water quality buffer survey

[jonese]

I went to pull the permit for my garage last Friday and they pulled up my plat and saw that the back of my property is bordered with a small creek, I have 10 acres. Due to the fact that my property shares a border with a "body of water" I am now required to get a water quality buffer survey. It's a new regulation passed last year. They basically determine how high the water could get in the event of a flood and give you a buffer area that you can't build within a certain distance of that. I never had to have it when I built my house a few years ago. Anyone ever heard of this or have an idea on cost? I talked to one surveyor who says he has to do the entire property and it will cost $1200-1300. I'm really stretching my budget here just building the garage of my dreams I can't really afford this unforeseen cost. I can't find a way to contact the original surveyor of my property. All I have is his name and RLS# and I can't find a place of business or number anywhere.

Anyone have any words of advice for me?

 

[csp]

Look up his RLS with your state's board or registry to get name, number, etc.

 

[Falcon67]

Just be prepared to still pay out the nose. We sold our neighbor $600 of adjoining property to help them with their yard size. New house, just surveyed, pins and flags still out. Cost him another almost $600 just to have the same company come right back and add 4 lines to a second document. This was a chunk 16' wide by 110' deep of bare ground. You can only hope that the original survey has what you need. If not - ouch. I'd try some kind of appeal or something - plans drawn, contracts let, hardship, whine, cry, etc.

 

[Will67]

http://www.llr.state.sc.us/POL/Engineers/

Try looking for him here

 

[Gary S]

Living near any body of water *****. We have had a very wet year this year, and tens of thousands of houses here that have never had water problems before were destroyed this summer by flooding. Getting that survey could prevent you from losing everything in the future. Lots of people here wish they had thought of things like this years ago when they built on low ground.

Or, that they had the sense to build on high ground.

 

[jonese]

I can appreciate that and I have family that was affected by the recent flooding in NY. But this legislation is far too broad and a little late to do any good. This garage is going 100' from my house and is at the same elevation. Like I told them at the zoning office, if my $20k garage(that needs the survey) floods, that will be the least of my concerns as my house(that didn't need survey) will have already flooded. It seems they could overlook this survey since I already have a building up in the same area. I tried Falcon67's idea today but got a different lady who was not falling for my charm in the least. Apparently I have to talk to the man in charge over there.