When the surveyor has met all of the minimum standard detail requirements for an ALTA/ACSM Land Title Survey, the following certification shall be made on the plat:
To: (name of client), (name of lender, if known), (name of title insurance company, if known), (name of others as instructed by client):
This is to certify that this map or plat and the survey on which it is based were made in accordance with "Minimum Standard Detail Requirements for ALTA/ACSM Land Title Surveys," jointly established and adopted by ALTA, ACSM and NSPS in 1999, and includes Items ______ of Table A thereof. Pursuant to the Accuracy Standards as adopted by ALTA, NSPS, and ACSM and in effect on the date of this certification, undersigned further certifies that [Surveyor to complete certificate with the appropriate ONE of the following three phrases:
- the Positional Uncertainties resulting from the survey measurements made on the survey do not exceed the allowable Positional Tolerance.
- the survey measurements were made in accordance with the "Minimum Angle, Distance and Closure Requirements for Survey Measurements Which Control Land Boundaries for ALTA/ACSM Land Title Surveys."
- proper field procedures, instrumentation and adequate survey personnel were employed in order to achieve results comparable to those outlined in the "Minimum Angle, Distance and Closure Requirements for Survey Measurements Which Control Land Boundaries for ALTA/ACSM Land Title Surveys."
Date:______________________________
(signed) _______________________ (seal)
Registration No.
Adopted by the American Land Title Association on October 6, 1999.
Adopted by the Board of Direction, American Congress on Surveying and Mapping on October 20, 1999.
Adopted by the Board of Directors, National Society of Professional Surveyors on October 19, 1999.
American Land Title Association, 1828 L St., W., Suite 705, Washington, DC 20036
American Congress on Surveying and Mapping, 5410 Grosvenor Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814
National Society of Professional Surveyors, 5410 Grosvenor Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814
TABLE A
OPTIONAL SURVEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND SPECIFICATIONS
NOTE: The items of Table A must be negotiated between the surveyor and client. It may be necessary for the surveyor to qualify or expand upon the description of these items, e.g. in reference to Item 6, there may be a need for an interpretation of a restriction. The surveyor cannot make a certification on the basis of an interpretation.
If checked, the following optional items are to be included in the ALTA/ACSM LAND TITLE SURVEY:
1._____ Monuments placed (or a reference monument or witness to the corner) at all major corners of the boundary of the property, unless already marked or referenced by an existing monument or witness to the corner.
2._____ Vicinity map showing the property surveyed in reference to nearby highway(s) or major street intersection(s).
3._____ Flood zone designation (with proper annotation based on Federal Flood Insurance Rate Maps or the state or local equivalent, by scaled map location and graphic plotting only.)
4._____ Land area as specified by the client.
5._____ Contours and the datum of the elevations.
6._____ Identify, and show if possible, setback, height, and floor space area restrictions of record or disclosed by applicable zoning or building codes (in addition to those recorded in subdivision maps). If none, so state.
7.
_____ (a) Exterior dimensions of all buildings at ground level
_____ (b) Square footage of:
_____ (1) exterior footprint of all buildings at ground level;
_____ (2) gross floor area of all buildings; or
_____ (3) other areas to be defined by the client
_____ (c) Measured height of all buildings above grade at a defined location. If no defined location is provided, the point of measurement shall be shown.
8._____ Substantial, visible improvements (in addition to buildings) such as signs, parking areas or structures, swimming pools, etc.
9._____ Parking areas and, if striped, the striping and the type (e.g. handicapped, motorcycle, regular, etc.) and number of parking spaces.
10._____ Indication of access to a public way such as curb cuts and driveways.
11. Location of utilities (representative examples of which are shown below) existing on or serving the surveyed property as determined by:
_____(a) Observed evidence
_____(b) Observed evidence together with plans and markings provided by client, utility companies, and other appropriate sources (with reference as to the source of information)
-
railroad tracks and sidings;
-
manholes, catch basins, valve vaults or other surface indications of subterranean uses;
-
wires and cables (including their function) crossing the surveyed premises, all poles on or within ten feet of the surveyed premises, and the dimensions of all crosswires or overhangs affecting the surveyed premises; and
-
utility company installations on the surveyed premises.
12._____ Governmental Agency survey-related requirements as specified by the client.
13._____ Names of adjoining owners of platted lands.
14._____ Observable evidence of earth moving work, building construction or building additions within recent months.
15._____ Any changes in street right of way lines either completed or proposed, and available from the controlling jurisdiction. Observable evidence of recent street or sidewalk construction or repairs.
16._____ Observable evidence of site use as a solid waste dump, sump or sanitary landfill.
