Navigating the grey area of "Non-Statutory" plans.

We shine a light on Part 11 of the SPR, focusing on Building Location Certificates (BLCs) and topo surveys.

Learn how to provide valuable spatial data to clients without accidentally establishing a legal boundary.

Key Study Points:

Part 11 Compliance: What makes a plan "non-statutory" and what rules still apply.

Building Location Certificates: The required ties, disclaimers, and boundary representations.

The Exam Trap: Failing to add the mandatory disclaimers, leading to a public reliance liability issue.

Sources & Required Reading:

ABCLS IB - Non-Statutory Surveys

Survey and Plan Rules (Part 11)

Land Surveyors Act

11 - PRM Chapter 12 (Building Location Certificates)

12 - PRM Chapter 13 (Plans of Topography)

Resources: IB PDF | Infographic | Quiz

You can't just draw a line across a map; you have to tie it down.

This episode illuminates the strict rules for intersecting existing boundary lines.

We explore how to prevent the creation of "gores" (unintentional gaps) and overlaps when surveying new parcels.

Key Study Points:

The Tie-In Rule: When crossing an existing boundary, what level of search and measurement is required?

Gaps and Overlaps: The legal liability of creating a sliver of un-owned or dually-owned land.

The Exam Trap: Failing to search for and tie to the monuments of the intersecting parent parcel boundary.

Sources & Required Reading:

ABCLS IB - Intersection Requirements

Survey and Plan Rules

Land Title Act

07 - PRM Chapter 8 (Principles of Boundary Surveys)

06 - PRM Chapter 7 (Field Work)

Resources: IB PDF | Infographic | Quiz

Just because your rover says "Fixed" doesn't mean you're right.

We shed light on the ABCLS standards for RTK GNSS, focusing on the critical redundancies required to prove your points and the hidden dangers of multipath in BC's dense forests and urban canyons.

Key Study Points:

Redundancy: The strict requirement for independent checks (time offsets, different constellation geometry, or conventional ties).

Site Calibrations: The dangers of scaling/rotating your GNSS data to fit bad ground control.

The Exam Trap: Assuming a low PDOP and a "fixed" status absolves the surveyor from standard blunder checks.

Sources & Required Reading:

ABCLS IB - RTK GNSS

Survey and Plan Rules

ABCLS Professional Standards

15 - PRM Chapter 16 (Global Navigation Satellite Systems)

06 - PRM Chapter 7 (Field Work)

Resources: IB PDF | Infographic | Quiz

Just because your rover says "Fixed" doesn't mean you're right. We shed light on the ABCLS standards for RTK GNSS, focusing on the critical redundancies required to prove your points and the hidden dangers of multipath in BC's dense forests and urban canyons.

Key Study Points:

Redundancy: The strict requirement for independent checks (time offsets, different constellation geometry, or conventional ties).

Site Calibrations: The dangers of scaling/rotating your GNSS data to fit bad ground control.

The Exam Trap: Assuming a low PDOP and a "fixed" status absolves the surveyor from standard blunder checks.

Sources & Required Reading:

ABCLS IB - RTK GNSS

Survey and Plan Rules

ABCLS Professional Standards

15 - PRM Chapter 16 (Global Navigation Satellite Systems)

06 - PRM Chapter 7 (Field Work)

Resources: IB PDF | Infographic | Quiz

Not every plan is a legal document, but any plan involving boundaries carries liability.

In this episode, we explore the boundaries of "Unauthorized Practice" and how to prepare plot plans or topographic surveys without creating public confusion about the status of property lines.

We break down Section 1 of the Land Surveyors Act and the mandatory use of disclaimers.

Key Study Points:

The Legal Fence: Master Section 1 of the Act—what constitutes the "Practice of Land Surveying" in BC

Mandatory Disclaimers: When and why you must use "Not for Registration" or "For Design Purposes Only."

Boundary Ghosting: The technical standard for showing property lines on a topo plan without a full re-establishment

Liability Mitigation: Preventing third-party reliance on non-statutory data.

Resources:

Practice Advisory PDF

Infographic

Quiz Questions

The "Heavy Outline" is the most important line on a strata plan.

