Bureau of Engineering & Construction
Land Surveys
Frequently Asked Questions
- There are surveyors on my property. Why are they there?
- I want to put up a fence or I am having problems with my neighbors. Will Baltimore County survey my property?
- Someone has put paint marks in the street in front of my property. What is going on?
- I am working on a project in Baltimore County. How do I find out if there is any existing County control nearby?
- How can I get current Continuously Operating Reference (CORS) information for Baltimore County?
- Where can I go to complain about a private surveyor?
- How many feet different, is it between the old county vertical datum (BCD) and the new one (NAVD 88)?
Q. There are surveyors on my property. Why are they there?
A. If they are Baltimore County Surveyors they should have given you a letter explaining their presence. If they are from a private surveying firm, you will need to ask them directly. Baltimore County does not regulate the many surveying companies operating in the County.
Back to top
Q. I want to put up a fence or I am having problems with my neighbors. Will Baltimore County survey my property?
A. Baltimore County does not do surveys for private citizens. You can look in the yellow pages under "Surveyors - Land" or visit the Maryland Society of Surveyors to find surveyors in your area.
Back to top
Q. Someone has put paint marks in the street in front of my property. What is going on?
A. Paint marks in the street or on a sidewalk are usually preceded by some sort of construction in the area. This could be work being done by BGE, Verizon, Comcast, or some other utility or construction company. You could call Construction Contracts Administration at 410-887-3451 to see if it is a Baltimore County job. We would not have information if it is another company.
Q. I am working on a project in Baltimore County. How do I find out if there is any existing County control nearby?
A. This information is available online, to subscribers, through Survey Control. You can also fax or e-mail us a map, showing your site, and we will check our records for the appropriate data. We will fax or e-mail the information back to you, or you can come to our office to pickup the data. We will not read survey control data over the telephone.
Q. How can I get current Continuously Operating Reference (CORS) information for Baltimore County?
A. The Baltimore County CORS, known as BACO, is part of the National CORS network. The National Geodetic Survey CORS web site maintains 5-second epoch data from station BACO. Type in BACO in the Enter Site ID box for more information. The Baltimore County Land Survey Division maintains 1-second epoch data for a period of 60 days. Call 410-887-3540 for information about the 1-second data
Q. Where can I go to complain about a private surveyor?
A. The Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation will investigate complaints and take any appropriate action.
Q. How many feet different, is it between the old county vertical datum (BCD) and the new one (NAVD 88)?
A. Due to the differences in the ways the two systems were established, as well as other factors, there is no survey grade conversion that can be applied to convert from one system to another. Where we have established NAVD 88 elevations on the older BCD benchmarks and found differences ranging between 1.5 to 1.9 feet. Based on our observations Baltimore County uses 1.7 feet as the approximate difference between the two systems. A benchmark with a BCD elevation of 100.0 feet would have an approximate NAVD 88 elevation of 98.3 feet.
Back to top
Revised April 21, 2011
