Land surveying: what to know

What the job involves, what changes the price, and what to ask a pro.

What land surveying is

A licensed land surveyor measures and maps land boundaries, corners, easements and features, sets markers and prepares a plat or report. Surveys are used for property sales, fences, additions and building plans. This is general information only and not legal advice about your property.

Signs you need it

  • You are buying or selling land, and the lender or title company requires a current survey before closing
  • You plan to build a fence, a garage, an addition or a shed near a property line and need the exact boundary
  • Neighbors disagree about where the line or a fence belongs, and you need the corners found and marked
  • You are dividing a parcel, combining lots or adding an easement, and the local office needs a plat or a legal description
  • An old survey is missing or unclear, and the corners you can see do not match the deed or the plat

What the pro does

  • The surveyor researches the deed, the recorded plats and the prior surveys for the parcel and its neighbors
  • They visit the site and search for the existing monuments and corners, measuring their positions
  • They measure the boundaries, the improvements, the easements, the utilities and the features the survey must show
  • They reconcile the field measurements with the records, and note any gaps, overlaps or conflicts
  • They set new markers where the corners are missing and document the work in the field notes
  • They prepare the plat, the survey drawing or the report with the stamp and the certification the purpose requires

What changes the price

Every job is different, so we do not publish prices. These are the things that move the quote up or down.

  • Size and shape of the parcel, and the length of the boundary lines to be walked and measured
  • Terrain, vegetation and obstacles that slow the field work
  • Amount of research needed, including old deeds, plats and prior surveys with conflicts
  • Type of survey, such as a boundary survey, a topographic survey or a construction stake-out
  • Number of corners and markers to be found, set or replaced
  • Whether the survey must be recorded or certified for a lender or a title company
  • Rush timing for a closing or a permit

What a written quote should spell out

  • Type of survey and the purpose it is prepared for, such as a sale, a fence or a permit
  • Boundary lines and corners to be located, and the markers to be set
  • Improvements, easements and utilities to be shown on the drawing
  • Research of the records, including the deed, plats and prior surveys
  • Plat or drawing format, the stamp and the certification delivered
  • Revision terms and what happens if the records conflict with the field findings

Questions to ask before you hire

  • Are you licensed as a land surveyor in this state, and can I check the license with the state board?
  • Which type of survey do I need for my purpose, and who needs to receive it?
  • Will you set new markers at the corners, and who should I call if one is disturbed later?
  • How will you handle any conflict between the deed, the plat and the markers you find?
  • What will the drawing show, such as easements, utilities and encroachments?
  • How long will the field work and the drawing take, and when can I have the final stamped copy?
  • Will the survey be certified for my lender or title company, and to whom?

Red flags

  • They offer a survey without researching the deed, the plats or the existing corners
  • They are not licensed in the state where the land is located
  • They draw the boundary from an aerial image without field measurements
  • They will not show the field notes or explain how they handled a conflict in the records

What you can do yourself

You can gather the deed, the title policy, any old surveys and the plat map from the county records office, and look for property corners and iron pins. Do not move or dig up markers, do not set stakes that may be used to define a legal boundary, and do not rely on a fence or a hedge as the boundary without a survey. Call a licensed land surveyor when you need the line marked or a legal drawing prepared.

Licenses and permits

Land surveyors are commonly licensed at the state level, and surveys used for property sales, plats or permits commonly must be stamped by a licensed surveyor. Check with your state licensing board for the surveyor's license status and the rules for stamped surveys in your area, and check with your county recorder or planning office for the plat and recording rules.

Land surveying questions

Why does my neighbor's survey show a different line than my fence?

Fences and hedges often sit off the true line. A survey finds the recorded corners and the markers and shows where the boundary is. Ask the surveyor to show the corners, the measurements and the records used for each conclusion.

Do I need a new survey to sell my house?

Often the lender or the title company requires a current survey or a survey update. Ask your agent and your lender what they require before you order the survey.

What is a plat?

A plat is a recorded map that shows the lots, the streets, the easements and the boundaries of a subdivision or a parcel. A surveyor prepares the plat and it is filed with the county. Ask the surveyor whether a new plat is needed for your project.

About this guide

This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.

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