Subdivisional Surveys in North Georgia

“Serving the Greater Atlanta and Chattanooga Area and everything in between”

Splitting Land the Right Way

Turning one piece of property into multiple lots sounds straightforward until you get into the details. County regulations, state requirements, survey standards, utility access, road frontage, setbacks, environmental buffers – all of this comes into play when you’re subdividing land.

Do it wrong and you create problems that affect every lot you create.

A subdivisional survey is the technical and legal work that splits property into separate parcels that can be sold, developed, or transferred independently.

It’s not just drawing lines on a map. It’s creating new legal descriptions, establishing new boundaries, meeting regulatory requirements, and documenting everything in a format counties and title companies will accept.

Why This Work Requires Professional Surveys

You can’t just split property by recording a deed that describes half of your land. Counties won’t accept it, title companies won’t insure it, and buyers won’t be able to get financing on it.

Every subdivision – even a simple two-lot split – requires a survey that meets specific standards and gets approved through the county’s subdivision review process.

Those standards exist because poorly done subdivisions create lasting problems. Lots that can’t be built on because they’re too small or don’t meet setback requirements.

Parcels with no legal access to public roads. Properties split in ways that leave one parcel landlocked. Divisions that create deed description conflicts with adjoining properties.

We’ve surveyed properties that were informally split decades ago and have been creating title problems ever since

Someone divided land without a proper survey, recorded a deed with a vague legal description, and sold off a portion.

Now their descendants are trying to sell the remaining land and discover they can’t convey clear title because the boundaries were never properly established.

Fixing these problems after the fact costs more than doing it right initially. You’re paying for a survey to untangle the mess, plus legal work to quiet title or resolve boundary disputes, plus delays and complications in selling property that should have clear title.

The County Review Process

Every subdivision goes through county planning and development review. Requirements vary by county, but all of them require sealed survey plats that show proposed lot lines, dimensions, acreage calculations, access points, easements, setbacks, and compliance with zoning requirements.

Simple subdivisions – minor lot splits that create just a few parcels – typically go through administrative review.

More complex subdivisions might require planning commission approval or public hearings.

Either way, your survey needs to meet county standards or it gets rejected.

Counties check lot sizes against minimum requirements. They verify road frontage and access. They ensure utilities can reach each lot. They confirm compliance with setback rules and buffer requirements.

They check that no lot is left landlocked or dependent on access across other private property without recorded easements.

If your survey doesn’t address these items correctly, the county sends it back for revisions. That extends timelines and adds costs.

Getting it right the first time requires knowing county requirements before starting the survey work.

Creating Lots That Work

The art of subdivision design is creating lots that meet regulations while also being practical and marketable.

A lot that meets minimum size requirements but has no flat ground for building doesn’t help anyone.

A parcel with road frontage but no reasonable driveway location creates problems for the buyer.

North Georgia terrain makes this challenging.

You’re working with slopes, streams, wetlands, rock outcrops, and topography that limits where you can actually build.

A 10-acre parcel might only subdivide into 3-4 buildable lots once you account for steep slopes, environmental buffers, and setback requirements.

We work with property owners to lay out lots that make sense given terrain and regulations. Sometimes that means lots of different sizes to work around features.

Sometimes it means shared driveways or common access easements to avoid putting individual driveways on steep slopes.

Sometimes it means preserving environmentally sensitive areas as common open space.

Access and Easements

Every lot needs legal access to a public road.That access can be direct road frontage or it can be across an easement over other property – but the easement has to be recorded and properly documented.

Counties don’t approve subdivisions where lots lack legal access.

Shared driveways and access easements are common in subdivision design, especially on larger rural parcels.

One access point serves multiple lots, reducing costs and minimizing road cuts on steep terrain.

These arrangements require detailed easement documents that specify who maintains the drive, how costs are shared, and what rights each property owner has.

We show these easements on subdivision plats with precise dimensions and legal descriptions.

The county reviews them to ensure they’re wide enough, properly located, and adequate for emergency vehicle access.

Fire departments have standards for road width, grade, and turnaround areas that affect access design.

Utilities and Services

Counties verify that utilities can serve subdivided lots. Where will water come from – public system connections, individual wells, or a shared well system?

How about sewer – public systems, septic tanks, or community systems? Power, gas, phone, internet – how do they reach each lot?

Some counties require letters from utility providers confirming service availability before approving subdivisions.

Others require general demonstration that services are feasible. Either way, utility access affects lot layout and sometimes requires easements across property for utility lines to reach interior lots.

In North Georgia, many rural properties rely on wells and septic systems. Counties regulate minimum lot sizes for septic systems based on soil types and percolation rates.

Some areas require larger lots because soil won’t support conventional septic systems on smaller parcels. These requirements affect how many lots you can create.

Environmental Constraints

State and federal regulations protect streams, wetlands, and steep slopes. Buffer requirements limit development near these features, effectively removing portions of your property from the developable area.

Stream buffers are common in North Georgia. A typical stream buffer might be 25-50 feet from the stream bank, depending on the size of the stream and local regulations.

Nothing can be built in the buffer, no clearing can occur, and the area must remain in natural vegetation. This affects lot layout and sometimes determines whether parcels are buildable.

Wetlands require similar buffers and often need formal delineation by environmental consultants before counties will approve subdivisions.

If your property has wetlands, you need to know where they are and how much land they affect before designing lot lines.

Steep slope regulations exist in some mountain counties to prevent erosion and landslide risks. If your slopes exceed certain percentages, you can’t build on those areas or you need special engineering and erosion control plans.

