5331 Skylane Blvd, Santa Rosa, CA, United States of America, 95403
Feeds
Before You Sell the Land, Get the Lay of It—Why Land Surveys Matter
When it comes to selling vineyard or winery property, it’s not just about location—it's about clarity, compliance, and confidence. That’s where Ray Carlson & Associates comes in.
With more than 40 years of experience in surveying and land consulting, Ray Carlson & Associates helps wine industry professionals protect their investment and maximize value by providing comprehensive, high-precision land surveys. Whether you're selling your estate or subdividing a large property, a survey is more than a technical requirement—it’s a strategic tool.
Why a Land Survey Matters When Selling
Selling a vineyard or winery often involves complex property features—easements, access roads, water rights, and unique zoning requirements. A boundary dispute or an overlooked flood zone designation can delay or derail a deal.
Ray Carlson & Associates offers a suite of services to ensure your transaction goes smoothly:
Boundary and Easement Surveys: Clarify legal property lines and access rights.
Topographic & ALTA/NSPS Surveys: Critical for title insurance and due diligence.
FEMA Flood Zone & Elevation Certificates: Help buyers understand risk and insurance needs.
As-Built Surveys & Parcel Mapping: Provide accurate documentation of existing conditions and potential land splits.
Technology-Driven Precision
Using cutting-edge drone (UAV) technology, GPS systems, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Ray Carlson & Associates delivers not just maps, but actionable insights. Their aerial surveys, 3D fly-throughs, and vineyard-specific mapping services are especially valuable to buyers seeking clarity on what they’re purchasing.
Supporting the Whole Transaction
The team also supports real estate transactions through consulting and expert witness services—whether it's backing up a title report or providing historical aerial photos for development research.
Designed for the Wine Industry
With vineyard as-built mapping, development planning, and regulatory compliance documentation, their services are tailored for the unique needs of vineyard and winery properties. That’s why top developers, brokers, and landowners in wine country trust Ray Carlson & Associates for their mapping needs.
Thinking of selling? Make your first call the one that sets the foundation for a smooth and profitable transaction. Ray Carlson & Associates is ready to help you map the way forward.
Why Vineyard Development Starts with Accurate Land Surveys
Starting a new vineyard or expanding an existing one is a complex and costly process. Without accurate land data, vineyard development projects can face delays, legal disputes, and unforeseen costs. That’s why land surveys are an essential first step for any vineyard development project.
At Ray Carlson & Associates, we’ve been helping vineyard owners in Sonoma, Napa, and surrounding areas navigate the challenges of vineyard development for over four decades. Here’s why accurate land surveys are so important.
Planning Your Vineyard Development
The first step in vineyard development is determining whether the land is suitable for growing grapes. Accurate surveying data allows vineyard managers and developers to evaluate key factors such as:
Topography: The shape and slope of the land will influence water drainage and irrigation planning.
Soil Quality: Knowing the soil composition and its ability to support grapevines is crucial.
Sun Exposure: The orientation of the land can affect vine growth and grape quality.
Without precise surveying data, these factors are harder to assess, and mistakes can be costly.
Types of Surveys Needed for Vineyard Development
For vineyard development, several types of surveys are typically required:
Topographic Surveys: These surveys measure the contours of the land, allowing for optimal irrigation planning, road placement, and vine row layout.
Boundary Surveys: A clear understanding of the property’s boundaries ensures that development stays within legal limits.
Environmental Surveys: Some areas may require environmental assessments to ensure that the development doesn’t impact local ecosystems or violate zoning laws.
The Role of GPS and GIS in Vineyard Planning
Ray Carlson & Associates uses cutting-edge GPS and GIS technology to gather accurate data for vineyard development. GIS (Geographic Information System) allows for detailed mapping of features like irrigation lines, vine spacing, and even crop yield data. This makes it easier to plan for new vineyard sections, ensure that water resources are efficiently used, and track long-term productivity.
Avoiding Common Pitfalls
Vineyard development projects often encounter delays or complications when land surveys are not conducted properly. For example, misinterpreting boundary lines can lead to encroachments, disputes with neighbors, or delays in obtaining permits. Comprehensive surveys conducted by Ray Carlson & Associates reduce the risk of such issues.
For vineyard owners looking to build or expand, the importance of accurate surveys cannot be overstated. At Ray Carlson & Associates, we have the expertise and tools necessary to ensure that your vineyard development project proceeds smoothly and efficiently.
Contact Ray Carlson & Associates to Begin Your Vineyard Development With Accurate Land Surveys!
ray carlson & associates vineyard development vineyard management land survey land permits boundary lines GPS topographic surveys boundary
Understanding ALTA Surveys: Why They’re Crucial for Wine Industry Transactions
When it comes to buying or selling land, especially in the wine industry, it's crucial to ensure that property boundaries are clearly defined. One of the most important tools for achieving this is an ALTA/NSPS survey - an industry standard for real estate transactions.
