Surveying Services for Developers
Axis Surveys are specialist Consulting Surveyors to the residential development industry.
We are an experienced and dedicated team who understand the requirements and time constraints Developers face, and appreciate that every project is different and needs to be dealt with by specialists who want your project to be successful so you keep coming back to us for the next project.
We provide a comprehensive range of Surveying services to the development industry, with brief descriptions of our most common surveys for developers listed below, so you can order the right survey for your particular development site.
Contour and Detail Surveys
Give a true representation of the shape, features and services of a site. They normally include manmade improvements, trees and natural features, and if required adjoining property information.
Most development sites require more information than a typical house site for Designers and Architects to design new structures on, and normally will need additional information in relation to adjoining buildings, services etc., and may need to be orientated to the boundaries. “Ground Level” assessment by a Consulting Cadastral Surveyor will normally be required to ensure compliance with building height requirements on a particular site.
Boundary Survey Work
Remarking or offsetting of existing property boundaries in QLD requires by law that a formal Identification Survey Plan of the survey work undertaken be prepared and lodged with the Dept of Natural Resources & Mines. Identification Surveys are more common in older areas and when building on or near the boundaries, with cost depending on the age of the property, the size, the location and the characteristics of a particular site and also its proximity to more recent survey work.
An Identification Survey of a future Development site is recommended before design work commences to ensure there are no discrepancies with boundary dimensions, or encroachments that need to be dealt with, particularly in older areas or if building on or near a boundary
Project Feasibility
Axis Surveys and our proven team of consultants can undertake an assessment or property investigation on a particular site, either before or after you purchase it. We can identify site constraints and opportunities and prepare an evaluation of the suitability of the site for your intended use, including costings and expected timeframes. We can assist you to find the right property by identifying potential problems before you start.
Reconfiguration of Existing Lots or Subdivisions
Axis Surveys has a wealth of experience in following small to medium subdivisions through from concept to completion within most Councils in South East Queensland. Subdivisions can be complex with nearly every site different, and we want you to be able to benefit from our experience with subdivisions to do what we can to help you avoid the many problems we have seen over the years.
Building Unit & Community Title Developments
Axis Surveys offers a wide range of professional services in relation to many different types of community title subdivisions, (formerly known as Strata and Group Title developments).
To subdivide a building into separate titles from a simple duplex up to a multi storey large development is most commonly done using a “Building Unit Plan”, however “Volumetric” or even “Standard Format Plans” can also be used to advantage and in certain situations small unit developments can be achieved without the need to use a Body Corporate.
Contact us to discuss your particular project and what options may be available to you for titling.
Height Certification
Most local authorities in SE Qld have limitations on how high structures can be built above “Natural Ground Level”. Assessing NGL is not always straightforward, and it is essential that a Consulting Surveyor determine NGL on your site before any design or construction work commences.
Before your designer or Architect sets the floor or roof heights, contact us to get it right before you start.
Project Assistance
We offer a wide range of assistance to you with your development project, and can give you as little or as much assistance as you need. We can assist with council prelodgment meetings, development applications, arranging and managing other consultants or contractors.
Axis Surveys is now an accredited SealSMART Consultant for the Brisbane City Council, which is a new innovation to reduce the time taken for survey plans to be approved by the BCC, once all conditions have been complied with.
Leases
We have a wealth of experience in preparing many different types of leases from small sub-leases to major shopping centres. Most leases require connection into the boundaries, with individual office or shop leases or whole floor leases being the most common. A lease of land requires the preparation of a formal survey plan, and often requires the consent of the local authority.
Contact us to discuss your leasing needs, to make sure you get the right lease for your purposes.
Easement and Covenant Surveys
An easement or a covenant is an area of land that generally covers only part of a lot and is registered on the title. In most cases they restrict what can and can’t be done over that part of a lot. Most common easements are for access to or from new or existing lots, or for services or for drainage.
Covenants are more likely to be used for environmental purposes involving local or state government. Contact us for assistance with easements or covenants, and assistance in arranging for the legal documents to be prepared by a legal practitioner.
Pre Purchase / Due Diligence Surveys
A pre-purchase property check is a service we offer to property buyers to ensure they are buying the correct property as described on the contract and to perform basic reinstatement of a site’s boundaries to check if there are any likely encroachments on or by the subject property that may require further investigation. An encroachment is a building, structure, retaining wall and possibly a fence that are positioned over a property boundary.
This service is similar to engaging a mechanic to check over a car before you buy it. Don’t assume the fences are correct or the improvements on site are clear of the boundaries, have the property checked out by a Surveyor before you buy it.
A pre-purchase property check could potentially save a major financial disaster. Your Solicitor has no way of knowing if a property has encroachments unless a Surveyor is engaged to check it out.
As a general rule, the older the area the higher the risk of encroachments and the fences being out of position. Have the boundaries checked before you buy a property, as the fences can not be relied upon as being on the boundary.
Town Planning Services
Axis Surveys, through our preferred Town Planning Consultants, can provide desirable outcomes for all types of developments, including subdivisions, boundary re-alignments, multi unit dwellings and town houses, and industrial and commercial developments. Please contact us for more information.
SealSMART
SealSMART is a relatively new initiative, adopted by the Brisbane City Council (BCC), aimed at improving Council Plan Sealing (final approval of the survey plan) times, for the more simple applications. The SealSMART process allows self-certification of applications by accredited consultants.
As an accredited consultant we liaise with Council officers to determine if a plan sealing application is suitable for the process, and agree to certification requirements for each condition. We then engage relevant professionals to certify that the conditions have been complied with, and provide evidence as required.
BCC seals SealSMART subdivision plans normally within five business days of completion of a report confirming that all council conditions of approval have been complied with, and receipt of payment of relevant Plan Sealing fees, and council contributions etc.
Compliance Assistance
Compliance assistance is a service offered to those who are unfamiliar with the plan sealing (final approval of the survey plan), system within the relevant council, or are time restricted and need that extra assistance and service to get their project to completion. Compliance assistance is a mixture of advice and services to assist you through the sometimes overwhelming maze of bureaucratic requirements needed to complete a Reconfiguration of a lot (subdivision of land or a unit development). The Compliance Assistance service provided by Axis Surveys is NOT a full project management service. The client remains responsible and in control of the project and its outcome at all times.