How is a brick-type retaining wall referred to in a land survey, as a "retaining wall" or as a "landscape wall?" Is the wall of drainage rock behind the retaining wall considered to be part of the retaining wall in the measurements? Where specifically does the measurement start on the retaining wall, the top cap, the wall itself or were the drainage rock wall behind the retaining wall end? Thanks in advance for any clarifications?
I've been doing topos for over 30 years and I've never heard the term "landscape wall" before.
What kind of survey is it? Boundary? Monitoring the structure? Is it near a boundary?
Can you see that the layer of drainage rock is the same thickness from the top of the wall to the bottom, or can you only see it at the top?
What is the context for this question?
In general, the retaining wall itself is considered the improvement, not the natural material that it is holding back. The extent and width is shown on a boundary survey; the height might be shown on a boundary survey, and definitely would be shown if a topographic survey was conducted.
If the wall is the focus of a dispute, or if we were engaged to specifically "survey a retaining wall" we would show some more detail. But again, it all depends on the context.
I'd be curious to know what prompted the question...
(Edit to add: all walls, retaining or otherwise, are shown as a matter of course. I also have never heard of a "landscape wall", and the fact is that different surveyors might use different descriptions for the same wall.)
From a survey perspective, we are merely locating the wall relative to other improvements in the general case. We are not involved in the quality or essential need to exist for that wall. How it is labeled is a minor issue, so long as it is a valid general description. I, too, have never heard one referred to as a landscape wall, although that might be the only reason for it to exist. In my area we have many short retaining walls that run parallel to streets that are constructed out of various types of stone. Those are actually still on the street as platted but the landowners are typically told by the City that the landowner is responsible for the maintenance. Higher concrete retaining walls of engineered design are most frequently also placed by the City. Again, the land surveyor's role is to locate where they are.
There are, of course, cases where land surveyors provide monitoring services on large retaining walls. That is a totally different can of worms from the common survey.
