How do you accurately find your property line to post signs and paint trees

[Creamer]

I was looking to see if Georgia has the purple paint law, it seems it doesn’t but not sure. We do have this new one though:

HB693 - This bill prohibits the operation of farm tractors on interstate highways.

Farm tractors never were allowed on interstate highways via the minimum speed requirement. However I believe some tractors now make 40 mph - correct? Did they just add this bill?

 

[KiotiKowboy]

Purple Paint? Sounds like some state reps own stock in Sherwin Williams.

I think if I'm seeing purple trees, my thought would be someone had way too much time on their hands.

 

[oosik]

Purple Paint? Sounds like some state reps own stock in Sherwin Williams.

I think if I'm seeing purple trees, my thought would be someone had way too much time on their hands.

Plus - you could be dealing with a real whacko or nut job. At least, in this part of the world.

Then this thought struck me. Why not start a story line - the white tops of T-posts mean - "No Trespassing". I'd have it made. 650 signs already posted.

 

[dodge man]

Living in dense woods on ridges I can attest to just how difficult it is to keep a straight true line. As mentioned transit is the best if the terrain allows it. I also used the "go home" feature on my drone and it worked pretty well. I set the home as 1 of the property stakes. I walked to the second stake, then flew the drone back home...that way I could follow under it and mark spots on the ground with paint. Then I went back and added metal stakes with caps.

When you say metal stakes with caps what does that mean? What kind of caps? Some states require surveyors to cap their corners. You don’t want to be surveying without a license. There is nothing saying a home owner can’t measure things. I’d even say for posting no trespassing signs and purple paint a homeowner is fine, but setting capped iron rods is most likely a no-no.

 

[dodge man]

Root Cause, if I read your picture, it looks like you have about 780 feet by 200 feet. If that’s correct that’s not to bad for a surveyor but still not cheap. I’d say gps is not going to work, the trees are too thick. I would use conventional equipment and run a random traverse along your boundaries. This is just done by using a total station and using landscape spikes for random points located near the boundary. You measure the angles and distances between them and also the property corners. Then go back and put points on line. It would take 6 to 10 points to do it.

Cost? Before I retired they were charging $150 an hour for my time. I figure it would take about 10 hours if you were helping me. This assumes your boundary corners are in. You can see depending on if it was quicker or longer than 10 hours it could cost $1000 to $2000 in a hurry. Some surveyors come cheaper, some cost more. When I was younger I didn’t like land owners helping me. As I got older, I learned they were good help for a couple of reasons. One, they know the property better than me and know how to get around on it. Two, they get to see how difficult it is, how the equipment is and why it’s expensive.

 

[two_bit_score]

When you say metal stakes with caps what does that mean? What kind of caps? Some states require surveyors to cap their corners. You don’t want to be surveying without a license. There is nothing saying a home owner can’t measure things. I’d even say for posting no trespassing signs and purple paint a homeowner is fine, but setting capped iron rods is most likely a no-no.

Aren’t surveyors required to use caps with their name and or ID number when placing caps as markers? So, just a cap with no name or ID would indicate a land owner (or other) instead of a surveyor?

I have never regretted the money for surveys. It has saved me more than it cost several times.

 

[dodge man]

I was licensed in Iowa and an still licensed in Illinois. Iowa required caps but Illinois does not. It varies by state.

 

[Root Cause]

Root Cause, if I read your picture, it looks like you have about 780 feet by 200 feet. If that’s correct that’s not to bad for a surveyor but still not cheap. I’d say gps is not going to work, the trees are too thick. I would use conventional equipment and run a random traverse along your boundaries. This is just done by using a total station and using landscape spikes for random points located near the boundary. You measure the angles and distances between them and also the property corners. Then go back and put points on line. It would take 6 to 10 points to do it.

Cost? Before I retired they were charging $150 an hour for my time. I figure it would take about 10 hours if you were helping me. This assumes your boundary corners are in. You can see depending on if it was quicker or longer than 10 hours it could cost $1000 to $2000 in a hurry. Some surveyors come cheaper, some cost more. When I was younger I didn’t like land owners helping me. As I got older, I learned they were good help for a couple of reasons. One, they know the property better than me and know how to get around on it. Two, they get to see how difficult it is, how the equipment is and why it’s expensive.

I did have it surveyed and asked that he mark some ribbons along the way. But the crew wasn't exactly diligent. They put a few within the first 100' and that helps. I gives me accurate direction. But another 100' feet away you won't see a flag due to the dense woods.

So onX hunt did a pretty fair job when I went out and found 3 stakes (rebar). I bought a metal detector and was always about 6' away. With the silt and leaves, I would not have found them without it.

I found that onX hunt was off by 25' or more when I started but as I walked around it seemed to home in better and from then on, it as within 6' but I would not trust it either.

Now that the leaves have fallen, I am buying 2 torch lights (solar) to put on 2 stakes. I'm going to grab a good flashlight and get in between them. I will have my wife on the walkie and she can guide me until I am centered in between the stakes. I think I can get 2 or 3 each evening at dusk until I have them.

 

[Root Cause]

BTW, I am not staking the corners. But I do want to be reasonably accurate with the paint and more accurate with the signs. I have one neighbor who's son is hunting on his property and another who rents out his cabin to strangers. I have neve met them and who knows who is renting that property on week-ends. So far, no one have been a problem - just want to get ahead of it before something does happen.

Finally, I want to cut a walking path, maybe even an ATV path so I will stay several feet in but want to know before I cross a line before i cut anything at all.

 

[s219]

Depending on the terrain, it might cost quite a bit to get the line flagged by a surveyor. A modern survey grade GPS system MIGHT, work in the woods during the winter. They have gotten a lot better but heavy woods can still make gps not work. If gps won’t do it convention equipment is required which takes a lot more time.

I tested one of those units a couple years ago and it was fairly slow when high accuracy was required. The initial "cold start" point took about 10-15 minutes to lock in with 10cm accuracy, and then nearby "warm start" points were faster. But you have to go through the whole cold start again when moving to another site. Theoretically they can get down to ~1cm accuracy but that would probably take a long time with a cold start.

It was no better than consumer GPS when it came to trees and other sky obstructions. Can't beat the laws of physics.

I have many customers that use these products and very few of them are prepared/patient enough. Everybody wants to get a quick reading in the middle of a dense forest. Not so simple!