Article originally posted on: https://tucker-engineering.com/gardendale-land-surveyor

Gardendale, Alabama is a city in Jefferson County, a suburb north of Birmingham. Tucker Engineering, LLC provides first-rate engineering services to clients in the Gardendale, Alabama region. Nearby Turkey Creek Nature Preserve offers plenty of family fun for visitors and residents in the region. With hiking trails, biking trails, fishing, camping, and picnic areas, there's something everyone in the family can enjoy. For a day indoors, the Gardendale Flea Mall and Antique Center has over 44,000 square-feet with more than 300 separate vendors selling antiques, sports memorabilia, furniture, crafts, jewelry, collectibles and more. We proudly serve clients in the Gardendale region with land surveying services such as civil site plans, boundary and topographic surveys, storm water and access permit services, subdivision design, and more.

Since 2004, Tucker Engineering has worked closely with builders, contractors, construction workers, business owners and individuals in the Gardendale, Alabama region to provide them with first-rate land surveys and other complex engineering services. We are licensed with the Alabama Board of Engineers & Land Surveyors and have over 16 years’ experience working one-on-one with clients to meet their land surveying needs. Land surveying is a vital part of land development and ensures new developments and buildings are safely meeting all codes and regulations and staying within property boundaries.

Surveying is the science of accurately determining points within terrain and the relative position of various features both on the land and underground. Surveying also involves determining the distances and angles between each point. When you hire Tucker Engineering for your project, one of our professional land surveyors will conduct a detailed inspection of the land and gather pertinent information by performing in-depth studies. This involves taking measurements, researching legal documents, analyzing historical documents, conducting data analysis, making observations, filling out questionnaires, establishing property boundaries, and examining building plans. 

Our expert land surveyors in Gardendale have extensive training and utilize skills such as engineering, geometry, physics, mathematics, and science to achieve their objective. By determining the relative position of points both above ground and underground, and researching legal and historical records, we help builders and contractors rest easy knowing the land is safe, they’re within their rights when it comes to property lines and ownership, and their project can successfully move forward. 

There are many types of surveying and which type is necessary is dependent on a number of factors such as what type of project is being planned for a plot of land, whether there’s bodies of water on the land, and the history of the land. Some examples of different types of surveying include: 

• Land Survey - A detailed drawing that outlines precise property boundaries and the property’s dimensions. A land survey will also include other buildings on the property and areas that may need improvements prior to starting a new project.  
• Property Boundary Survey-  Defines the perimeters of the property being surveyed. A property boundary survey establishes original property lines and retraces lines and corners of previously established property lines. A property boundary survey is based on boundary law principals combined with evidence gathered and studied during the survey. It may include divided property, fixed improvements, platting, and further descriptions of the property in question.
• Record Survey/As-Built Survey-  A record survey is performed to obtain horizontal and/or vertical data to locate constructed improvements
• Control Survey-  A survey that provides horizontal and/or vertical data to support subordinate surveying or mapping for construction projects.
• Geodetic Survey-  A geodetic survey recognizes the points and areas of a piece of property while considering the earth’s curvature. 
• Topographic Survey-  A topographic survey is a survey of both man-made and natural features of a piece of property. Remote sensing and ground measurements help surveyors determine both horizontal and special relations. 
• Right-of-Way and Easement Survey-  A survey that’s conducted to determine specific rights into a property for both public and private purposes.
• Hydrographic Survey-  A hydrographic survey determines whether there’s water on a piece of property. The data conducted helps determine how many bodies of water are on the land, the depth of water, the direction of the water, the force of the current of the water, the configuration of the bottom of a body of water, water stages, and fixed objects within water for both survey and navigational purposes. 
• Flood Surveys-  A flood elevation certificate helps determine whether a piece of property is susceptible to flooding based on whether it’s found within a flood zone, how near it is to a lake, river or other body of water, and the property’s elevation levels.
• Subdivision Map or Plat-  A subdivision map or plat is a drawing that depicts new property that’s being developed under the laws of the State of Alabama. The new land is required to be surveyed in accordance with Alabama Law, Rule 1.03. See Alabama Code Section Sections 35-2-50 & 35-2-51 for more information.

Our land surveyors have years of experience working one-on-one with clients on complex and detailed land surveys. Our surveyors are fully equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and understand that accuracy is of utmost importance to every project. Tucker Engineering surveyors are licensed with AL Board of Engineers & Land Surveyors and Civil Engineering & Land Surveying in the state of Alabama. 

Surveying determines the relative positions of objects or varying points on the earth’s surface. A “point” may be any physical object such as a ditch, storm drain, road, culvert or property corner. Distances and varying directions determine the horizontal positions of each point. Vertical points are determined by differences in elevation of the land. Whether your project requires a simple boundary survey to define your property line, a topographic survey to detail the terrain, or a flood survey for insurance purposes, you can count on Tucker Engineering to provide you with precise data.

An elevation certificate documents important features of your property, including whether it’s located within a flood zone, its precise location, building attributes and the elevation of a building’s lowest floor. This information is crucial and often required by insurance companies to determine flood insurance premiums. 

We can determine your base flood elevation, which is a computed elevation based on how floodwater is predicted to rise during a flood. Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) are shown on Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). A BFE is a regulatory requirement for the elevation or floodproofing of structures.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an official source for flood hazard maps. According to its website, FEMA works to identify flood hazards, assess flood risks and partner with states and communities to provide accurate flood hazard and risk data. Flood hazard mapping is a key part of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). It helps establish NFIP regulations and flood insurance requirements.

If you live or work in the Gardendale, Alabama region and you’re in need of an elevation certificate to determine if you’re within a flood zone, or if you’ve been told you need flood insurance, call our flood elevation certificate surveyors at (256) 320-4202 or request a quote. A flood elevation survey by a licensed land surveyor is required to complete an elevation certificate – we can help.