Ray Carlson & Associates specializes in provided detailed ALTA surveys for wineries, vineyards and other wine industry properties. Understanding what an ALTA survey entails and why it's important can help ensure that your property transactions proceed smoothly.
What is an ALTA Survey?
An ALTA/NSPS survey is a type of land survey that adheres to specific standards set by the American Land Title Association (ALTA) and the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS). These surveys are typically required for real estate transactions, particularly those involving title insurance. They provide a detailed report of the property's boundaries, improvements, easements, and any other factors that may affect ownership.
Why Are ALTA Surveys Important for the Wine Industry?
The wine industry, with its vast vineyards and unique land requirements, relies heavily on ALTA surveys to ensure that property boundaries are clearly defined. These surveys are crucial in preventing future disputes over land ownership, access, and rights. Whether buying a new piece of vineyard property or selling part of a whine estate, an ALTA survey can prevent costly legal issues.
For wineries and vineyards, the accuracy of land boundaries is essential. Mistakes in boundary determinations could lead to:
- Disputes over property lines: Incorrect survey data can lead to conflicts with neighboring landowners over land ownership.
- Title Insurance Problems: Without an accurate survey, title insurance companies may not be willing to issue policies, which could delay or derail a transaction.
- Zoning and Environmental Concerns: ALTA surveys also help ensure compliance with zoning laws and environmental regulations, which is critical in the wine industry.
Key Components of an ALTA Survey
An ALTA Survey typically includes the following elements:
- Boundary Lines: Precise measurement of property boundaries and corners.
- Improvements: Identification of any structures on the property, such as buildings, roads,fences, and utility lines.
- Easements and Rights of Way: Documentation of any rights that other parties may have to use the property for specific purposes, such as access roads or utility lines.
- Topographic Information: Elevation data and terrain features, which are especially important for vineyards where slope and drainage are critical factors.
- Access Points: Locations of roads and access points to the property, ensuring that there are no disputes over entry rights.
How Ray Carlson & Associates Can Help
With Ray Carlson & Associates handling your ALTA surveys, you can rest assured that your land transaction will be based on accurate, up-to-date data. Their decades of experience in the North Bay area have made them experts in the specific needs of the wine industry, and they understand the importance of getting it reight the first time.
Whether you're buying a new vineyard or selling an existing wine estate, Ray Carlson & Associates provides the reliable survey data you need to navigate the complexities of land transactions.
Contact Ray Carlson & Associates to Get Started with Your ALTA Survey Today
Ray Carlson and Associates ALTA Survey Property Lines Insurance Zoning
How Drone Technology Is Changing the Way Vineyards Are Mapped
In the Wine Industry, precision is key. Whether it's for developing new vineyard sites, expanding existing operations, or managing irrigation systems, having accurate land data is critical. This is where modern surveying technology comes into play.
Ray Carlson & Associates has been at the forefront of using these cutting-edge technologies to provide accurate and efficient land surveys for the North Bay wine industry, including vineyards in Sonoma, Napa, and beyond.
The Role of Drones in Surveying
Drones - or unmanned aerial vehicles (UaVs) - have taken land surveying to new heights. With high-definitiion cameras and GPS-enabled flight paths, drones capture precise aerial images that can be stitched together to create detailed topographic maps and 3D models. These models help vineyard owners visualize their land in ways that were once impossible with traditional surveys.
Using drones to map vineyard properties offers several advantages:
- Efficient Coverage: Drones can quickly cover large areas of land that might otherwise be difficult or costly to survey on foot.
- Detailed Aerial Imagery: High-resolution aerial images allow for better visualization of the land's topography, including slopes, water drainage, and potential hazards.
- 3D Modeling: Aerial surveys can generate 3D models of the land, making it easier to plan for new vineyard layouts, irrigation systems, and other infrastructure.
How This Technology Benefits Vineyards
For vineyards, using GPS and drones to survey land is not just about precision - it's about gaining a deeper understanding of the property. Whether you're designing a new vineyard or managing an existing one, accurate data abou tthe land's contours, irrigation systems, and growth potential can make a huge difference.
- Optimal Land Use: With accurate topographic maps, you can decide where to plant grapevines based on the best land conditions.
- Irrigation and Drainage Planning: Knowing the exact slope and contours of your vineyard helps plan an efficient irrigation system, reducing water waste and optimizing vine health.
- Increased Efficiency: Drones make it possible to survey and collect data from hard-to-reach or large areas, reducing the amount of time it takes to get results.
Why Ray Carlson & Associates?
