Redefining property boundaries in Altstätten, Switzerland

Accurate records of official property boundaries for Switzerland’s land registry are an essential part of real estate exchanges, land development, city planning, bank mortgages and more. As maintenance and expansion projects take place in both cities and villages across the country, situations arise in which official property records fall behind and fail to reflect the most current boundary realities. 
Surveying team Sophie Bösch and Peter Bötschi from FKL & Partner AG completed a cadastral surveying project to solve such a boundary record case in Altstätten, Switzerland just a few kilometres down the road from Leica Geosystems’ Heerbrugg site.  
Established in 1920, FKL shares more than a passion for surveying with its Swiss neighbour – like Leica Geosystems, FKL has over a hundred years of history in eastern Switzerland. Headquartered in Grabs, FKL specialises in land registry surveying, laser scanning, geoinformatics and other surveying and civil engineering services. They complete work for government entities, construction companies, private individuals and, in this case, for the Swiss Cadastral System.  

Creating an accurate picture of the country through cadastral surveying

The Swiss Cadastral System (SCS) is one of the most advanced in the world, benefiting from surveyors like FKL who use the latest methods and technologies to digitally document properties and add to collections of cadastral maps and land registries. SCS, in turn, makes this data publicly available and easily searchable on their website, providing official geoinformation regarding property boundaries (as pictured below).

A cadastral map of the project survey area in Altstätten (above), with satellite imagery of the same location (below).

FKL is responsible for recording and updating cadastral surveys for the Altstätten area, contributing to the nationwide project to provide high-accuracy, digital land registry information. 

Sophie Bösch uses the Leica TS16 to complete cadastral survey work along the extended road in Altstätten

Bötschi and Bösch were able directly share the recorded points with their evaluation software in the office to adjust the property plans. Using the GS18 I also ensured that the comprehensive visual data available through the rover was registered in the Leica Captivate field software for immediate use on-site and captured for later reference. They could then measure additional details in-office as needed from the already recorded data

Boundaries redefined

Now, the boundaries are properly placed along edges of the street, ensuring that the road parcel no longer runs over the neighbouring properties and ownership relationships are clearly demarcated.

FKL also made their work available as geographic information system (GIS) data, helping the SWS keep the public informed with up-to-date geospatial information. This and other cadastral surveying projects completed by FKL comprise important and ongoing work to contribute to and keep current the comprehensive records that create an accurate picture of properties across Switzerland, benefiting landowners, enabling planning and development and facilitating secure investments.