California Surveyors Forums

Any counties North of San Joaquin have their maps on line? I know that El Dorado does not have theirs on line.

What about Sutter and/or Yuba?

Solano County maps can be found here:

http://www.co.solano.ca.us/depts/ar/asr_filedmaps.asp

I only found this today. When I've checked in the past they didn't have them available online, so yay!

Bringing this TTT for Labedzki

I found today USGS has released new 2009 Topo Quad Sheets that have aerials imbeded in them, free online at the USGS Store. Much better quality than screen captures from Google or Vitual Earth. All kinds of extra features available if you have the latest Adobe.

This is off topic for record maps. But since you brought up aerial image sources...

Try here http://seamless.usgs.gov/index.php for aerial images.

The USGS has images from a variety of sources and time frames (fairly recent years only). These are generally urban area or regional image sets, orthorectified.

Scott, can you provide a link? are you talking about the 7.5 minute maps?

http://store.usgs.gov/b2c_usgs/usgs/map ... rea=2)/.do

This is what is in my address bar when I get there, I don't know if it will work for everyone. Then you just follow the directions on the right hand side of the screen

Yes, 7.5 minute quads

The link in the header is not whole, so don't use it.

Thanks Scott, I don't know what I was doing wrong but I got it to work this time.

What I found is when you search for a particular area (grand ave and main street, city, state) the "map locator" automatically places a “marker” OR zoom, pan, etc to a location and “add a marker.”

You can then click on the marker and a cloud pops up that lists all of the quads that are displayed in the window and gives you the option to “order” or “download.”

I downloaded the “Digital Map-Beta” (2009) PDF and upon opening it told me to download TerraGo Desktop to use all of the GeoPDF options. I compared the aerial photo to Google Earth and found Google Earths image resolution was 10 times higher (on screen). I did not compare the Google Earth downloaded image vs the USGS PDF.

I thought I would contribute what I have available.

Well I have been compiling this list for quite some time. Now everyone can benefit. Some of the links may not work since it has been some time since I have been to a few of the websites. Let me know which ones work and which ones don't and I will update them. The county links go to their GIS department or to where you can obtain recorded maps. The city links go to their planning department web pages. If you would like the html file so that you can directly import it into Firefox or Internet Explorer, message me and I will email it to you. Also let me know if there is anything else you want added.

Hi Andy,

I did a project in Ventura in 2006-2007 for Caltrans and at that time I had to go get everything up there. I'm pretty sure DocEdge.com has the maps (but you need to know which one's you need) and you can get a starting list of what you need from the assessor maps, which I'm also pretty sure you can get online from Ventura County. You will need to go to the county to get ties and such, or you can hire a research consultant like SRA or something like that. You might try giving them a call. I think they have everything in PDF format. Maybe you can send a list and a flash drive and they'll load you up for a fee.

Post your findings.

Ryan.

For about $15 you can buy a set of 4 DVDs from their Public Works agency that have all their TR, PM, ROS, MR, Corner Records, BM, ROW (and more)records along with index maps. I own a set that I just purchased. They are current thru about Feb 2009.

Grenier and Sons wrote:Anyone have experience getting record maps online from Ventura County?


I noticed there was a website for Ventura County, but I couldnt find an online database where I could order maps and pay for them there.

Any info?

Thank you

Let me known what maps you need, I have them on a drive at home and would be willing to send what you need to you if I have them

Ken I think not. I have the same question about Marin County, and I think the answer is the same. It is hard to bid on jobs when you have no way of examining anything more than an assessor map.

Contra Costa County has a GIS and so does Marin,one can obtain apns and aerial phots from these GIS portals.Alameda country assessor's has assessor's maps and their maps are not on line. Marin has CD'S of their maps

Santa Cruz County is http://gis.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/
It's a little clunky.
You can't get the maps unless you call the Surveyor's office and PAY to get them emailed or mailed to you.

Monterey County doesn't exist online.

Lynn Kovach
PLS 5321

I since inquired with Marin County and found that they charge a mere $20.50 plus an additional $6 fee and I just today received all their record maps as of December 22, 2009 on a DVD.

I emailed babbott@co.marin.ca.us and left him a credit card # with expiration and it came 2 days later.

Very happy with that purchase!

Wow Brian, you got a deal, I paid a couple hundred bucks a year or two ago because they were on CD's, not DVD's.

Just a cautious statement about surveying in Marin, you probably know this, but others may not.

Most of Marin was surveyed by maps that weren't recorded. Unless you look at the private records from old surveyors you probably will be doing your surveys wrong.

Bill Schroeders has several thousand old surveys/fieldbooks/etc. Without them I would have done many surveys wrong. Also in Marin many old hubs are very short offsets and only with the original unrecorded surveys you will find this out. Bill is very helpful, he charges a nominal research fee. You can only do research after you have a signed contract, no research for proposals. Just thought I'd share this with others who may not know.

Would anyone be interested in sharing the cost of getting Alameda Counties' records on CD or DVD? I have been asking BPS in Oakland about this for some time, but knew I wouldn't do it unless I could pool resources with someone else. If you're interested Private Message me. I know I'm kind of hijacking this thread....sorry.

