Buying a home or a piece of land is one of the biggest purchases most people ever make. In McDonough, buyers often focus on the house, the school district and the price. What many do not see until after closing is the set of rights other people may already have to use part of the property.
Those rights are called easements. They can limit where you build a pool, a garage or a fence. They can allow a utility company, or even a neighbor, to cross your land. The good news is that a boundary survey done before you buy can help bring them into view.
This guide explains what easements are, how a boundary survey helps you spot them, and what Henry County buyers should watch for before closing.
What Is an Easement?
An easement is a legal right for someone else to use a specific part of your property for a specific purpose. You still own the land, but you share certain rights to it. The most common types include:
- Utility easements. Strips of land where power, water, sewer, gas or communication lines run. Utility providers may need access to maintain them.
- Drainage easements. Areas set aside so stormwater can flow through a neighborhood. These often run along rear or side lot lines.
- Access easements. A right for someone to cross your property, often to reach a landlocked parcel or a shared driveway.
- Sewer and stormwater line easements. Areas over buried pipes and structures that must stay accessible.
Some easements are recorded on plats and deeds. Others come from long-standing use. Either way, they travel with the land when it changes hands.
Why Easements Matter When You Buy Property in McDonough
An easement is not automatically a problem. Most homes have at least one utility easement. However, easements can affect how you use your property in ways that matter to buyers:
- Building limits. You may not be allowed to place a pool, shed, addition or fence in an easement area.
- Access by others. Utility crews may enter the easement to repair lines, and their work can disturb landscaping.
- Drainage flow. Blocking or regrading a drainage easement can create problems for you and your neighbors.
- Future plans. If you plan to subdivide, build a shop or add a second driveway later, an easement can change those plans.
Understanding these limits before closing lets you decide whether the property truly fits your goals.
How a Boundary Survey Reveals Easements
A boundary survey establishes the legal lines of a property and shows what sits on and near them. During the process, a licensed surveyor can help identify easements in two ways.
Through the records. The surveyor reviews the deed, recorded plats and, when provided, the title commitment from your closing attorney or title company. Easements found in those documents can be plotted on the survey drawing.
Through field evidence. On site, the crew uses high-precision GNSS equipment and total stations to locate physical features such as:
- Power poles, guy wires and overhead lines
- Utility pedestals, transformers and meters
- Manholes, culverts and drainage pipes
- Ditches, swales and drainage paths
- Driveways, paths or roads that cross a boundary
A gravel drive used by a neighbor or a ditch carrying water across a lot can point to an easement that is not obvious on paper. Legacy Surveying provides
residential boundary surveys that show you these details on a clear, sealed drawing.
The Survey and the Title Work Go Together
A surveyor is not a title examiner. Your closing attorney or title company searches the public records for recorded easements, and the surveyor shows where they fall on the ground. When both pieces are in hand, you get the clearest picture of what you are buying.
Encroachments Show Up Too
The same survey can reveal encroachments, such as a neighbor’s fence, shed or driveway that crosses onto the property. Finding these before closing gives you time to ask questions and get advice.
For more on how surveys help prevent neighbor conflicts, read our guide to
avoiding costly property line disputes.
Easement Red Flags on Henry County Properties
Henry County includes established subdivisions, newer neighborhoods and rural tracts around Locust Grove and Stockbridge. Each brings its own easement patterns. Watch for these signs:
- Rear-lot drainage strips. Many subdivision plats include drainage easements along back property lines, right where owners often want a fence or pool.
- Power line corridors. Overhead transmission lines usually come with wide easements and strict limits on building.
- Shared driveways. Older rural tracts sometimes share a single drive, with or without a recorded agreement.
- Old farm roads. A road that once served a farm may still give access to a neighboring parcel.
- Low areas and creeks. Water paths often carry drainage easements. Checking the
FEMA Flood Map Service Center for flood zones is another smart step for low-lying lots.
If you spot any of these during a showing, mention them to your surveyor and your closing attorney.
Your Pre-Purchase Survey Checklist in McDonough
Follow these steps to protect yourself before closing:
- Order the survey early. Schedule it as soon as your offer is accepted, so results arrive well before your closing date.
- Share your documents. Give your surveyor the legal description, any existing plats and the title commitment if available.
- Explain your plans. If you hope to add a pool, fence or outbuilding, say so. The surveyor can point out features that may affect those plans.
- Review the drawing carefully. Look for easement lines, encroachments and any notes the surveyor includes.
- Ask questions before closing. Bring any concerns to your real estate attorney while you still have time to act.
Why Buyers Choose Legacy Surveying
Legacy Surveying combines more than 40 years of local surveying heritage, carried forward from Joe Rowan Land Surveying and Jeff Kuhn, with modern field technology. That history matters in Henry County, where many boundaries trace back through older plats and deeds.
We research Georgia courthouse records, locate evidence with high-precision GNSS equipment and total stations, and deliver accurate, legally defensible surveys. Learn more about our
surveying services in Henry and Spalding counties.
Boundary Survey FAQs for McDonough Buyers
Do I need a boundary survey when buying a home in McDonough, GA?
It is not always required, but it is strongly recommended. A survey shows your lines, improvements, visible easement evidence and possible encroachments before you commit to the purchase.
Will a boundary survey show every easement?
A survey can show easements found in the documents reviewed and visible evidence in the field. Recorded easements are identified through the title search, so the survey and the title work should be used together.
Can I build a fence in a utility or drainage easement?
It depends on the easement and local rules. Some easements restrict fences or structures entirely. Check the recorded documents and your local permitting office before you build.
What is the difference between an easement and an encroachment?
An easement is a legal right to use part of a property. An encroachment is something, like a fence or building, that crosses onto land without that right.
How long does a boundary survey take before closing?
It depends on the property and the records involved. Contact Legacy Surveying early in your contract period, and we will give you a timeline with your estimate.
Do you survey in Stockbridge and Locust Grove too?
Yes. Legacy Surveying serves all of Henry County, including McDonough, Stockbridge and Locust Grove.
Conclusion
Easements are common, but surprises are not something you want after closing. A boundary survey gives you a clear view of the property lines, the features on the ground and the areas others may have the right to use. Paired with your title work, it helps you buy with confidence.
Buying Property in McDonough? Start With a Survey
Before you close on a home or land in McDonough or anywhere in Henry County, let Legacy Surveying show you exactly what you are buying. Call
404-569-9115 or
request a free boundary survey estimate. We serve buyers, homeowners and investors throughout South Metro Atlanta and Middle Georgia.
