Field measurements and certified documents that establish legal boundaries, capture site conditions, and support every phase of development.
Every point, line, and elevation in an MLA survey is measured in the field with licensed equipment, verified for mathematical closure, and certified by a NYS Licensed Professional Land Surveyor. That certification carries legal weight — it's what goes on record at the County Clerk's office, what lenders rely on, and what engineers design from.
No one can produce a valid boundary plat, ALTA survey, or FEMA Elevation Certificate without a licensed land surveyor. These are not forms someone fills out — they are professional legal documents with the surveyor's license and liability behind every number on the page.
A certified survey plat is a recorded legal document. The boundaries it establishes are the ones that hold up in court, at closing, and before a Planning Board. No other source — GIS, deed, or satellite — carries that legal standing.
Civil engineers cannot produce accurate site plans without a topographic survey. The grades, elevations, and feature locations a surveyor provides are the data the entire design is built on. Errors in the survey become errors in the design — and errors in construction.
Modern total stations and GPS equipment measure to sub-hundredth-foot accuracy. That precision is what separates a survey from a rough sketch — and why the work requires a licensed professional in the field, not a screen and a cursor.
Different projects require different survey products. Here's what each one includes, when you need it, and what you receive — and what the certification behind it actually means.
When You Need It
Buying or selling property · Resolving a boundary dispute · Development permitting · Lot line adjustments
What's Included
What You Receive
Certified boundary plat signed and sealed by a NYS Licensed PLS — set monuments at property corners, recorded-ready legal description, written report of any encroachments or discrepancies found.
When You Need It
Site design · Grading and drainage plans · Wetland delineation · Renovation and addition projects
What's Included
What You Receive
Digital terrain model (DTM) with existing contours, AutoCAD DWG/DXF file and PDF plan — the exact data format your engineer designs from. This is what separates a civil design from a guess.
When You Need It
Commercial real estate acquisitions · Lender requirements · Title insurance · Institutional transactions
What's Included
What You Receive
Certified ALTA plat meeting current ALTA/NSPS Minimum Standard Detail Requirements — the most comprehensive survey product available and the only one accepted for most commercial transactions.
When You Need It
After design approval and before or during construction · Building corners · Road alignments · Utility excavation
What's Included
What You Receive
Staked site with lath, flagging, and offset stakes documented in field notes. As-staked records provided to contractor and engineer of record. Construction cannot legally proceed from design drawings alone — the surveyor puts the design on the ground.
When You Need It
Construction completion · Certificate of Occupancy application · Flood insurance compliance · Lender sign-off
What's Included
What You Receive
As-built drawing set and FEMA Elevation Certificate (Form 086-0-33) signed and sealed by a NYS Licensed PLS — the only form accepted by FEMA, lenders, and flood insurance carriers. This document stays with the property permanently.
Every survey product is signed and sealed by a NYS Licensed Professional Land Surveyor. The PLS seal is the professional's certification that field work was performed, measurements are accurate, and the document meets applicable standards. It is not optional — it is what makes the document legally valid.
Survey deliverables from McMahon LaRue are professional, certified documents — each appropriate for recording, lender submission, agency filing, or contractor use as required.
Certified Boundary Survey Plat
Signed and sealed by a NYS Licensed PLS. Recording-ready for the County Clerk. Includes set monuments at all property corners.
Digital Topographic Data
AutoCAD DWG/DXF and PDF — the precise data format engineers require to design from. Not a print, not a scan: actual field-measured geometry.
ALTA/NSPS Plat with Table A Certifications
Meets current ALTA/NSPS Minimum Standard Detail Requirements. Accepted by all major lenders and title companies for commercial transactions.
Field Staking Documentation
As-staked records documenting all construction stakes set — provided to contractor and engineer. Field notes maintained in permanent survey records.
FEMA Elevation Certificate
Form 086-0-33, signed and sealed by a PLS. Required by lenders, flood insurance carriers, and FEMA. Used for LOMA applications and CO sign-off.
As-Built Drawings
Post-construction survey verifying the project was built in accordance with approved plans — required for certificate of occupancy in most municipalities.
Webster, NY
14.3-acre boundary survey and topographic survey serving as the base for a 12-lot residential subdivision — all corners set, digital terrain model delivered for civil engineering.
Fairport, NY
As-built survey and FEMA Elevation Certificate supporting a Letter of Map Amendment — documenting finished floor and grade elevations to remove the property from the flood zone.
Monroe County, NY
Full ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey for a commercial property acquisition — meeting all Table A items required by the lender and title insurance company.
Whether you need a boundary survey for a closing, a topographic survey for a design, or an elevation certificate for a LOMA application — we're ready to help. Let's talk.