Dylan, thanks, no I was not aware of that. I have only surveyed a few times in Marin County and it has proven interesting each time.

Dylan nice post!

Besides Schroeder, I have an archive of 9 different surveyors and the maps from an old title plant in Marin. The records date back to about 1910. The Surveyors/Engineers I have had businesses in Tiburon and Mill Valley.

Unfortunately, the only way to properly retrace a boundary in Marin is to find the unrecorded archives. It is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle from finding the original surveyors, determined by a chain of title and subsequent surveys, which perpetuated the original points. Another thing that complicates surveying in Marin is the scrivener seldom (less than 1%) called for the monuments set to establish the boundaries. Like Dylan said many times points were not set on the boundary, but subsequent surveys accepted them as corners and continued surveying by record bearings and distances without discovering any other evidence to determine the boundaries. Finding 2 points was the norm and running record. You can well imagine what happens when you bridge between surveys coming from different directions. It can be a real mess.

Another source of archives is Dave Contreras, Phil Danskin and Linda Carruthers / Larry Doyle.

Also you can contact Art Gambini at Ray Carlson's for the latest list of who has what archives in Sonoma and Marin County. It's an Excel file.

Here's the question - why don't you Marin surveyors try to uncomplicate things and get these all into one archive - County Surveyor's office or local CLSA chapter? I guess I don't really understand the purpose of holding onto these old private records. Wouldn't it serve the profession better to have them scanned and available in one location or on the internet? Is it profitable? Seems to me if you can get them all online and charge $1 per download it would probably be a more profitable endeavor in the long run? I don't know, and I don't mean this as a criticism, I'm just asking.

I do understand holding onto the old stuff, but is there a way to make it more easily available. Does the County Surveyor's office have anything, or have a copy of the list, so that anyone who may not know can find it?

If I were to acquire records from one of the famous local dead guys I would do something similar to what Ryan is suggesting. As long as I feel I have developed proper indexing, I would eventually donate them to San Mateo County or the Redwood City courthouse archives (which currently houses records from one of the original surveyors of Hillsborough and Burlingame).

But I can see if I spend a good deal of money acquiring someone's records right now (I have been in business 10 years and I expect to be for another 15 or more), I think I would hold on to them (and share them when asked) until I was semi-retired and then donate them.

We get in somewhat heated discussions here about someone not recording a survey, yet these records are infinitely more important.

"Unfortunately, the only way to properly retrace a boundary in Marin is to find the unrecorded archives. It is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle from finding the original surveyors, determined by a chain of title and subsequent surveys, which perpetuated the original points. Another thing that complicates surveying in Marin is the scrivener seldom (less than 1%) called for the monuments set to establish the boundaries. Like Dylan said many times points were not set on the boundary, but subsequent surveys accepted them as corners and continued surveying by record bearings and distances without discovering any other evidence to determine the boundaries. Finding 2 points was the norm and running record. You can well imagine what happens when you bridge between surveys coming from different directions. It can be a real mess."

Based on Larry's statement, it appears that a Record of Survey would be required each and every time a property was surveyed. It seems to me that if the "unrecorded archives" were easily and reasonably accessible by everyone, all parties would benefit.

I know several companies in Southern California who had acquired older records over the years and other land surveyors were able to come into the offices to conduct research. Eventually, these firms ended up donating the records to the County for safekeeping.

When I worked in New England, it was more the norm for companies to house their records and those acquired over generations. Sometimes after coming in from the field I would read through the oldest field books available in Boston, circa late 1700's early 1800's. Generally, recording isn't (wasn't) mandatory in MA and when it was, the map just recorded...no checking or reviewing except for scale and font size.

While I understand the business viewpoint of acquiring those records, just because the records are housed in a public location accessible by everyone doesn't automatically make every land surveyor who comes into Marin County an expert on the area...or another way in which to state that...everyone should have all the pieces of the "jigsaw puzzle" in front of them, but some should be more proficient in solving it.

Excellent comments! Years ago, a retired surveyor's records were donated to the county. Because of the "economics" involved, county staff decided to microfilm only the maps and they threw out the field notes! Many municipalities across the state are having financial difficulties and they are hard pressed to index such records.

I own the records of an old firm. I have expended thousands of dollars getting them databased and referenced and we are now georeferencing them in a proprietary GIS system. The San Diego Chapter keeps a listing of the old records available and everyone knows where to go. I charge a nominal fee to retrieve the records as I have storage costs not to mention the original costs to acquire them and the cost expended in paying an employee to place them in the database.

If a surveyor claims a hardship, I will give them the records at no cost. I also make them available for someone to do their own research of they want to go through our storage building. Also many of the records I have are color sensitive in that the surveyor who prepared them used different colors. The county does not provide color documents. As an aside, whenever I come upon a complex private survey, I will file it with the County as Private Survey.

"Besides Schroeder, I have an archive of 9 different surveyors and the maps from an old title plant in Marin. The records date back to about 1910. The Surveyors/Engineers I have had businesses in Tiburon and Mill Valley."

Mr. Stevens, every once in a while an architect client of mine will ask me to survey in Mill Valley and other areas like Corte Madera. Do you allow others to research the records? Do you charge a fee?