse, ATV or other vehicle.

3. Stand on one of the corners of the property line. Take a GPS reading at this point by turning the GPS unit on and reading the latitude and longitude. Write these coordinates down on the map obtained from the real estate department. Walk along the property line, marking down latitude and longitude coordinates every ten meters. Once the perimeter of the property is obtained, walk to the various landmarks on the property like rock outcroppings or buildings and mark their coordinates as well. If there are buildings on the property, mark down the coordinates of their corners and their entrances, doors and loading docks.

References

• Off Roaders: GPS Coordinates
• World Atlas: Latitude and Longitude
• Indiana State University: How To Read a Map