Elevation Certificates Tampa
Elevation Certificate
Elevation Certificates by Tampa Surveyors
If you've ever bought a home and had to do a title search on the property, you probably noticed that the results of your search – also known as "title commitment" – included some reference to title insurance. Title insurance is one way in which homes are protected from ground subsidence or earth movements such as fault lines or sinkholes. You might be wondering what role land surveyors play in the event of possible ground movement. One important function of land surveyors is called an Elevation Certificate (EC).
Background: A lot elevation refers to the height of a lot's location above sea level and is stated in feet and inches along with any additional information needed to identify its location within a subdivision, like section, block, and lot numbers. There are a few ways to determine a lot's elevation. The first is by using a topographic map created from aerial photographs with contour lines representing ground elevations at regular intervals, which would show the exact location of the boundaries and structures on the lot. However, this method isn't as accurate due to errors in determining ground elevation from aerial photos.
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The second is by using a survey conducted with an electronic level. This method can be problematic because it's possible that for some unknown reason there was human or equipment error when taking measurements, resulting in significant inaccuracies in determining land elevation.
The third way is called a closed survey method where horizontal angles between features on the lot such as building corners, structure corners, and lot lines are determined through a survey. However, horizontal angles must be determined accurately or the surveys may not meet the minimum standard of accuracy offered by a professional land surveyor.
In cases where ground movement is suspected due to anything from sinkhole activity to settling of a newly-built structure, a land surveyor might perform a site investigation or provide an Elevation Certificate (EC). With an EC, a land surveyor takes measurements near the subject property with instrumentation such as electronic distance meters and/or total stations integrated with GPS receivers. Then they transfer those measurements to city or county topographic maps using all available information on lot elevations as indicated indeed documents and strata plan diagrams found at City Hall and County Courthouses, respectively. Maps showing recorded subdivision information are available through subscription services like Smarty Maps. A surveyor will use the resulting data to determine the accurate elevation of the lot's location and record that information on an EC. An Elevation Certificate is then issued to provide the building official, customer, or another interested party with accurate information on lot elevations needed for title insurance, deed corrections, environmental studies, and/or engineering projects among others.
Considering all of this information, it's clear why an Elevation Certificate is so important in protecting property value and public safety. If you need assistance with finding a land surveyor or have questions about elevation certificates contact us today!