A surprising number of permit delays trace back to the survey itself. The building design is often fine. The survey and site plan under it just aren’t ready for review. A licensed surveyor catches that before your application reaches a city reviewer.

They check the survey, the site plan and the rules tied to your lot. Do this review first and your permit moves faster. Skip it and the city hands the package back. The checks below decide whether you clear intake.

Start With a Current, Signed and Sealed Survey

A reviewer rejects a survey that’s out of date, unsigned or wrong for the job. State law is strict here. A survey has to carry the signature and original raised seal of a licensed surveyor and mapper. Without that seal, the document is not a valid survey.

The type of survey matters too. A boundary survey answers different questions than a topographic or as-built survey. Your surveyor confirms you have the right one for the work you plan. They also check that the legal description matches your deed and the plan you’re filing, since a mismatch there stalls the whole application.

Confirm the Build Fits the Setbacks

Your proposed structure has to sit inside the setback lines for your zoning district. Setbacks are the minimum distances from your property lines to any building. They change based on how your lot is zoned. A front setback is not the same as a side or rear one.

The surveyor plots those lines on your site plan. Then they place your proposed footprint and check the fit. If a corner of the new build crosses a setback, they flag it now. That gives you time to redesign or request a variance before you apply, not after a rejection.

Check Lot Coverage and Impervious Surface

Local zoning limits how much of your lot you can cover with buildings and hard surfaces. That cap protects drainage and green space. It counts your house, driveway, patio, pool deck plus anything else water can’t soak through. Go over the limit and the permit stalls.

Your surveyor measures the existing impervious area first. Then they add your proposed work and compare the total to the district cap. If you’re close to the line, they tell you before you commit to the design. This one check saves developers from expensive late redraws.

Clear the Easements and Rights-of-Way

You can’t build a permanent structure inside a recorded easement, and a reviewer will catch it fast. An easement gives someone else the right to use part of your land. Utility lines, drainage and access easements are common. A right-of-way works the same way along roads.

The surveyor pulls the recorded easements and plots them on the survey. Then they confirm nothing in your plan lands on top of one. A shed, pool or addition placed over a drainage easement gets denied. Catching it early keeps your footprint legal.

Show the Flood Information the Reviewer Needs

If your property sits in a FEMA flood zone, your permit package has to show where you stand. The zone controls how high you have to build. New construction usually has to sit above the base flood elevation, and many codes require extra height on top of that. The reviewer needs proof of it on paper.

Your surveyor makes sure the survey shows what the flood review demands:

• The flood zone designation for the property
• The FEMA flood map panel number
• The base flood elevation
• The proposed finished floor elevation

Get these right up front and the flood portion of your review goes smoothly. Miss them and expect a request for more information.

Identify Protected and Grand Trees

Local tree codes protect mature trees, and removing one without documentation can freeze a permit. Many codes require a permit before you take down a tree above a set size. The largest and oldest trees, often called grand or heritage trees, carry the strongest protection. Removing one can require public notice and extra approval.

That’s why a tree survey belongs in your pre-submission package. The surveyor locates and documents the trees on the site by size and species. That record feeds the development review and any mitigation you owe, like replanting or paying into a tree fund. Developers who map their trees early avoid a common source of delay.

Run these checks with your surveyor before you file, not after. A clean survey package is what separates a permit that clears in weeks from one that stalls for months. Bring the surveyor in early and let their review shape the plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

How current does a survey need to be for a permit?

There’s often no fixed expiration date on a survey. Even so, reviewers and lenders usually want a recent one, and physical changes on the site can make an older survey unreliable. If you’ve added structures, moved fences or regraded the land, order an update before you apply.

Can a licensed surveyor tell me if I need a variance?

A surveyor plots your setbacks and coverage limits, then shows where your plan exceeds them. The variance decision belongs to the city, not the surveyor. What you get is the factual picture early, so you can choose to redesign or start the variance process before submitting.

Do I need a tree survey before I apply?

For most development work, yes. Local rules usually require you to document the trees on the property, and removing protected ones needs approval. When tree removal ties to construction, the city often reviews it under the building permit rather than a separate tree permit.

What flood details does my permit package need?

The survey should show the flood zone, the FEMA map panel number, the base flood elevation and the proposed finished floor elevation. New construction generally has to sit above the base flood elevation, sometimes with added height required by code. Properties in a special flood hazard area also need an elevation certificate after construction.

Why does an unsigned survey get rejected?

State law requires a survey to carry the licensed surveyor’s signature and original raised seal. Those rules set the minimum technical standards every survey has to meet. Without the seal, the document isn’t a valid survey, so a reviewer can’t accept it.