harmsen, llc

Questions & Answers

Our personnel are active in the building industry and throughout our communities.
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We share our expertise in this section to let you know the latest information on variety of topics from significant land use laws, FEMA information, new methods and products that make our lives better, when do you know you need a survey, wetland study, civil engineer, or land use planning, to really cool project solutions and more!

Our survey crews have fun and odd stories while traversing DNR lands, working along major highways and any other area you can map! We advocate for our clients. Where we can offer information to help you, you are very likely to find it right here. Read on!

Q&A

Do you want a Career in Surveying?

Surveyors, cartographers, and photogrammetrists are responsible for measuring and mapping the earth's surface. Traditionally, surveyors establish official land, airspace, and water boundaries. They write descriptions of land for deeds, leases, and other legal documents; define airspace for airports; and take measurements of construction and mineral sites.

What Are Some Common Engineering Abbreviations?

Common Engineering Abbreviations

What Does Computer Aided Design and Drafting at Harmsen Look Like?

Not all programs are the same. Here at Harmsen, we use several different formats of the Autodesk products called AutoCAD.

Boundary Disputes - What Do I Do?

You think that your neighbor may have planted his new trees on your property. What do you do?

Boundary Line Adjustment vs. Boundary Line Agreement? What's the difference?

In both cases, a boundary line between two adjacent property owners is being changed or adjusted. The key differences are questions of jurisdiction and purpose.

What do I really need to do for a Boundary Line Agreement?

Don't know what a "BLA" is? Click Here to read our article on the difference between Boundary Line Adjustments and Boudary Line Agreements.

Where are my Property Corners? - Interpreting Legal Descriptions

We sometimes get asked why its so hard to determine the location of property lines on the ground. There is only one correct solution to the location of boundaries, but sometimes finding that solution is very difficult or even impossible.

What is "LIDAR?" - How LIDAR Can Help Your Project

There are more and more sources of mapping data available to assist land development projects. One of the most useful is LIDAR surface elevation models.

What is a Rain Garden?

Perhaps you heard of something called a Rain Garden, but weren’t sure what it is or what it does.

What did Harmsen do at Flowing Lake Campground?

Snohomish County’s Flowing Lake Park is a popular park and campground located off Highway 2 between Snohomish and Monroe. Besides the lake, it has campsites, cabins, a boat launch, picnic areas, and a playground.

What did Harmsen do for Marysville Pilchuck High School?

Students and staff at Marysville Pilchuck High School are now enjoying the new Cafeteria and Commons building, which opened in January 2017.

How are Salmon and Culverts Affected?

Salmon are, of course, an icon of the natural beauty of the the State of Washington. They depend upon free-running river habitat to spawn.

What was it Like For Early Surveys in Washington?

The official surveys of Washington and Oregon, then simply know as the Oregon Territory, began in 1851 on a hill just west of Portland.

What is North Cascades Highway Survey History?

If you have driven over the North Cascades Highway from Marblemount to Winthrop, you may have marveled over the feat of engineering required to construct the highway. Indeed, the route is remarkable in places with the road clinging to rock faces and passing through tunnels.

What was it like Surveying The Washington Wilderness - Pasayten?

To aid in the orderly settlement of newly acquired Western lands in the 1800’s, the Federal Government instituted the Public Land Survey System.

Vertical Datum For Flood Maps - Snohomish County What Does This Look Like?

Snohomish County has been part of the National Flood Insurance Program since the early 1980’s.

What should I do before Building?

At one of the popular parks in Seattle, adjacent home owners thought the fence around the park was the boundary.

What Does Harmsen do for Kayaking and Surveying?

In the spring of 2010, Harmsen was hired by Snohomish County Public Utility District to help with some Salmon Habitat restoration on the Sultan River.

What Are the Benefits of Porous Pavement?

Porous pavements are simply hard surfaces that are created with small rock (aggregate) that has been sifted of its fine particles.

Why do I need an Elevation Certificate? Flood Insurance = Elevation Certificate

Where do I get an Elevation Certificate?

Why Should I Survey My Property?

