Bay Area Survey Services for Existing-Condition Risk
3D laser scanning, as-built documentation, ALTA/NSPS surveys, scan-based deformation monitoring, condominium conversion scanning, ADA measurement, and difficult boundary surveying for architects, engineers, developers, and attorneys who need reliable Bay Area site data.
Reality Capture
Point clouds that become usable project files.
High-density scan data supports CAD, 3D linework, field verification, and existing-condition coordination.
Preservation Record
A measured record of buildings that do not match old drawings.
Useful for churches, civic buildings, custom structures, facades, sanctuaries, retrofit planning, and archival records.
Built-Condition Proof
Survey-grade measurements for routes, ramps, and transitions.
Document slopes, landings, thresholds, cross-slopes, and site transitions before issues become rework or claims.
3D Laser Scanning & As-Built Documentation
Capture existing conditions once and give every stakeholder a reliable source of truth. We provide surveyor-led high-density point clouds, CAD drawings, 3D linework, floor flatness maps, and steel and anchor bolt verification for architects, engineers, contractors, fabricators, owners, and institutions.
Learn MoreBridge & Infrastructure Scanning
Survey-grade 3D laser scanning for bridges, overcrossings, tunnels, tanks, rail and roadway corridors, plants, and utility structures, tied to a least-squares-adjusted control network so every point carries a known accuracy. Clearance surveys, structural as-builts for retrofit and rehabilitation design, deformation baselines, and pre-construction documentation for agencies, engineers, and contractors across the Bay Area.
Learn MoreTopographic Surveys & 3D Terrain Mapping
Survey-grade topographic mapping for East Bay and Bay Area properties, captured with a Trimble terrestrial laser scanner (TLS). Where a conventional topo crew records a few hundred shots with a total station, our scanner captures millions of measured points in a single site visit — every grade break, retaining wall, tree, utility feature, and structure — then we extract a clean, CAD-ready base map from the point cloud. The result is a topographic survey your architect or civil engineer can design on without callbacks for missed shots: contours at the interval your project needs, a digital terrain model (DTM), spot elevations, and surface utility features, delivered as DWG/DXF with the underlying point cloud available for the design team. Topographic surveys are required or effectively required for hillside permits, additions and ADUs, grading and drainage design, retaining wall engineering, and most civil site design in Oakland, Berkeley, and surrounding East Bay jurisdictions.
Learn MoreAs-Built Surveys & Scan-to-CAD Documentation
Accurate as-built documentation of existing buildings and sites, captured with a Trimble terrestrial laser scanner and delivered as 2D CAD drawings, 3D linework, or registered point clouds. Most East Bay buildings — Victorians, brown-shingles, warehouse conversions, postwar tracts — no longer match their original drawings, if drawings exist at all. Tape-measure and disto as-builts miss out-of-square rooms, sloping floors, and racked walls that laser scanning captures exactly. We scan interiors, facades, and sites in a single visit and produce the existing-conditions documentation architects, structural engineers, and contractors design from: floor plans, reflected ceiling plans, sections, elevations, and 3D linework at the level of detail your project needs. As-builts are the foundation for remodels, seismic retrofits, condominium conversions, tenant improvements, and facility management.
Learn MoreSite Plan Surveys & Boundary + Topographic Mapping
Stamped site plan surveys, boundary + topographic base maps, and existing-condition documentation for Bay Area permit submittals. Many San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, and Peninsula jurisdictions require a site survey wet-stamped by a California Professional Land Surveyor before plans can be submitted, and we deliver CAD-ready base files architects, engineers, and design teams can build on.
Learn MoreBoundary Determination & Difficult Boundary Surveys
Establish clear, legally defensible property boundaries with a licensed Bay Area boundary surveyor — including difficult boundaries on hillside lots, irregular parcels, post-1906 SF blocks, fire-rebuild areas, and properties with conflicting record evidence. We research historical records, locate existing monuments, set durable markers, and prepare Records of Survey or Corner Records when needed for permanent public record protection.
Learn MoreALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys
Bay Area ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys for commercial real estate transactions — built to the 2026 ALTA/NSPS Minimum Standard Detail Requirements and the Table A items your lender, title underwriter, or buyer's counsel requires. We work directly with title officers, CRE attorneys, lenders, brokers, and buyers to deliver a survey the underwriter will accept, on the timeline your closing depends on.
Learn MoreParcel Maps & Lot Line Adjustments
Parcel maps, lot line adjustments, and lot mergers under the California Subdivision Map Act for East Bay property owners and developers. A parcel map is the legal instrument for dividing land into four or fewer parcels — the most common path for splitting a residential lot, carving off a flag lot, or reconfiguring boundaries between neighbors. We handle the complete process: boundary resolution, tentative map preparation, coordination through city and county surveyor review, satisfaction of conditions of approval, and final map recordation with the county recorder. Because we laser-scan the site as part of the fieldwork, the same mobilization produces the topographic base map most jurisdictions require with the tentative map application — one visit, two required products.
