As a real estate investor, you must understand the details of a survey plan and how to leverage it to make informed business decisions in Abuja.
Survey plans are among the essential documents you must provide or require before a real estate transaction can be completed successfully.
This article discusses everything you need to know about a survey plan as a real estate investor in Abuja.
What is a Survey Plan?
A survey plan is a land document that accurately shows the boundaries, dimensions, and other relevant features of a piece of land. It’s prepared by a licensed surveyor or surveying company and serves as a legal and graphical representation of the land.
A detailed survey plan provides the essential information property owners, land developers, and government agencies need to facilitate real estate transactions.
Types of Land Survey Documents in Abuja
These are the two types of survey plans you can see when conducting real estate activities in Abuja:
Provisional Survey Plan
A provisional survey plan, also known as a preliminary survey plan, is a preliminary document created by a licensed surveyor to propose the division or layout of a land. You are to use it for initial land development planning but doesn’t have the same level of authority as a registered survey plan.
Registered Survey Plan
A registered survey plan carries more weight than a provisional survey plan. It is a legally recognized document approved and registered with the appropriate government authority in charge of land registration in an area.
That means, your survey plan must be registered with the Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS) before you can use it for your land registration or transactions.
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Why You Need a Survey Plan
Here are some of the many reasons why you need a survey plan.
Ownership Identification
A registered survey plan is valid legal evidence of property ownership. It contains the property owner’s name and gives a clear record of the property’s boundaries. This is essential for helping you establish your rights to the land.
Boundary Identification
A survey plan shows the clear boundaries of a piece of land, including the corner markings and boundary lines. This helps you understand the extent of your land and to avoid potential boundary disputes with neighbors.
Land Transactions
A survey plan is often a necessity when buying or selling a piece of land. It gives all parties involved a clear understanding of the property boundaries and any encumbrances, restrictions, or easements it may have.  Â
This is a valuable document to land buyers, real estate agents, and legal professionals as it helps in the easy resolution of property disputes.
Land Title Transfer
A survey plan is one of the necessary documents the land registry requires when you want to register a piece of land or transfer the ownership title. It provides an official description of the property and the current owner.
Building Projects
You must submit a registered survey plan before obtaining a building plan to erect any structure on your land. This is necessary for helping you build within the legal boundaries and observe zonal regulations and building codes.
The Information a Survey Plan Contains
A comprehensive survey plan should contain the following information:
- The name of the owner of the land surveyed
- Address or description of the surveyed land
- The scale of the plan
- The size of the surveyed land in square meters
- Boundary lines of the property
- The beacon numbers
- The survey plan number
- The surveyor’s name, signature, and date the plan was drafted
- A stamp showing the property status. That is if the land is free from government acquisition or under-committed or non-committed government acquisition.
How to Get an Approved Survey Plan in Abuja
Here are the steps you must take to get an approved survey plan in Abuja:
Engage a Licensed Surveyor
The first step in getting an approved survey plan in Abuja is to hire the services of a licensed surveyor. Hire someone with deep experience conducting land surveys in Abuja and familiar with local regulations and requirements.
Conduct Site Survey
The licensed surveyor will survey the land to determine its boundaries, dimensions, and other physical features accurately.
This process is essential, as it helps you understand the size of your land and appropriately demarcate it from that of your neighbors without any disputes.
Plan Preparation
With the information from the field survey, the surveyor will prepare the survey plan according to the standards and specifications set by the Surveyor General in Abuja.
Submission to the Relevant Authorities
Once the plan is completed, the surveyor will submit it to the appropriate government offices for approval. In Abuja, the relevant offices are the AGIS and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Depart of Land Administration.
The survey plan will be submitted with an application letter, which must detail the purpose of the plan.
Pay the Necessary Fees
While submitting your survey plan, pay the necessary fees required for the processing and approval.
Wait for Review and Approval
After making payment and submitting the application, wait for the government authorities to review and approve it. Once they approve it, you’ll receive the Land Information Result Certificate.
The approved document is an official record of the property boundaries and can be used for various legal and administrative purposes.
The Cost of Securing a Survey Plan in Abuja
How much does it cost to do survey plan in Abuja? Securing a survey plan in Abuja costs between N350,000 to N1,500,000. This includes the cost of the field survey, boundary markings, and survey plan application.
How Do You Verify a Survey Plan in Abuja?
To verify a survey plan in Abuja, you must hire a licensed surveyor to survey your land and write an application to the AGIS or FCTA Department of Land Administration.
The government authorities will review the document and issue you a Land Information Result Certificate. This certificate proves the authenticity of your survey plan, and of course, your land.
How Do You Know if Your Survey Plan is Valid?
A survey plan is valid if it has verifiable information, such as the official seal of the surveyor, a survey plan number, beacon numbers, etc.
However, instead of assuming from the information on the document, take the survey plan to the AGIS or FCTA to verify its validity.
Is a Survey Plan a Land Title?
A survey plan is not a land title. However, it’s a vital document you need to get the land title. It shows important information about the land, including the current owner’s name, the boundaries, the size of the land, the location, etc.
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Conclusion
A good understanding of survey plans is vital for every real estate investor. It helps mitigate risks and maximize investment returns by ensuring strict compliance with state regulations.
Hopefully, you’ve learned all you need to know about survey plans in Abuja as a real estate investor.Â
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