The record of what actually got constructed, measured after the fact. Frequently the document that
reveals something is not where everyone assumed it was.
An as-built records what actually got built, which is rarely identical to what was drawn.
Why the field never matches the plan exactly
Construction is not manufacturing. Utilities get rerouted around rock. Grades get
adjusted for drainage that behaved differently than modeled. A building gets shifted two feet because
of a conflict nobody found until excavation.
Most of that is normal and none of it is recorded anywhere unless somebody measures the finished
work. That is what an as-built is for.
What gets documented
Building footprint and location as constructed
Utility locations, inverts and depths as installed
Finished grades and elevations
Pavement, curb and drainage structures
Setback and easement verification
Any encroachment onto adjoining property or into an easement
When you need one
Project closeout. Most jurisdictions require as-built drawings before final
acceptance of public improvements.
Certificate of occupancy, where the local authority wants verification of
setbacks and grades.
Before a sale, to confirm what is there matches what is described.
When you suspect an encroachment, whether yours onto someone else or theirs
onto you.
Before an addition, so the new work is designed against reality rather than an
old plan.
As-built versus boundary survey
They answer different questions and people conflate them constantly.
A boundary survey establishes where the property lines run. It
is a legal determination based on records, monuments and professional judgment.
An as-built documents where physical things sit. It is a measurement of existing conditions.
An as-built that shows a garage two feet over a line is only meaningful if the line has been
properly established, which means the two are usually done together when an encroachment is the
actual concern. See encroachments.
Springfield Land Surveyor is a referral service. We are not a surveying
firm, we hold no Missouri land surveying license or corporate certificate of authority, and we do not
perform survey work. We connect property owners with Missouri-licensed Professional Land Surveyors.
