FAQs

We’re here to help you

We understand that the surveying and land development process can often seem complicated. Below are some common questions we get asked at SurveyPlus. We’re here to help, so if you don’t find the answer you need, contact our friendly team to talk to a Surveyor about your project.

The cost of a land survey depends on several factors, including:

  • The type of survey and amount of information required.
  • The size of the land requiring survey.
  • The nature of the terrain and the amount of structures and vegetation on the land.
  • The age and nature of the Deposited Plan that defines the boundaries of the land to be surveyed.
  • Whether there has been other recent survey work undertaken in the area.

Always make sure you use a Registered Surveyor. If you intend to lodge a Development Application (DA) or Complying Development Certificate (CDC) we recommend engaging a company with experience in your local Council area as each Council has specific requirements relating to the site survey.

If you need a survey, click here to get a free quote or click here to find out more about our services

SurveyPlus has successfully completed tens of thousands of surveys throughout Sydney, Northern Rivers and the Gold Coast. We’re familiar with the specific requirements of every local Council within these areas and have the experience, expertise and resources to help you with your project.

If you need a survey, click here to get a free quote or click here to find out more about our services

SurveyPlus has successfully completed tens of thousands of surveys throughout Sydney, Northern Rivers and the Gold Coast. We’re familiar with the specific requirements of every local Council within these areas and have the experience, expertise and resources to help you with your project.

If you need a survey, click here to get a free quote or click here to find out more about our services

Yes. We’re familiar with the unique and specific requirements of every local Council within Sydney, Northern Rivers and the Gold Coast.

Click here to get a free quote or click here to find out more about our services

The time it takes for you to receive your survey plan depends on the type of survey we are completing. Below are our typical timeframes for plan delivery (from quote acceptance) of some common survey types:

  • Detail and Contour Surveys: we’ll undertake the site survey within 3-5 business days and have the plans available for issue 3-4 business days after the site survey has been completed.
  • 3D Laser Scanning Surveys: we’ll undertake the site survey within 3-5 business days and have the plans available for issue 5 business days after the site survey has been completed.
  • Construction Surveys: we’ll undertake the site survey within 1-2 business days and have the plans available for issue the same or 1 business day after the site survey has been completed.
  • Boundary Marking Surveys: we’ll undertake the site survey within 1-3 business days and have the plans available for issue the same or 1 business day after the site survey has been completed.
  • As Built Surveys: we’ll undertake the site survey within 1-3 business days and have the plans available for issue the same or 1 business day after the site survey has been completed.
  • Work As Executed Surveys: we’ll undertake the site survey within 1-3 business days and have the plans available for issue 3 business days after the site survey has been completed.
  • Hydrographic Surveys: we’ll undertake the site survey within 3-5 business days and have the plans available for issue 3-4 business days after the site survey has been completed.

If you need a survey, click here to get a free quote or click here to find out more about our services

Not all Surveyors and survey companies are the same. Unfortunately, there are ‘cowboys’ within our industry with poor standards relating to quality and service.

Always make sure you use a Registered Surveyor. Nearly every type of survey requires the work to be undertaken or supervised by a Registered Surveyor. Every survey that shows a property boundary (including Detail and Contour Surveys and Construction Surveys) must be undertaken or supervised by a Registered Surveyor.

Make sure your Surveyor provides you with a clear scope of inclusions and exclusions to avoid any variations and hidden fees. Ask them to confirm their fees up front.

Make sure their survey will satisfy the unique and specific requirements of your local Council.

Ask your Surveyor about their Quality Assurance policies and procedures. Your project is too important to risk using a Surveyor that provides poor quality information or advice.

Ask your Surveyor about their service and communication procedures. Make sure they will keep you informed through each step of the process.

We make it easy. We make it happen. Work with a partner you can trust. Choose SurveyPlus.

If you need a survey, click here to get a free quote or click here to find out more about our services

The Board of Surveying and Spatial Information (BOSSI) in NSW has assessed a Registered Surveyor as being professional and competent to perform cadastral surveys.

To be deemed competent, a Registered Surveyor must hold a tertiary qualification, gain the required practical experience, have passed a series of Board examinations and comply with continuing professional development requirements set by BOSSI.

In Australia, only a Registered Surveyor can perform cadastral surveys and Registered Land Surveyors are the only Surveyors who can prepare and sign survey plans for lodgement at the NSW Land Registry Services (LRS).

Our Registered Surveyors are available to assist and advise you.
Complete our short enquiry form and our team will get back to you within 24 hours.

A cadastral survey is the establishment or re-establishment of property boundaries (essentially another name for a Boundary Survey). This is not always as simple and straightforward as you may think. Only a Registered Surveyor is legally permitted to undertake a cadastral survey or boundary survey.

If you need a cadastral survey, click here to get a free quote or click here to find out more about our services

The only way to accurately determine whether your neighbour has built upon your land is to engage a Registered Surveyor to undertake a Boundary Survey. This could be a Boundary Marking Survey (where the boundaries of your land are physically marked), preparation of an Identification Survey Report (where the relevant structures are located and setbacks to boundaries determined), or both.

If you need a Boundary Survey, click here to get a free quote or click here to find out more about our services

While subdivision can be profitable for many landowners, you do need to meet Council requirements to be able to do so. Depending on the type of land subdivision proposed, there are several different types of surveying and consultant services involved. A Development Application (DA) needs to be lodged with the local Council for most types of subdivision.