With over 40 years of surveying experience in Sonoma, Napa, and surrounding counties, Ray Carlson & Associates has developed a deep understanding of the land - and the technology used to map it. Our surveys offer unparalleled accurace and efficiency, ensuring that vineyard owners can make the best decisions about their properties.
Contact Ray Carlson & Associates today to see how our surveying can benefit your vineyard.
Drones Land Surveying GIS GPS Ray Carlson & Associates Vineyard management planning
Are you ready to maximize your vineyard's potential? Visit Ray Carlson & Associates at the WIN Expo!
Ray Carlson & Associates: Mapping a Better World
Consulting Services Time and Cost Savings - Our meticulous and efficient approach, combined with our strong relationships with public agencies, helps you
The Geographic Information System Advantage
The Geographic Information System Advantage
The Ray Carlson & Associates, Inc. business model includes an experienced Geographic Information System (GIS) division which serves to enhance the company’s leadership position among land surveying companies. A geographic information system is a blending of software, hardware, and data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information. Layers and tables of information are combined to provide a framework in order to plan, model and make better decisions. Your purpose dictates which layers of information are used.
Internally our GIS Division tracks all jobs through a customized GIS-enabled database which allows for increased data access, tracking of submittals and efficiency among adjacent jobs with the integration of thousands of job records. As GIS improves our surveying, so the combination of high precision GPS and land expertise of our surveying professional counterparts allows us to, in turn, to be considered uniquely advantageous among GIS consultants.
In addition to supporting surveying and mapping services, GIS at Ray Carlson and Associates, Inc. offers considerable benefits to vineyard owners. GIS brings a series of new and highly innovative technologies to industry and agriculture for work planning, inventory control, and site analysis solutions. With seasoned vineyard and certified GIS professionals, we have started from the ground up to build the only verifiable vineyard As-Built mapping system giving you vine level management of your water system and drainage.
Your Management Decisions Are Only as Good as Your As-Built Mapping.
Ray Carlson & Associates GIS Geographic Information Systems Mapping
Video Branding Fly Through
Make your content visual. Use 3-D Fly-through video to provide a Drone tour of your property and illustrate your unique story like never before. We use Google Earth 3-D model of the world as a base, then add personalized mapping with GIS, logos, pictures, text, and narration. You can even watch a sunset. We deliver a movie format file for use on a web page, smartphones, kiosk, PowerPoint presentations, staff training, and education, posting to Linkedin, Facebook, blogs and other social media. We do not use a template – our designs are custom fit to message and content and complete image.
We can also provide a virtual fly-through in an AutoCAD® environment to show how grading plans, new farming conversions, and future facilities will appear.
Example Layers of information to Add:
- Soil type and underlying geology
- Slopes and related vineyard development acreage (per regulation/request)
- Wine appellation (aka American Viticultural Areas)
- Aspect –the direction slopes face
- Geography of an area (i.e. next to a creek, mountain top, protected valley)
- Weather (fog intrusion, Mediterranean similar to Italy/France, etc.)
- Vineyard block locations, names, what wines came from what block.
- More detail vineyard block information because people are asking a specific varietal, clones, rootstock etc. and what makes these special for the given site.
- Farming practices (Ex: Sustainable/”Green”, Organic/Biodynamic, water use, hand-selected harvesting, creek & wildlife buffer strips, Foster year-round workforce supporting local families and economy
- Winemaking philosophy and unique personalities
- Improvements (existing vineyard, wells, buildings, fences, etc.)
- On-site pictures from locations they were taken
Example Uses:
- Marketing and educating wine clients and/or distributors
- Train staff to understand and sell more products.
- Selling Real-Estate
- Illustrate sun exposure of house or vineyard site(s) with actual sunrise/sunset location or animation, viewshed(s), etc.
- Public forum presentations for development and approval
- Social Media Content
Benefits and Value:
- Show an in-depth report visually representing information in a more meaningful and useful format
- Increase distributorship sales
- Set yourself apart from the competition
- Create a better understanding/relationship with the client
- Increase direct sales by branding your locale
- Tell your story better and put your clients there, wherever they are in the world.
Video Branding Examples
Some clients that have put this tool to work:
- Kobrand Corp
- Estero Ranch
- Alexander Valley – Hall Ranch
Vineyard Mapping by Ray Carlson & Associates, Inc.
Tentative Maps / Site Maps
A map of a proposed subdivision project that is submitted to a local planning agency for study and conditional approval.
Parcel Maps
A Parcel Map is an official map that shows a subdivision of land into four or fewer parcels, sometimes with a “designated remainder.” This map depicts property lines, easements, and monuments set by the Professional Land Surveyor in accordance with the Subdivision Map Act and local ordinance. The map is created to show the locations of each parcel and its relation to surrounding surveys. A Parcel Map is recorded within the county in which the survey is performed, following acceptance by all agencies and governing bodies.
