الرئيسية
Cadastral surveys are a type of land survey used to determine land ownership and boundaries. Cadastral surveys are usually conducted by the government; the Public Land Survey System is one example of a large-scale cadastral survey. The term comes from the Latin 'Cadastre', or a registry of lands. Cadastral surveys date back hundreds of years. Often accepted as the first modern cadastral survey is Napoleon's Domesday Book in France.
Knowing exactly where your boundaries are is important for many different activities. If you are considering building on your property, conduct a cadastral survey so that you can be sure you're not actually building on your neighbor's land. This type of survey can ensure that fences and other improvements are located in exactly the right position. Originally used to ensure reliable land valuation and taxation, today these surveys are mainly used to solve boundary disputes.
Land surveying is both an art and a science; this is as true with cadastral surveys as it is for other survey types. How are cadastral surveys conducted? This type of land survey involves first determining the historic boundaries of the land, through deeds and other descriptions. Then, the surveyor measures the land itself in accordance with the legal description of the property. Boundaries are marked on the land itself in any number of ways. Finally, any discrepancies between the historic boundaries of the land and the boundaries according to the legal description are investigated.
Cadastral surveys are generally used for public-use land, though cadastral survey methods have much in common with residential land surveying and other types of land surveys conducted on private or commercial land. Typically, the term Cadastral has come to mean surveys of the public lands of the United States. Today, most of the United States, particularly the west, has undergone a cadastral survey at some point thanks to the Public Land Survey System, which formed the basis for original homesteading of the land.
In the United States, cadastral surveys are nearly always conducted by the federal government, particularly the Cadastral Surveys branch of the Bureau of Land Management. In states using the Public Land Survey System, which occurs mainly in the western half of the United States, these surveys are conducted in accordance with PLSS standards.
The 'cadastre' or cadastral map that is the product of such a survey shows details of the ownership, the dimensions and area, and the precise location of the land. Cadastral maps typically focus on boundaries and ownership for each parcel of land. Some also show additional details like structures, streets, and other features on the land. The location may be stated in terms of townships and sections, as in the Public Land Survey System, or with GPS coordinates, for some modern surveys. Cadastral surveys are used not only in the United States, but also by many nations worldwide. The terminology typically used in a cadastral survey may include counties, parishes, sections, lots, blocks, and more. Because of its lengthy history, the terms involved are varied. The results of such a survey may be displayed in a plat map.