We dive deep into the containment rule: why a strata lot cannot exist outside its parent parcel and the technical requirements for defining building encroachments.

We discuss the surveyor's responsibility in signing the Form U and what happens when a balcony crosses the line.

Key Study Points:

• The Containment Rule: Why every strata lot and common property element must stay within the horizontal and vertical limits of the parent parcel.

• Form U Endorsement: The surveyor's certification that appropriate easements or interests exist for encroachments.

• Horizontal vs. Vertical Boundaries: Defining 3D limits in a high-rise building strata.

• The Heavy Outline: Mastering the symbolization of the external boundaries of the land being subdivided.

Resources:

• Practice Advisory PDF

• Infographic

• Quiz Questions

Summary: A property boundary is more than a line; it’s an ecosystem with liability attached.

We cover the surveyor's role in locating protected trees, the definition of Critical Root Zones (CRZ), and the risks of accurate but "legally deficient" tree locations.

Key Study Points:

• Critical Root Zones (CRZ): How to calculate protection areas and the surveyor's role in measuring offsets to the drip line.

• Boundary Trees: The shared ownership of trees straddling property lines and the legal risks of unauthorized removal.

• Standard of Care: The liability consequences if an inaccurate location leads to the destruction of a protected tree during construction.

  Sources: ABCLS PA (Tree Bylaws), Local Government Act, Land Surveyors Act (Ethics), Municipal Bylaws.

  Resources: PA PDF | Infographic | Quiz

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZxZzU_iM0IErK0Yq4-UrzoWX5RvAmEnh/view?usp=drive_link

In this episode of Storman Norman Presents, we break down the complex world of vertical datums in British Columbia.

Summary: Height matters, but so does the datum. We analyze the co-existence of CGVD28 and CGVD2013 in BC, the "Two-Parameter" requirement (Geoid + Epoch), and why certain legacy plans still mandate the use of CGVD28.Key Study Points:

• CGVD28 vs. CGVD2013: Understanding the transition from spirit leveling to GNSS-based geoid models.

• The Two-Parameter Rule: The mandatory requirement to define both the Geoid Model (e.g., CGG2013a) and the Epoch (e.g., 2010.0).

• Transformation Risks: Why Air Space plans still require CGVD28 and the risks associated with mathematical datum shifts.

  Sources: ABCLS PA (Vertical Datums), Surveyor General Circular Letter 465B, GeoBC Height Transformation documents.

  Resources: PA PDF | Infographic | Quiz

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Om7CU9m9MPQPPuxYjbYtLGNKbx90Fn9i/view?usp=drive_link

In this episode, we break down the critical protocols for fixing significant errors on registered posting plans in British Columbia.

When an error is discovered on a registered posting plan, "just filing a new one" is not an option.

We explore the two paths to correction: the Statutory Declaration for minor fixes and the "Superseded" protocol for complex overhauls.

Key Study Points

• Minor Errors: Using a Statutory Declaration (Form 17) to amend simple drafting or dimension errors.

• Major Errors: The protocol for filing a new plan that explicitly "supersedes" the previous deficient plan number.

• Plan Transparency: Why the original plan remains in the system and how to ensure end-users are not misled by conflicting data.

• LTSA Notification: Coordination requirements with the Land Title Office for manual plan markups.

Infographic:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/11Uc06YmbMJ0NEkg8qE4YghojzzEfYQJt/view?usp=drive_link

https://drive.google.com/file/d/166Vo64vXETmpojEYY90jb5MnkFF9xhye/view?usp=drive_link

In this episode of Storman Norman Presents, we are tackling the strict chronological requirements for filing statutory plans in BC.

Precision in dating is a professional responsibility. This episode clarifies the two critical dates required on every legal plan and why misrepresenting them can lead to a disciplinary inquiry.

Key Study Points

• Date of Survey: Represents the final day field observations and monumentation were completed.

• Date of Plan: Represents the day the plan was finalized and signed in the office.

• The "Gap" Period: Professional risks associated with a long delay between the field survey and the plan filing.

• Statutory Compliance: Ensuring the survey reflects the legal state of the registry as of the survey date.

Infographic:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hUw42p8GgdNODMwKLJwgJJEhcQ2oKYBA/view?usp=drive_link