1. What should I have on hand when I call a surveyor?
It's always best to be prepared before you give a surveyor a call with things like the legal description or deed property. At Coutts and Flim Surveying we store everything by lot and concession or plan. You can help the process immensely by ensuring that you have a copy of your deed, or at least the legal description of your property before you give us a call. We may be able to find your property using your address, but it takes a little longer. The more information you have, the quicker we will be able to help you.
2. What type of survey do I need?The surveyor will ask several questions before he can answer that question. You can check "Types of Surveys" in our
Services section to determine what you need before you call.
3. How much will a survey cost?
The final cost of a survey is dependent upon several factors, like the size and location of the parcel to be surveyed, whether or not we have surveyed a parcel nearby, the type of survey needed and when the work has to be completed. Costs are based on the estimated time that it will take to do the work and this includes time spend researching at the Registry Office, other surveyors' offices and our own files and the amount of disbursements. The surveyor will ask lots of questions before he can give you an estimate of what the costs will be. He may even visit the site if he thinks this may help to determine costs. You can be assured that he will provide you with the best service at the most reasonable cost.
4. Will the costs decrease if I help?
Surveying is a highly skilled profession and we employ only people who have the requisite skills. Using unskilled people only adds to the time it takes to complete the project and, as such, only increases the costs to the surveyor and these get passed on to the client. In some instances the client may be able to assist, so it doesn't hurt to ask, but be prepared to work, for if your efforts slow down the progress of the work you can be assured that the final costs will only increase.
5. Why does it take so long to get the work completed?
Before we can venture out to the site we must search our files, contact other surveyors to see if they have done any work in the immediate vicinity of the parcel and search the public records at the Registry Office to ensure that we have the best available evidence. Very old records have been archived and it could take several days to have the records retrieved and reviewed. Also in busy times, projects must be put into a queue and will be handle as time and resources allow. In some instances survey evidences (iron bars) have been destroyed, damaged or moved and the surveyor must then venture further afield to gather enough evidence to make an informed opinion as to where the boundary is to be placed. Time may be money but a surveyor must act as though a judge and jury were looking over his shoulder. More that one survey has ended up in court.
6. I only need part of my property monumented. What happens then?
The same care and attention is applied whether only one point has to be reset or all the corners. It isn't as simple as going out and driving in a survey bar. The surveyor must have the best available evidence of where the boundary is to be set, after all, it isn't just your boundary he is setting but every property that touches that point. Surveyors have a legal, and fiduciary, responsibility to reset monuments where they were originally set.
7. What payment terms do you accept?
Generally, payment is due when service is provided. In some instances partial payment is required, up front, before we will even start, with the remainder due when the project is complete. On very large projects, we would invoice the work month to month. Payment may be made in the form of cash, money order or good cheque. We do not accept credit cards or Interac. Credit is only extended to Clients who are in good standing with the Company.
8. What happens if I have a question about the service provided?
Contact the surveyor and he will do his best to explain. If you have a complaint about the fee charged, or the quality of the work done, you may contact the Association of Ontario Land Surveyors. If you click on the "Public Protection" link it will guide you to the right person. Be assured that the surveyor wants you to be happy with the services he has rendered and doesn't want to get a "bad name for himself". After all, would you recommend him to your friends if he did a poor job?
9. What assurance do I have that the work is done competently?
Only licensed surveyors, who hold a Certificate of Authorization?(C of A), may perform cadastral (land) surveys. Ontario Land Surveyors undergo very stringent testing before they are granted a C of A. First, they must graduate from a recognized course of instruction at an accredited University. Next, they must article for another Ontario Land Surveyor (OLS), who has been authorized by the Association of Ontario Land Surveyors to article students, for a minimum of 18 months. Then the prospective surveyor must pass two exams: one tests the knowledge of the statute laws that govern the practice of land surveying in Ontario and the other tests his business knowledge. Only after this does he become an Ontario Land Surveyor. Yet he must then prove himself by continuing to be supervised by another surveyor for a minimum of five years before the Association will give consideration to granting a Certificate of Authorization. After receiving the C of A the surveyor must keep his skills current by undergoing a course of continuing education. On top of all this, every Company undergoes a peer review every five years by the Survey Review Department of the Association of Ontario Land Surveyors (AOLS). Rest assured that the AOLS is committed to ensuring that each and every OLS is competent to offer professional survey services and surveyors are duty bound by a code of ethics that endeavors to ensure that the public interest is served and protected.
10. How do I become an Ontario Land Surveyor