Learn MoreMonument Preservation for Construction
Pre-construction monument preservation surveys required by California Business & Professions Code §8771. When grading, paving, utility trenching, or demolition will disturb survey monuments — street monuments, property corners, benchmarks — the law requires that a licensed land surveyor reference them before construction and reset them afterward, with Corner Records filed with the county surveyor both times. Contractors and public agencies are increasingly required to show monument preservation compliance before permits are issued on capital projects, and destroying a monument without preservation exposes the responsible party to the cost of a full retracement survey — far more than preservation would have cost. We locate the monuments in the work zone, set reference ties outside the disturbance area, file the pre-construction Corner Records, and return after construction to reset the monuments and file the post-construction records.
Learn MoreDeformation & Settlement Monitoring Survey
Survey-grade deformation and settlement monitoring for distressed structures, buildings adjacent to excavation and shoring, retaining walls, and moving slopes. Each epoch is observed from the same control network, so movement is measured against a baseline rather than estimated. We combine high-density 3D laser scanning with conventional total-station and GNSS observations, and report movement relative to project survey control. Contour is a licensed land surveying practice under PLS 9686 and performs no repair or shoring work, so the numbers carry no commercial interest.
Learn MoreFloor Level Survey
Independent, survey-grade floor level surveys for structural engineers, HOAs, property managers, and owners across Northern California. If a structural report told you a floor level survey must be performed by others and sent to the engineer, that is what we do. Contour is a licensed land surveying firm, not a foundation-repair contractor, so the elevations we report are measurements and nothing else.
Learn MoreFEMA Elevation Certificates & LOMA
FEMA Elevation Certificates and Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) support across Northern California, signed by a California Professional Land Surveyor (PLS 9686). We tie the building to a benchmark on the flood map’s vertical datum, measure the lowest floor, lowest adjacent grade, and machinery, and certify the result on the FEMA Elevation Certificate form. When the numbers show the building sits at or above the Base Flood Elevation, we prepare and submit the LOMA so the lender’s flood insurance requirement can be removed.
Learn MorePad Certification Survey
PLS-stamped building pad, rough grade, and final grade certifications across Northern California. We measure the graded pad against the approved grading plan and certify the elevation on the building department’s own form, so vertical construction can be released without a scheduling fight. Work is performed under PLS 9686 and tied to the project benchmark and control.
Learn MoreSetback Certification & Foundation Location Survey
Licensed surveyor setback certifications and foundation location surveys before and after the pour, across Northern California. We locate forms and footings against the property lines and the approved site plan before concrete goes in, and document the as-poured foundation afterward, so a setback problem is caught while it is still cheap to fix. Performed under PLS 9686.
Learn MoreCondominium Conversion Surveys & Interior As-Built Scanning
Convert existing buildings into condominium ownership with 3D laser scanning, accurate interior and exterior as-builts, and boundary coordination. Scanning is uniquely suited to condo conversion work — it captures complete unit, common area, and exclusive-use area geometry in a fraction of the field time of hand measurement, and gives developers, architects, attorneys, and HOA teams a reliable record before filings become expensive.
Learn MoreHistoric Preservation Scanning & Documentation
Document historic churches, civic buildings, custom homes, and irregular structures without relying on incomplete old drawings. We use 3D laser scanning to capture facades, interiors, structural geometry, and architectural details for restoration, adaptive reuse, and long-term digital archiving.
Learn MoreADA Compliance & Ramp Verification Surveys
Reduce accessibility risk with precise measurements of ramps, landings, routes, slopes, cross-slopes, thresholds, and site transitions. We provide survey-grade documentation that helps architects, engineers, contractors, owners, and counsel evaluate built conditions.
Learn MoreForensic Surveying
Expert investigation and analysis of boundary disputes, encroachments, and property line discrepancies for legal proceedings. Our forensic surveys provide court-admissible evidence and expert witness testimony.
Learn MoreConstruction Staking
Translate design plans into precise field locations for construction. We stake buildings, roads, utilities, and site features ensuring your project is built exactly as designed.
Learn MoreADU Surveys & Site Plans for Permit Applications
Pre-construction surveys for accessory dwelling units across the East Bay — the scaled site plan, boundary verification, and topographic data Bay Area cities require before an ADU permit application is accepted. California law makes ADU approval ministerial with 4-foot side and rear setbacks, but those setbacks are measured from your true property line, not your fence — and every city's checklist starts with a site plan drawn to scale showing property lines, existing structures, easements, and utilities. We deliver a surveyor-prepared base map your designer builds directly on, staked property corners so the 4-foot setback is real, and 1-foot contours where sloped lots or city checklists demand them.
Learn MoreBoundary Dispute Mediation
Resolve property line disagreements professionally with a certified mediator who is also a licensed land surveyor. This rare combination of mediation training and technical surveying expertise means disputes are resolved with both factual precision and structured conflict resolution — without costly litigation.
Learn MoreSubdivisions
Navigate the complex subdivision process with expert guidance. We handle Parcel Maps, Tract Maps, and SB-9 lot splits, managing surveys, mapping, and coordination with local agencies.
Learn MoreFence Surveys
Ensure your fence is built in the right location with a professional property line survey. We locate and mark boundaries before construction to prevent disputes and encroachment issues.
Learn MoreNot Sure Which Service You Need?
Every project carries different risk. Book a scope meeting and we'll recommend the right scanning, as-built, boundary, or documentation path.
Have a Serious Site, Building, or Boundary Problem?
Book a scope meeting with the licensed surveyor. Estimates are prepared for projects with enough context to price responsibly.