We survey for both public and private sector clients, offering stringent in-house quality control measures to assure our work. Our survey department staff has extensive experience, including establishment of horizontal and vertical site control, aerial mapping control, construction stakeout, and boundary retracement and topographic surveys.
The need for accurate and legally defensible surveys often becomes critical after an issue of boundaries or construction is raised. McMahon’s goal is to provide highly accurate and thorough surveys long before any such need might occur. Our training and experience in accurate research and the legal issues surrounding land surveys are ongoing and always current in both technology and legal trends.
Boundary & Topographic Surveys
From small residential lots to large mountain tracts, McMahon’s surveyors have comprehensive experience in field procedures and associated computations, and are knowledgeable of the complex legal principles required for an accurate retracement survey. Boundary surveys include diligent historical research of courthouse documents and original property corner monumentation.
Topographic surveys are the basis for almost every project. This type of survey provides horizontal locations of physical features and vertical differences across the project site. The topographic survey, used in conjunction with the boundary survey, provides designers with a detailed existing conditions plan, showing contour lines, physical features, property lines, and right-of-way lines.
ALTA/ACSM Surveys
ALTA/ACSM surveys are essentially boundary and topographic surveys required for obtaining title insurance on commercial and industrial properties. When title insurance companies and real estate attorneys call McMahon, they soon learn that we provide the highest quality of service within aggressive time constraints. By definition, ALTA/ACSM surveys adhere to the standards set forth by the American Land Title Association (ALTA) and the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM).
As-Built Surveys
Contractors use As-Built surveys throughout the construction process to check the balancing of dirt and for computing construction pay quantities. When construction is complete, most contractors or municipalities require a final “As-Built” that has been prepared by a licensed surveyor. This type of survey is used to verify that all site improvements have been made according to the approved site plan.
GPS & Real-Time Kinematics Surveys
As municipalities increasingly require projects to be on State Plane Coordinates or tied directly to their GIS systems, McMahon offers extensive experience in this emerging technology: We already use GPS on nearly every McMahon survey project.
McMahon also offers RTK (Real-Time Kinematics) surveying. Although limited to open sky areas, RTK surveying allows a single surveyor to collect topography, versus a traditional two-person crew. Depending on the size and conditions of the site, this can be very efficient and cost-effective.
Construction Stakeout
Translating construction plans into physical points on the ground for contractors requires Construction Stakeout. Stakeouts for site grading, curbing, sidewalks, sanitary sewer, buildings, and stormwater facilities provide the contractor with horizontal position and critical elevation data needed for building site improvements according to approved site plans.