Accuracy Standards for ALTA-ACSM Land Title Surveys
Introduction
These Accuracy Standards address Positional Uncertainty and Minimum Angle, Distance and Closure Requirements for ALTA-ACSM Land Title Surveys. In order to meet these standards, the Surveyor must assure that the Positional Uncertainties resulting from the survey measurements made on the survey do not exceed the allowable Positional Tolerance. If the size or configuration of the property to be surveyed or the relief, vegetation, or improvements on the property will result in survey measurements for which the Positional Uncertainty will exceed the allowable Positional Tolerance, the surveyor must alternatively apply the within table of "Minimum Angle, Distance and Closure Requirements for Survey Measurements Which Control Land Boundaries for ALTA-ACSM Land Title Surveys" to the measurements made on the survey or employ, in his or her judgment, proper field procedures, instrumentation and adequate survey personnel in order to achieve comparable results.
The lines and corners on any property survey have uncertainty in location which is the result of (1) availability and condition of reference monuments, (2) occupation or possession lines as they may differ from record lines, (3) clarity or ambiguity of the record descriptions or plats of the surveyed tracts and its adjoiners and (4) Positional Uncertainty.
The first three sources of uncertainty must be weighed as evidence in the determination of where, in the professional surveyor's opinion, the boundary lines and corners should be placed. Positional Uncertainty is related to how accurately the surveyor is able to monument or report those positions.
Of these four sources of uncertainty, only Positional Uncertainty is controllable, although due to the inherent error in any measurement, it cannot be eliminated. The first three can be estimated based on evidence; Positional Uncertainty can be estimated using statistical means.
The surveyor should, to the extent necessary to achieve the standards contained herein, compensate or correct for systematic errors, including those associated with instrument calibration. The surveyor shall use appropriate error propagation and other measurement design theory to select the proper instruments, field procedures, geometric layouts and computational procedures to control and adjust random errors in order to achieve the allowable Positional Tolerance or required traverse closure.
If radial survey methods are used to locate or establish points on the survey, the surveyor shall apply appropriate procedures in order to assure that the allowable Positional Tolerance of such points is not exceeded.
Definitions:
Positional Uncertainty is the uncertainty in location, due to random errors in measurement, of any physical point on a property survey, based on the 95% confidence level.
Positional Tolerance is the maximum acceptable amount of Positional Uncertainty for any physical point on a property survey relative to any other physical point on the survey, including lead-in courses.
Computation Of Positional Uncertainty. The Positional Uncertainty of any physical point on a survey, whether the location of that point was established using GPS or conventional surveying methods, may be computed using a minimally constrained, correctly weighted least squares adjustment of the points on the survey.
Positional Tolerances for Classes of Survey: 0.07 feet (or 20mm) + 50ppm
Application of Minimum Angle, Distance, and Closure Requirements: The combined precision of a survey can be statistically assured by dictating a combination of survey closure and specified procedures for an ALTA/ACSM Land Title Survey. ACSM, NSPS and ALTA have adopted the following specific procedures in order to assure the combined precision of an ALTA/ACSM Land Title Survey . The statistical base for these specifications is on file at ACSM and available for inspection.
American Congress On Surveying And Mapping Minimum Angle, Distance And Closure Requirements For Survey Measurements Which Control Land Boundaries For ALTA/ACSM Land Title Surveys
Dir. Reading
of Instrument
(Note 2)
|
Instrument
Reading
Estimated
(Note 3)
|
Number of
Observations
Per Station
(Note 4)
|
Spread From
Mean of D&R
Not To Exceed
(Note 5) |
20" <1'> 10" |
5" <0.1'> N.A. |
D&R 2 |
5" <0.1'> 5" |
Angle Closure
Where
N=No. of Stations
Not To Exceed |
Linear Closure
(Note 6) |
Distance
Measurement
(Note 7) |
Minimum Length
of Measurements
(Notes 8, 9, 10) |
10" Ö N |
1:15,000 |
EDM or Doubletape with Steel Tape |
(8) 81m (9)153m (10)20m |
Note (1) All requirements of each class must be satisfied in order to qualify for that particular class of survey. The use of a more precise instrument does not change the other requirements, such as number of angles turned, etc.
Note (2) Instrument must have a direct reading of at least the amount specified (not an estimated reading), i.e.: 20" = Micrometer reading theodolite, <1'> = Scale reading theodolite, 10" = Electronic reading theodolite.
Note (3) Instrument must have the capability of allowing an estimated reading below the direct reading to the specified reading.
Note (4) D & R means the Direct and Reverse positions of the instrument telescope, i.e., Urban Surveys require that two angles in the direct and two angles in the reverse position to be measured and meaned.
Note (5) Any angle measured that exceeds the specified amount from the mean must be rejected and the set of angles re-measured.
Note (6) Ratio of closure after angles are balanced and closure calculated.
Note (7) All distance measurements must be made with a properly calibrated EDM or Steel tape, applying atmospheric, temperature, sag, tension, slope, scale factor and sea level corrections as necessary.
Note (8) EDM having an error of 5 mm, independent of distance measured (Manufacturer's specifications).
Note (9) EDM having an error of 10 mm, independent of distance measured (Manufacturer's specifications).
Note (10) Calibrated steel tape.
