• What is a Zoning Ordinance?
• Do you meet all of the requirements of the Zoning Ordinance?
• What is a Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance?
• Can you comply with the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance or will you need waivers?
• Will you be able to obtain all of the applicable federal, state and county permits?

So, you want to develop your property…

Whether it’s to create a lot for a loved one or to make money, you are now a “Developer.” As such you will need to comply with the same rules and regulations as those “Big Bad Developers” do. These include complying with municipal Zoning and Subdivision and Land Development Ordinances.

In addition, you will need to comply with all applicable federal, state and county rules and regulations.

What is a Zoning Ordinance and can I comply with it?

A Zoning Ordinance contains the rules and regulations that a municipality, i.e. township, borough or city has created in order to control what gets built and where. Each township is broken into districts. Some of these districts may allow the construction of commercial uses while others only allow residential uses. The Zoning Ordinance also sets forth the size that new lots must be in each district. Therefore, the zoning district in which you are located determines how you may develop your property.

If you wish to develop your property in a way which is inconsistent with the Zoning Ordinance, you will need to seek relief through a zoning variance(s).

OK, so I made it past the Zoning Ordinance requirements, now what?

All subdivisions are governed by a municipality’s Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance. This Ordinance contains all of the rules and regulations which govern improvements that must be installed as part of a subdivision/land development. These range from the simple, i.e. placing monumentation at all lot corners, to the complex, i.e. the construction of new roads and Stormwater Management. What may appear
to be the simplest subdivision, i.e. one new lot, typically requires a great deal of effort under today’s
rules and regulations.

You’re almost there!

You’ve made it past the municipality and you now need to comply with the “outside agency” requirements. Often these rules and regulations can be more cumbersome than the local rules and regulations. These
may include PennDOT; driveway permits, the County Conservation District; earth moving permits; PA DEP; sewage related permits. The list of possible outside agency permits can be overwhelming! A Minor Subdivision may take up to a year to obtain all the required permits.

Remember, these permits must be obtained BEFORE a lot can be built on or sold.

Welcome to The Developer’s Club!

Looking for more answers about Subdivision and Land Development?

Let us help you get all the state, local, and federal permits for your land development project.

You need to look no further than All County & Associates, Inc. (ACA). ACA is a professional Land Surveying, Civil Engineering and Environmental Permitting firm located in southeastern Pennsylvania ready to serve your Subdivision/Land Development needs. Our experienced staff works throughout Pennsylvania and has done so since our inception in 1992.

As a full-service company, ACA has the knowledge and experience to make your land development goals become a reality. We offer many other services, including:

• Building Permit Plans
• On-site Sewage Disposal
• System Inspections
• Environmental Permitting
• Boundary Surveys
• Hydraulic Load Testing
• Wetland Investigations

Give us a call or fill out our Contact form to schedule a free on-site consultation.

• What is a Boundary Survey?
• Who should I have perform my Boundary Survey?
• How does the Surveyor perform a Boundary Survey?
• Do I need a Boundary Survey?
• How much does a Boundary Survey cost?
• Do You need a Land Survey Company?

What is a Boundary Survey?

A Boundary Survey is a procedure by which a Professional Land Surveyor establishes the corners of a parcel of land. A Boundary Survey is the interpretation of evidence. Surveyors are fond of saying “Monuments over Measurements.” This simply means that there is only so much room on the surface of the earth.  Think jigsaw puzzle, everyone’s property must fit! Therefore, the distances that are indicated in your deed are only a small part of the puzzle. It’s what fits on the surface of the earth that counts.

The use of modern day technology allows the licensed surveyor to measure distances with extreme accuracy. A property owner is best served by having a Boundary Survey completed PRIOR to the purchase of the tract. This will ensure that potential problems, i.e. encroachments, easements, etc. are discovered, reported and eliminated, if possible, before you purchase the tract. Through the use of the Title Search which is completed for most property transfers, a Professional Land Surveyor can ensure a more  complete survey.

Who should I have perform my Boundary Survey?

In Pennsylvania, a Boundary Survey must be completed by a Pennsylvania licensed Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) to conform to Pennsylvania State Law. A PLS has gone through a two-step educational process over a minimum of eight years in order to become licensed.  This includes four years of college in the first step.  Upon graduation, one must become a Surveyor in Training (SIT) by passing a difficult test.

The second step now begins. After working for a minimum of four years under the direction of a licensed surveyor an SIT may sit for an even more difficult test to become licensed. As your property is one of the largest investments you will probably
ever make, a licensed professional must be hired to
complete your Boundary Survey.

How does the Surveyor perform a Boundary Survey?

Initially, the Surveyor needs to obtain a copy of the deed of the property to be surveyed. It is also very important to
gather the deeds, maps, records and/or plans available for the neighboring properties. These documents are obtained
through research at the county Recorder of Deeds office, the municipal offices, historical files and other survey records. This is done in an effort to reveal possible discrepancies between documents and to get the “full picture.”
After examining the documents, field personnel visit the site to take the necessary measurements and examine the evidence found to determine the exact location of the property boundaries. Ultimately, the surveyor will ensure that proper monumention is established at each property corner.

Do I need a Boundary Survey?

The answer is simply, “Yes.” Very often, over time, a property owner loses track of the exact location of his/her property corners, if they even knew where the corners were in the first place. The corner markers are often disturbed, removed or hidden from view and it becomes difficult to know where one’s property lines really are. When erecting a fence, placing a shed, landscaping, building your dream home or simply for the ‘peace of mind’, it is certainly a wise decision to have a Boundary Survey performed first.

Imagine spending thousands of dollars to improve your property only to realize that you’ve built too close to or even over the property line onto someone else’s land!

How much does a Boundary Survey cost?

As no two properties are identical, nor are two Boundary Surveys. Many factors contribute to the cost of a Boundary Survey. These include :

• Size – A one-acre property will cost less to survey than a ten acre site.
• Location – Properties in remote locations may cost more than those in urban areas.
• Time of year – If the property is heavily wooded it will be more difficult to survey than an open site, unless the survey is completed when there are no leaves on the trees.
• Topography – A flat site will be easier to survey than a steep site, therefore costing less.
• Complexity – A complex survey, i.e. a lot of property lines, may require several visits to the site as well as time within the office to complete the necessary calculations, thereby costing more.
• Documentation – The more documentation that a client can provide will lower the cost, as less time may be needed to conduct research.

A typical Boundary Survey can cost from several hundred dollars to many thousand based upon the above factors.

Do You Need a Land Survey Company?

You need to look no further than All County & Associates, Inc. (ACA). ACA is a professional Land Surveying, Civil Engineering and Environmental Permitting firm located in southeastern Pennsylvania ready to serve your Boundary Survey needs.

Our experienced staff performs surveys throughout eastern Pennsylvania and has done so since our inception in
1992. As a full-service civil engineering company, ACA has the knowledge and experience to make your goals become a reality. We offer many other services, including:

• Subdivision/Land Development Design
• On-site Sewage Disposal System Inspections
• Environmental Permitting
• Hydraulic Load Testing
• Wetland Investigations
• Building Permit Plans

Give us a call or fill out our contact form to schedule a free onsite consultation.