The Math of Subdivision Economics

Subdividing property costs money upfront. Survey work typically runs $2,500-5,000 for simple subdivisions and can reach $15,000+ for complex projects.

dd engineering costs if you’re building roads or utilities. Add legal fees for easement documents and county coordination. Add recording fees and county review fees.

These costs only make sense if the increase in property value from subdivision exceeds the cost of creating the subdivision.

A 10-acre parcel worth $150,000 as one piece might be worth $250,000 as five 2-acre lots – if those lots are buildable and properly set up.

But if the subdivision costs $25,000 in surveys, engineering, and fees, your net gain drops to $75,000 before sales costs and taxes.

The math works better when land values are high, when you’re creating multiple lots, or when you’re developing the property yourself rather than selling raw land.

It works worse when terrain is difficult, when lots require extensive access easements or utility work, or when environmental constraints limit the number of buildable lots.

What Happens When Subdivisions Aren’t Done Right

We’ve worked on properties where someone tried to subdivide without proper surveys or county approval. The results are predictable: unmarketable land, title problems, and expensive fixes.

One property had been split into four parcels using old fence lines and rough descriptions in deeds. The legal descriptions didn’t match, the boundaries overlapped in some places and left gaps in others, and none of the parcels could be sold or financed.

Sorting it out required a boundary survey of the entire original tract, new legal descriptions for all four parcels, quiet title legal work, and re-recording of deeds.

Cost: $35,000 for a problem that could have been avoided with a $6,000 subdivision survey initially.

Another property was subdivided without county approval. The lots looked fine on paper but didn’t meet current setback requirements. When buyers tried to get building permits, the county rejected them.

The lots were unbuildable under current regulations. The sellers faced liability for selling lots that couldn’t be used as intended.

Family Subdivisions

Family land divisions have special provisions in some counties. If you’re splitting off a lot for a child or family member, you might be able to use simplified procedures or avoid some requirements that apply to commercial subdivisions. But you still need a proper survey and recorded plat.

These family divisions often cause problems years later when someone tries to sell the property to non-family members.

What worked as an informal arrangement between family members doesn’t work in the open market where buyers need clear title and lenders need proper documentation.

Even if you’re giving land to family, do it right with a proper survey and recorded plat. It protects them and it protects you from future disputes or title problems.

Combining Subdivision and Development

Some subdivisions include immediate development – installing roads, utilities, and infrastructure that serve all the lots. Others create raw lots that individual buyers will develop later.

The approach you choose affects survey requirements and costs.

If you’re installing infrastructure, you need engineering in addition to surveying. Roads need design and construction plans. Utilities need sizing and routing. Stormwater management needs design and permitting. All of this requires coordination between surveyors, engineers, and contractors.

The subdivision survey becomes your base map for this work. Engineers use it to design improvements. Contractors use it to stake construction. Counties use it to verify that what gets built matches what was approved.

Timeline and Approval Process

Simple subdivisions can move through county review in 4-6 weeks once you submit complete applications. Complex subdivisions might take 3-6 months depending on county procedures, whether public hearings are required, and how many revisions are needed.

Survey work typically takes 2-3 weeks depending on property size and complexity. Engineering takes longer if you’re designing roads or utilities.

Getting all the pieces together – surveys, engineering, environmental reports, utility letters – before submitting to the county keeps the process moving.

Budget time for revisions. Counties rarely approve subdivision plats without requesting changes. Maybe lot lines need to shift to meet setback requirements. Maybe access points need to move. Maybe easement language needs revision. These aren’t major problems but they extend timelines.

What You’ll Receive

The subdivision survey includes a plat – a detailed drawing showing existing property boundaries, proposed lot lines, dimensions and acreage for each new lot, easements, access points, and any features that affect lot layout.

This plat gets recorded at the county after approval.

You’ll also receive legal descriptions for each new lot. These descriptions get used in deeds when you sell or transfer individual lots. They’re written to meet state standards and to match the surveyed boundaries shown on the plat.

Digital files typically accompany the plat – CAD files that engineers can use if you’re designing improvements, and PDFs that you can distribute to realtors, buyers, or lenders.

Cost and Value

Subdivisional surveys typically cost $2,500-15,000 depending on property size, number of lots being created, terrain complexity, and whether engineering or additional services are required.

A simple two-lot split on flat land might be $2,500.

A ten-lot subdivision on mountain property with shared access and utility easements might be $12,000.

These costs are typically recovered in increased property value. Individual lots sell for more per acre than large tracts. Developed lots with road and utility access sell for more than raw land. The subdivision creates value by making property more useful and marketable.

Working with Realtors and Buyers

Once your subdivision is approved and recorded, marketing and selling the lots requires clear communication about what each lot includes.

Realtors need copies of the recorded plat, individual lot surveys, and information about easements, utilities, and any restrictions.

Buyers need to understand what they’re getting – not just acreage and road frontage, but also access easements, utility availability, building restrictions, and any environmental constraints that affect the lot.

Clear documentation prevents misunderstandings and smooths transactions.

Title companies will require copies of the recorded subdivision plat for every lot sale. Lenders will want to verify that lots meet minimum size requirements and have proper access.

Having all this documentation ready speeds up closings.

The Land Surveying Company has subdivided properties throughout North Georgia since 2004. We work with county planning departments in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and Kentucky and we know local requirements and procedures.

For more information regarding boundary surveys and other surveying services offered by
The Land Surveying Company, please call us at 706-237-8319
or request a quote through our online quote form.

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