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I think your question refers to how long a survey is recognized as accurate by an authority using it as an official record of the property, such as a building department, a bank or a tax authority. Property surveys, when prepared and sealed by a licensed surveyor, should be good for as long as all amenities on the property remain the same. For example, after a major earthquake, meteor strike or glacier movement, the topography of the property might change significantly, requiring an adjustment in the drawings based on a new field survey. The surveyor would find a benchmark, possibly on the other side of a newly formed canyon, and, utilizing GPS technology and laser-guided equipment, send signals to the person holding the marked pole at the other end of the canyon. After gathering new data, they would enter the information, coordinate by coordinate, line by line, into a computer, evaluate the mathematics of their findings, add recently built structures, such as a barbecue, pond, bomb shelter or oil rig, and then present you with their survey. After they've scaled the sides of the newly formed canyon and crossed the aforementioned glacier, I hope you pay them well for their efforts.

That should be sufficient for most building departments, except that some want a survey no more than a year old. This is so they can save you and them some time by checking for any zoning violations caused by undocumented structures that did not get permits before you go through the review process. Yes, it costs more, and the extra expense could be avoided by submitting photos of your building(s) and property instead, but only if policy is flexible in your jurisdiction. Most towns and villages are more understanding of how much each item costs when you're building, and the fact that not only do properties rarely have much glacier movement around here, but that an inspector may notice and flag any sheds, decks or detached garages, asking for a survey update or building permit prior to the release of your final certification, anyway.

This honor system still makes you responsible for telling everything about your property. If it turns out that you have zoning violations, then not telling the more lenient authorities can prolong the entire process. When they discover the truth, you may have to refile and go through the zoning board of appeals after all.

There is no set standard for the age of a survey. Each jurisdiction sets its own policy, and some are stricter than others. Surveyors ought to be upset that authorities accept photocopies of their originals, even with copyright clauses printed on them to avoid altering, but that is another dilemma. Asking for originals of all documents would add cost to the process, even though surveyors and other professionals should be more protected from illegal activity, a subject for another day. Beware of earth tremors, and enjoy the holidays.

Readers are encouraged to send questions to: HERALD Homes, 379 Central Avenue, P.O. Box 220, Lawrence, N.Y. 11559-0220Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.