A surveyor’s day is never the same twice. It seems like there’s always a domestic issue, a missing pin, an unclear deed or weather complications that make the job unique daily. But there is a standard set of procedures that every survey roughly follows from start to finish for the guys in the field. In…
In the western world, a signature is a legal binding contract. In the professional realm, often times a seal is required as proof of professionalism in addition to a signature. This idea dates back into ancient civilization when kings would send out official proclamations marked with their signet ring, or symbol embossed in wax that…
Blueprints are packed with information on your house. They are made for a design team and construction crew but they easily be read by a home owner or anyone interested in the plans for a building. All you need is a little knowledge on where to look for relevant information. While every firm has a…
Hired as a Surveyor, Work as a Detective Hunting down legal descriptions, field work and piecing together a map to legally represent a property. The help wanted ad doesn’t include detective work in the description. But it certainly could have. Stage 1 Getting Acquainted: Meet the client, meet the property. Besides gathering contact info and…
Blueprints are synonymous with design plans and directions on how to build something. It is used in motivational speeches titled something like “What’s the blueprint of your life?” The term is a common description for the directions in IKEA products and, of course, the original use still stands; a drawing for a house. Except blueprints…
When it comes to designing a dream home, an eye catching store front or a prime real estate house, picking out the right team for the job is essential. It can be overwhelming to wade through the engineering firms. Of course a good price is always a great bargain. But quality shouldn’t be sacrificed when…
It’s time to build your dream house! You’ve spent years imagining design and layout. The perfect amount of yard space, a garage just the right size. A home with enough room for entertaining, plenty of storage space, a floor plan that fits you to a tea. Then there’s style. You’ve looked at magazines, websites, photos,…
What if you never had to pay the electric bill? Or the water bill? Or the heat? If your home consumes no more energy than it puts out, the structure can maintain its own energy needs with no outside resources. This is called net-zero energy. In order to do that a building needs to minimize…
The Sydney Opera House is considered a masterpiece of architectural work. The designer is world renown. But it couldn’t have been built without a structural engineer. Architects are usually hired when a project is meant to be creative, beautiful and push the limits of design; something that isn’t normally done and therefore can’t be built…
“Let’s go to the town planning board meeting tonight,” said no one. Ever. Unless there’s conflict or a neighborhood has reason to rally around a cause, planning boards aren’t front and center news. But if a supercenter wants to build next door, the community gets to have a say. Some might think it’s a lot…
Kaaterskill Associates 