Record of Survey
Record of Survey is a map that shows the location of deed described boundary or easement lines, based on field measurements. Sometimes only a portion of the entire site is shown. This map is reviewed by the County Surveyor for the elements required by the Land Surveyors Act, and then filed within the county in which the survey was performed. A Record of Survey represents the opinion of the Professional Land Surveyor as to the location of those described lines and retracement findings. The Record of Survey also shows sufficient information to locate the survey on the ground, and documents potential title issues related to the specific property lines shown and affected neighboring parcels.
The above two maps were used in court to prove that the owner had planted a vineyard over an equestrian easement. The one on the left was marked on a quad sheet to represent an existing road. The one on the right is a current aerial showing the property.
Court Exhibits
Mapping of locations such as accident scenes, property line encroachments, specific to an event, for the purpose of presenting a visual display for use in court proceedings. We use historical archives, aerials, and hundreds of mapping layers to add to thoroughly researched and surveyed disputes.
Ray Carlson & Associates, Inc. uses the combined capabilities of AutoCAD® Civil 3D and ESRI® ArcGIS software to provide you with professional, accurate maps for illustration or submission requirements.
For engineers, architects and land managers we can provide our maps in AutoCAD® dwg or ESRI® shapefile formats for easy integration into your workflow.
We can work with art departments and graphic designers to provide raster and vector images for use with Adobe Creative Suite applications.
Contact Cindee for more information (707) 528-7649 or Cindeen@RCMaps.com
Ray Carlson & Associates Celebrates Its 45th Anniversary
July 28th – Ray Carlson & Associates is proud to announce that July 31, 2021 will mark the completion of our 45th year in business!
We would like to thank the community for supporting us over the years and allowing us the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and experience providing land survey services and vineyard management tools throughout Mendocino, Sonoma, Marin, Napa, and Lake Counties.
We look forward to many more years in the community as we continue mapping for a better world.
Thank you, from everyone at Ray Carlson & Associates Inc.
To find out how your land or vineyard can benefit from our vast experience, call us at 707-528-7649 or visit us at www.rcmaps.com.
Video Branding for Your Vineyard or Tasting Room
Ray Carlson & Associates use 3D Fly-through video to provide a helicopter-like tour of your property. Using a Google Earth 3D model of the world as a base, we then add personalized mapping (GIS), logos, pictures, text and narration. You can even watch a sunset. We deliver a movie format file for use on web page, phonesPDA, kiosk, PowerPoint presentations, staff training and education, posting to Facebook, Linkedin, blogs and other social media. We do not use a template -- our designs are custom fit to message and content and complete image.
Visit http://www.rcmaps.com/video-branding.php to learn more.
About
One of the great advantages Ray Carlson and Associates, Inc. has to offer prospective clients, is our vast knowledge of the land in Sonoma, Marin, Napa, Lake and Mendocino Counties.
We have been surveying and mapping these areas since 1976.
What does that mean to you? It means that we already have records and knowledge of over 3,000 land parcels. We know original survey lines and monuments used by previous surveyors, we have great rapport with the necessary agencies to complete and record a survey, and we stay on the leading edge of surveying technology to ensure you the highest possible professional service.
We have a deep connection with, and respect for the land.
Ray Carlson grew up in Booneville, surrounded by the beauty of the land in Mendocino and Sonoma Counties. He cares for the land and he cares for the communities that make their home on those lands.
Consulting Services
WE OFFER YOU
Savings of Time and Money - Our thorough and efficient services, attention to detail, and our excellent rapport with public agencies let you maintain better control of your project and reduce costly oversights.
Risk Prevention - Accuracy is the foundation of our work. That accuracy and attention to detail ensures your protection against unnecessary complications and exposure during property transactions and development.
Reliability- Our years of experience, our vast library of previously surveyed parcels, and our reputation for integrity, make us an extremely reliable member of your project team.
Innovation- Our up-to-date and innovative surveying methods bring you the best the surveying world has to offer.
Contact
Contact List
| Title | Name | Phone | Extension | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Land Surveyor/ President | Ray Carlson | rayc@rcmaps.com | 707-528-7649 | |
| GIS/ Vineyard Services Manager | Walter Moody | wmoody@rcmaps.com | 707-528-7649 | |
| Office Manager | Kirsten Logan | kirsten@rcmaps.com | 7075715512 |
Location List
| Locations | Address | State | Country | Zip Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ray Carlson & Associates, Inc. | 5331 Skylane Blvd, Santa Rosa | CA | United States of America | 95403 |
List of Locations
Facebook feeds
Profile Picture