Property Boundaries & Access A survey plan establishes legal boundaries and defines the extent of a person’s ownership or other land rights. Survey plans also include information about rights-of-way for utilities such as gas lines. Alberta Land Surveyors will mark each lot in a new subdivision with iron pins. These pins provide the legal boundaries of a property and a point of measure for future improvements such as a garage, an addition or a fence. New homeowners may find a pin and think it’s simply debris and throw it away. However, it’s illegal to remove or tamper with an official boundary marker. For example, if the survey pin is right where you want a fence post, you must move the fence. Do not remove the pin. The cost of replacing a survey marker could be as much as the cost of the fence, driveway or landscaping. You should also ask your local land surveyors to identify boundaries, so you know exactly where your property lines are located prior to a construction project. Sometimes pins are destroyed during construction or moved from their original position. Also, pins may not relate to your property at all but simply mark rights-of- way or other land-related measurements. What are survey plans and what do I do if I find a survey pin? People frequently assume certain improvements (e.g. shed or fence) and physical features (e.g. a swale or power/ telephone installation) indicate property lines. However, these physical features are not evidence of boundary lines and should not be used to determine your boundary lines. Get more information about surveying from Alberta Land Surveyors’ Association 8 ANHWP.COM • ALBERTA NEW HOME WARRANTY PROGRAM