Our Services

Condominium Plans

A Condominium Plan makes it possible to divide ownership of land or of units within a building. Condominium plans are similar to subdivision plans. The major difference, with the exception of a vacant land condominium, is that the units are three-dimensional. The boundaries are the physical surfaces of the buildings themselves.

At Farley, Smith & Denis Surveying Ltd. we have the experience and know-how to help you navigate your way through your condo project. We specialize in new construction condominium surveys or the condominium conversion of existing buildings.

Condominiums present many complexities that don’t arise when constructing a building for a single owner. As specialists in condo surveys, we know the potential pitfalls and can offer strategic advice about development requirements, and ongoing changes in municipal bylaws and the Ontario Condominium Act.

We educate you from the start to eliminate common mistakes, unwanted outcomes, and costly actions.
We create your Condominium Plan immediately after the required fieldwork.
We communicate with you throughout the stages of creating your Condominium to help you get the best possible outcome.

Subdivision Plans

A Subdivision plan divides a single parcel of land into two or more new parcels or lots and sets their boundaries. Each parcel receives a separate title. Before a subdivision can be registered at the Land Registry Office, it must be approved by the local municipality.

A registered plan of subdivision shows: the surveyed boundaries, numbering and dimensions of lots, the location, width and names of streets, and the sites of future schools and parks.

A subdivision plan from Farley, Smith & Denis Surveying Ltd. is thorough. Our professional assistance in gathering information for complex applications saves our clients time and frustration. We can help ensure that your application meets planning requirements. We provide information on a number of topics which include:

Land use
Topographic information
Flood plain maps
Environmental reserves and easements
Municipal development plans and land-use bylaws
Site suitability for intended use

Reference Plans

Reference Plans are filed at the local Land Registry Office. They are required to subdivide land or to make a material change to what is registered on title for a property. They are the most common type of survey deposited in the Land Registry Office.

Reference plans show the surveyed boundaries and dimensions of properties. They also document any physical features which could affect title to the property. These include, fences, hedges, retaining walls, easements or right-of-ways. They are referenced in registered documents dealing with the lands.

The team at Farley, Smith & Denis Surveying Ltd. has a long history of compiling and expediting Reference Plans for clients in all sectors: residential, commercial, institutional and governmental.

Surveyors Real Property Reports

A Surveyors Real Property Report (SRPR) is a legal document that must be prepared by a licensed Ontario Land Surveyor. An SRPR provides the purchaser, the seller, the lending institution, the municipality, and the realtor with an accurate representation of the property as it exists prior to a purchase.

Farley, Smith & Denis Surveying Ltd. offers property sellers the secure knowledge that they are protected from possible legal liabilities resulting from any problems connected to property boundaries and improvements. Property buyers are protected with a clear understanding of what they’re purchasing.

We consider your SRPR an investment which will help you to avoid costly problems in the future. To ensure this result we:

Search the property title;
Search all encumbrances registered against the title of the property;
Search all plans related to the location of the property boundaries;
Perform a field survey to determine the exact location of the property and its dimensions.

Your SRPR will include:

A legal description of the property and its municipal address;
The dimensions and directions of all property boundaries;
Identification of adjacent properties, roads and rights-of-ways or easements;
Location and dimensions of any encroachments;
Location and description of all relevant improvements on the property including their dimensions and distance from the property boundaries.

Property Line Retracements

Well-established and identified boundary lines are important to all landowners. You need to know exactly what land you own and what land belongs to your neighbour. Over time, many original boundary markers may have disappeared. When these boundaries have to be re-established, extensive research is needed.

It is critical that boundaries be determined and marked accurately to clearly identify where properties begin and end. Property Line Retracements are invaluable to anyone looking to install or replace a fence along a property line. Marking of property boundaries, is a complex and highly specialized activity. Farley, Smith & Denis Surveying Ltd.’s skilled and experienced team gives our clients the confidence that the boundaries of their property, roadways, or other public improvements are precisely marked.

Our careful recording of boundary information, ensures that development can move ahead quickly and property transfer is simplified ensuring that problems don’t occur when ownership of land changes.

Construction Layout and As-Built Survey

Farley, Smith & Denis Surveying Ltd uses state-of-the-art instruments and the latest techniques to expedite construction projects of all sizes including residential housing. We also handle construction layout and as-built surveys for commercial and industrial sites.

Construction layouts occur at the beginning of a project to make certain that the work is being carried out according to the engineering design plans. Layouts are required by many types of projects which include subdivisions, streets, utilities, and multi-storey building sites.

As–built surveys verify the completion of all requirements at the end of a new project. They record any variations in the built project which differ from the original engineering plans. These surveys can also be used when acquiring an existing building to validate what is being purchased.

Farley, Smith & Denis Surveying Ltd. teams work throughout the national capital region to conduct Construction Layout and As-built surveys on a variety of constructions sites. Our expert evaluations allow our clients to complete their projects safely, efficiently and on budget.

First Nation Reserve(CLSR Plans)

Lot Grading Plans show existing site conditions along with proposed changes. These include planned new structures, and correlating water drainage patterns. The plans indicate design elevations, surface gradients, lot types, marshy locations, and other drainage related information. Grading plans are required to ensure that proposed development drainage patterns don’t adversely affect the property or neighbouring lands, in accordance with the City of Ottawa infill by-laws.

Farley, Smith & Denis Surveying Ltd. generates grading service plans guaranteed to show a safe and effective grading relationship between abutting properties and an effective basis for the control of surface runoff. Our team protocol includes:

detailing existing site conditions obtained from our topographic survey;
the topographic survey is then used to design the site plan;
these two plans are then combined to create the grading service plan;
A water drainage pattern is designed ensuring that water will not pool on the site and neighbours will not be flooded.

Topographic Survey

Topographic Surveys contain data on the natural and man-made features of a piece of land. They serve as high precision base maps for the design of a variety of projects including buildings, roads, bridges and driveways. These surveys position physical features on the property which allows contractors to build foundations at heights recommended in engineering plans. Topographic surveys establish “bench marks” which serve as a reference datum for future development of the site.

Farley, Smith & Denis Surveying Ltd. conducts topographic surveys employing rigorous standards, allowing you to plan your projects with confidence. Our topographic plans help you to understand the challenges of the land you are planning to develop. Our surveys document land elevations as well as existing elements on the land such as:

Landscaping (trees, ditches, fences, etc.)
Buildings
Land elevations
Streams and ponds
Roads, driveways and pathways
Parking spaces
Municipal services
Underground utilities