Information for Residents
Q. Can the county surveyor show me where my property lines are?
A. No. The County does not survey private land. You will need to hire a licensed private land surveyor.
Q. How much will it cost to survey my property?
A. You will need to call a private land surveyor. Costs will depend on size of land, age of the parcel, terrain, if any corner monuments need replacing and if there are boundary issues with the subject or adjacent parcels.
Q. Does your office have a copy of a survey of my land?
A. The County Surveyor may have a copy of a survey of your land if the land surveyor was required to deposit a plat in accordance to state law and rules. All plats are indexed by the Section, Township and Range the surveyed property lies in. The index and plats are available, and can be obtained by contacting the La Plata Clerk and Recorder's office at: (970) 382-6281 or (970) 382-6283. Copies are available for $5.00 per sheet.
Many documents recorded with the county may be viewed online at: https://papervision.laplata.co.us. Internet Explore version 6 or higher is necessary to use this service. For assistance with this service, please contact the La Plata County Clerk and Recorder's office at 382-6283.
Q. I have property corners in my yard and I want to know who the surveyor was that set them. How do I find that information?
A. Land surveyors in Colorado are regulated and licensed by the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA). Every licensed land surveyor has a license number assigned to them and is required that this number appear on any property corner monument that is set by the surveyor. It is usually marked on a plastic or aluminum cap preceded with the acronym “PLS” or “LS”. If you visit the DORA website and input the license number, you will be provided with the licensee’s name and other information. Here is a link to the website: https://www.doradls.state.co.us/alison.php
Q. I have a hand-held GPS and I have found survey markers on my property. Can I use these for my property corners to build a fence or structure?
A. Any survey markers relied upon by a landowner and unverified by a licensed land surveyor puts the landowner at possible risk. Even though it is illegal, monuments can be moved by deliberate or innocent actions and the only way to tell is to have the monument positions verified by survey measurements performed by a land surveyor. The cost of a land survey in most cases is less costly than moving a fence or structure therefore verification of property corners by a licensed surveyor is paramount.
Q. I want to file a complaint on a land surveyor. How can I do that?
A. As mentioned above, land surveyors in Colorado are regulated by the Department of Regulatory Agencies. For more information, use this link to the DORA website for complaints on Architects, Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors: http://www.dora.state.co.us/dora_pages/Complaint.htm
Useful Links:
“When you need a land survey” - a pamphlet explaining the process of a land survey and the duties and responsibilities of the land surveyor provided by the Professional Land Surveyors of Colorado, Inc.
La Plata County GIS Database: http://arcims.laplata.co.us
La Plata County Code : http://library.municode.com/index.aspx?clientID=13098&stateID=6&statename=Colorado