SurveyPlus can assess the feasibility of your site before you commit large amounts of money into a potential subdivision. We can assist by researching the yield opportunities and constraints of a potential development site and consider issues such as lot size and zoning, sewer and stormwater drainage and existing easements, covenants or restrictions on the land.

If you’re looking to subdivide your land, click here to get a free quote or click here to find out more about our services

An Easement gives someone the right to use a section of land for a specific purpose even though they are not the land owners. An Easement is registered on the property Title once created. There are many different types of easements, including:

  • Easement for Access or Right of Access
  • Easement to Drain Water
  • Easement for Electricity Purposes
  • Easement for Services
  • Easement for Support
  • Easement to Permit Encroaching Structure to Remain

Private easements are created for the owners of two or more parcels of land. Easements in gross are created in favour of the Crown or a public or local authority (such as Council or Sydney Water).

If you need an Easement created, click here to get a free quote or click here to find out more about our services

If you meet the requirements outlined in your Councils Development Control Plan (DCP) and Local Environment Plan (LEP), a secondary dwelling will be permitted on your site.

Depending on the Council, it may be an option to subdivide the land after construction is complete, resulting in separate titles for each dwelling.

SurveyPlus can assess the feasibility of your site before you commit large amounts of money into a potential secondary dwelling development.

If you need a survey to build a dual occupancy building, click here to get a free quote or click here to find out more about our services

If you meet the requirements outlined in your Councils Development Control Plan (DCP) and Local Environment Plan (LEP), a duplex building will be permitted on your site.

Depending on the Council, it may be an option to subdivide the land after construction is complete, resulting in separate titles for each dwelling.

SurveyPlus can assess the feasibility of your site before you commit large amounts of money into a potential duplex building development.

If you need a survey to build a duplex building, click here to get a free quote or click here to find out more about our services

Torrens Title is a system of land Title in which a register of land holdings maintained by the state guarantees an indefeasible Title to those included in the register. Land ownership is transferred through registration of Title instead of using deeds. About 95% of land in NSW is held under the Torrens Title system.

If you need a survey relating to Torrens Title, click here to get a free quote or click here to find out more about our services

Strata Title is a system of ownership devised for multi-level apartment blocks and horizontal subdivisions with shared or ‘common’ areas. The ‘strata’ part of the term refers to apartments being on different levels, or strata.

Lots usually comprise living areas such as units or apartments, balconies, garages, car spaces and storerooms and each is shown on the Title as being owned by a Lot owner. Each owner is attributed a unit entitlement.

All Lot owners are voting members of the Owners Corporation, which has the responsibility for making decisions that benefit the building and caring for things such as the land around the building, entrances, stairways and paths. The rules and regulations which bind all owners and occupiers (including tenants) are called the Strata By-Laws.

If you need a survey relating to Strata Title, click here to get a free quote or click here to find out more about our services

A Pre-Allocated Plan Number (PPN) is a unique plan number issued to a Registered Surveyor for a proposed land development. The number is allocated to a particular parcel of land before plans are ready for lodgement and registration at the NSW Land Registry Services (LRS). It does not have an automatic or early right to registration and is subject to the usual LRS plan registration process.

If you need a PPN, click here to get a free quote or click here to find out more about our services

A DWG file is a file format used for storing two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) drawings, model data, and metadata. It’s the native format for many CAD software packages (eg. AutoCAD) and is frequently used by Surveyors, Architects, Designers and Engineers. You will not be able to view or use the data within a DWG file unless you have CAD software that supports that file format (or a DWG viewer). Typically, most survey plans are also produced in a corresponding PDF format so that everyone has the ability to view the supplied survey information.

If you need a survey in DWG file format, click here to get a free quote or click here to find out more about our services

3D data capture gathers information from the real world, translates it to X,Y and Z coordinates and presents it in a digital format. Depending on the features to be captured, this may be suited to survey by Total Station, GPS Rover, 3D Laser Scanner, UAV, Drone, LiDAR or Photogrammetry.

If you need a 3D data capture survey, click here to get a free quote or click here to find out more about our services

In Australia, surveying is undertaken by qualified land Surveyors. Land Surveyors measure and map land for many reasons and there are many different types of surveys. Generally, surveying involves:

  • Accurately locating existing structures, natural surface features, services and vegetation.
  • Accurately setting out the location of proposed structures or features.
  • Preparing a map or plan to represent the survey information obtained.
  • Defining boundaries of an area (such as property boundaries).
  • Determining the size, area or volume of an object.
  • Determining the relative position of objects or points on the earth.
  • Determining the distance or angles between objects.

Land Surveyors use state of the art equipment and technology including Total Stations, 3D Laser Scanners, GPS Rovers, Sonar and Precise Levels.

If you need a survey, click here to get a free quote or click here to find out more about our services

We understand that the process of improving your home or developing your land can be confusing. Find out what type of survey you need by clicking on the link below, or feel free to call or email our friendly team to discuss your project.

Click here if you’re not sure what type of survey you need or click here to get a free quote

Request a quote

Completing your survey is as easy as 1, 2, 3…

1. We give you a free quote

Complete and submit this simple form and we’ll email you a free quote.
Alternatively, feel free to call or email our friendly team.

2. We complete the site survey

Once our quote is accepted, we’ll reach out to schedule a convenient time for the site survey.

3. We deliver your survey plans

We’ll complete the calculations, plan drafting and quality assurance to deliver what we promised, on time and on budget.