A new land survey required for addition on house if one was done in 1971?

[Jake]

Found a question on Reddit recently that is about permitting for a home remodel, but the user is questioning whether a survey of his land is needed. Figured it would be a great question to share here to see if anyone has had a similar situation. Anyway, the redditor has plans of updating their home in Thousand Oaks California by adding a new addition to the property that will provide a small laundry & storage area. The user has ran into a bit of a problem though, the city is requesting info on their lot lines and easements, which requires a survey to be done on their property which the lowest they could find, would run them back $2,000.

The home had a previous addition back in 1971, which likely required a survey then, and the homeowner is wondering if the city would still have that on record, and if it would qualify towards the new addition? Or would they need to have a new survey done on the land?

What are your thoughts on this? Personally it's kind of crazy to me that a survey of ones land would cost $2K or more. I have a small property myself, so I wonder if it would cost a lot to get a survey done of my land.

If you're interested in this question, you can read more here: Reddit

 

[Winny]

1971 is a long time to go back on, a lot can change in those years, and there's a chance a lot did change in that time since. Having another survey done, ensures that any recent changes and existing structures are accurately reflected and that it all still complies with your local zoning laws. And even though a previous survey or permits could be on file for that past addition, said survey would likely not suffice for current standards. It likely won't accurately reflect your properties current look and surroundings.

Best thing this redditor can do, is to reach out to their local building department, or reach out to a professional surveyor to understand the specific requirements that they need to follow. They will tell you whether a new survey is needed based on the scope of your project and any local regulations. They should also look into obtaining a title report, as they can contain details about easements and other local legal property aspects.