FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS


What do Civil Engineers do?

 

Generally, civil engineers design public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, and harbors, or supervise their construction or maintenance. Specifically, Choice One Engineering designs public and private works including roadways, bikepaths, streetscapes, sanitary sewer systems, water distribution, storm sewer systems, site plans, and bridges, in addition to providing surveying services and municipal services including zoning codes, design criteria, and traffic studies. Visit the “Services” link above for more information.

 

What is a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP), and can you provide one?

 

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, an SWPPP is a site-specific, written document that:

  • Identifies potential sources of storm water pollution at a construction site.

  • Describes practices to reduce pollutants in storm water discharges from the construction site. Reduction of pollutants is often achieved by controlling the volume storm water runoff (e.g., taking steps to allow storm water to infiltrate into the soil).

  • Identifies procedures the operator will implement to comply with the terms and conditions of a construction general permit.

 An SWPPP (or similarly named plan) is generally required to comply with EPA’s or a state’s storm water construction general permit. Failure to implement an SWPPP when required by the EPA or the state could result in significant fines from EPA or a state environmental agency. Therefore, it is important that each SWPPP is designed to address the specific conditions at a site, fully implement it, and keep it up-to-date to reflect changes at the site.

 

Choice One Engineering can provide SWPPPs. Please contact Nick Sanders at 937-497-0200 or njs@choiceoneengineering.com for more information.

 

What kind of survey do I need?

 

Depending on what you plan to do with the property/project to be surveyed, there are several different kinds of surveys we can perform. Below is a list of some of the surveys Choice One Engineering can provide.

  • ALTA Survey

  • Boundary Survey

  • Elevation or Floodplain Survey

  • Lot Split Survey

  • Site Plan Survey

  • Quantity Survey

  • Record or As-Built Survey

  • Subdivision Survey

  • Topographic Survey

If you are interested in Choice One Engineering’s surveying services, please contact Wes Goubeaux or Allen Bertke at 937-497-0200 or jmk@choiceoneengineering.com for more information.

 

How much will a survey of my property cost?

 

The cost of a survey depends on several variables including the size of the property to be surveyed, the type of survey, and what sort of documents you require with the survey. Please contact Wes Goubeaux or Allen Bertke at 937-497-0200 or jmk@choiceoneengineering.com for more information.

 

How can I split my property into multiple lots or turn it into a subdivision?

 

Property can be split into multiple lots or into a subdivision as specified in your municipality’s, township’s, or county’s specifications. For further information, please contact our office at 937-497-0200.

 

What is an easement?

 

According to the Ohio Department of Transportation, an easement is a right acquired by one party to use or control property belonging to another party for a designated purpose.

 

What is right-of-way?

 

According to the Ohio Department of Transportation, right-of-way is a strip of land occupied or intended to be occupied by certain transportation and public use facilities, such as roadways, railroads, and utility lines. The land is either owned outright or controlled by easement by the public agency.

 

I saw one of your trucks in front of my house/on my street. What are they doing?

 

Our trucks are used by our survey crews. If you see one of our trucks and/or crews in your area, they have been commissioned by one of our clients to perform some sort of surveying service. This service may be related to an upcoming project involving the roadway or utilities. Contact our office at 937-497-0200 if you have questions regarding survey crews working in your area.

  

Can you provide a building inspection or a structural certification?

 

Choice One Engineering is comprised of civil engineers and professional surveyors, neither of whom can perform building inspections or structural certifications. We suggest contacting a local official (Village Administrator, Planning Commissioner, County Engineer, etc.) for a recommended structural engineer in your area.

 

How do I read a survey plat?

 

The following URLs give some basic instruction to help you read a survey plat and/or legal description. Please note that the information provided at the links below is not maintained by Choice One Engineering, and therefore Choice One Engineering is not responsible for the information contained at these sites.

 

http://www.ehow.com/how_4894838_read-land-survey-plats.html

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plat#Reading_a_plat

 

I’m having drainage issues on my property. Can you help?

 

If you live within an incorporated municipality, it is best to contact municipal officials (City Engineer, Village Administrator, etc.) first to deal with drainage issues on your property. If you do not live within a municipality, we recommend contacting your County Engineer.  Your local municipal official or county engineer will then recommend if you need the assistance of a civil engineer.

 

I see you have two office locations, Sidney and Loveland. Which office should I contact?

 

For most inquiries, please contact our Sidney office at 937-497-0200 or kmb@choiceoneengineering.com. The Sidney office handles all billing, general information, and can put you in touch with the appropriate staff person to answer your question. In general, the Sidney office services counties including Preble, Montgomery, and Greene north, and the Loveland office services counties Butler, Warren, and Clinton south and east.