Texas

By Maria Gutierrez, senior communications specialist, Colliers Engineering & Design Whether it pertains to acquiring sites, designing improvements or developing a residential or commercial property in Texas, land terminology can quickly become confusing. Two terms that are commonly mistaken, and often used interchangeably, are survey and plat. “In this field, people often use these terms synonymously, but they fulfill completely different steps in the development process,” notes San Antonio-based Corey Campbell, RPLS, geographic discipline leader for survey and geospatial at Colliers Engineering & Design. “A survey gathers and documents the physical facts about the land on the ground, while a plat uses those facts to legally define how that land is divided and recorded for the future.” Because an approved plat depends entirely on accurate site data, a comprehensive title survey is almost always the required first step. Navigating that transition from survey to recorded plat requires a complete end-to-end strategy. That is where Kelly Kephart, senior project manager and Texas platting director for survey and geospatial services at Colliers Engineering & Design, spends her time. Based in Houston and with 26 years of experience and over 1,000 completed plats, Kephart helps developers clear regulatory hurdles and manage the entire …