A good survey equals good neighbors. Knowing where your property boundaries are, on the ground, can be invaluable.

How Much Does a Land Survey Cost?

The cost of a land survey depends upon several factors such as the type of survey required, the type of terrain and vegetation, the availability of record documents and controlling monuments, and whether or not the State will require* that a map be recorded detailing the survey work that was done.

National Wildlife Federation vs. FEMA Ruling What's the difference?

In a judicial action of interest to homeowners, the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) sued the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) because FEMA was not following standards set forth in the Endangered Species Act.

What are some good links?

Here are some useful articles and resources

Erosion Control - Why It's Critical To Your Project (at any size)

There is no doubt that erosion control, once almost an afterthought, is now taking a central place in design and construction.

What did Harmsen Do For The Sultan River Landslide?

Access to the job site was somewhat difficult due to a very steep slope leading down to the river and a stretch of about 200 feet along the river with no shoreline. We had to work with just vertical rock wall, between the access point and the slide area.

How do we protect the environment using inflatable water dams?

Harmsen recently worked on a culvert replacement project in Island County that has removed a failed corrugated metal pipe and installed a 72” polyethylene pipe called DuromaxxTM.

Questions & Answers

Q&A

Do you want a Career in Surveying?

What Are Some Common Engineering Abbreviations?

What Does Computer Aided Design and Drafting at Harmsen Look Like?

Boundary Disputes - What Do I Do?

Boundary Line Adjustment vs. Boundary Line Agreement? What's the difference?

What do I really need to do for a Boundary Line Agreement?

Where are my Property Corners? - Interpreting Legal Descriptions

What is "LIDAR?" - How LIDAR Can Help Your Project

What is a Rain Garden?

What did Harmsen do at Flowing Lake Campground?

What did Harmsen do for Marysville Pilchuck High School?

How are Salmon and Culverts Affected?

What was it Like For Early Surveys in Washington?

What is North Cascades Highway Survey History?

What was it like Surveying The Washington Wilderness - Pasayten?

Vertical Datum For Flood Maps - Snohomish County What Does This Look Like?

What should I do before Building?

What Does Harmsen do for Kayaking and Surveying?

What Are the Benefits of Porous Pavement?

Why do I need an Elevation Certificate? Flood Insurance = Elevation Certificate

Why Should I Survey My Property?

How Much Does a Land Survey Cost?

National Wildlife Federation vs. FEMA Ruling What's the difference?

What are some good links?

Erosion Control - Why It's Critical To Your Project (at any size)

What did Harmsen Do For The Sultan River Landslide?

How do we protect the environment using inflatable water dams?

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Questions & Answers

Q&A

Do you want a Career in Surveying?

What Are Some Common Engineering Abbreviations?

What Does Computer Aided Design and Drafting at Harmsen Look Like?

Boundary Disputes - What Do I Do?

Boundary Line Adjustment vs. Boundary Line Agreement? What's the difference?

What do I really need to do for a Boundary Line Agreement?

Where are my Property Corners? - Interpreting Legal Descriptions

What is "LIDAR?" - How LIDAR Can Help Your Project

What is a Rain Garden?

What did Harmsen do at Flowing Lake Campground?

What did Harmsen do for Marysville Pilchuck High School?

How are Salmon and Culverts Affected?

What was it Like For Early Surveys in Washington?

What is North Cascades Highway Survey History?

What was it like Surveying The Washington Wilderness - Pasayten?

Vertical Datum For Flood Maps - Snohomish County What Does This Look Like?

What should I do before Building?

What Does Harmsen do for Kayaking and Surveying?

What Are the Benefits of Porous Pavement?

Why do I need an Elevation Certificate? Flood Insurance = Elevation Certificate

Why Should I Survey My Property?

How Much Does a Land Survey Cost?

National Wildlife Federation vs. FEMA Ruling What's the difference?

What are some good links?

Erosion Control - Why It's Critical To Your Project (at any size)

What did Harmsen Do For The Sultan River Landslide?

How do we protect the environment using inflatable water dams?

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Civil Engineering Questions

Notes From the Field

Survey Questions

About Us

NAvigation

About

Services

ProJects