What Is a Property Survey, and How Do You Get One?

Property surveys are official records that define the legal boundaries of a piece of land. Such surveys also document your property’s key features.

You may need a property survey if you plan to build a new home, add a structure, or renovate your home. A survey from a licensed surveyor ensures all changes remain in your property lines. This can prevent future disputes.

Mortgage lenders and title companies may also require a survey when buying or selling a home.

Read on to learn more about when you need a property survey, what it typically covers, the different types of surveys available, and how to interpret your survey report.

When and why you need a property survey

During real estate transactions and projects, obtaining a property survey is a good idea. Here are common scenarios where a survey may be necessary:

• Buying or selling a home: Mortgage lenders and title companies may require a survey to define your land boundaries and identify potential issues.^[1]

• Property disputes: Surveys can resolve disagreements about property rights. This can come in handy when planning a construction project near boundary lines or clarifying access rights to a specific area.

• Construction and renovation: A survey informs contractors where to build and identifies potential issues affecting the project.

• Land subdivision: If you plan to divide a large piece of land to sell or pass down, surveys ensure accurate boundary demarcation and compliance with legal and zoning requirements.

• Legal requirement: Your local government may require a property survey to verify compliance with zoning laws, environmental regulations, and building codes. This is especially true for a construction or renovation project that needs a building permit.

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Legal implications of property surveys

A property survey can prevent legal issues that arise in homeownership. Some of these issues include:

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  Resolving boundary disputes

  Property surveys define land boundaries, which can settle legal disputes about where you can build and who can access certain areas of your property. For example, a survey can determine if a potential fence encroaches on or crosses into a neighbor’s property.

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  Impact on property transactions

  Surveys provide the assurance that a property is a sound investment for both you and your lender. They can also reveal issues that affect the property’s value, which you can use as leverage to negotiate a better purchase price.

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  Role in zoning and permitting

  For you to get a permit for a specific project, local authorities may require a survey to check for compliance with local regulations, like zoning laws.

Types of property surveys

Different types of land surveys serve different purposes. Here’s an overview of the seven common property surveys so you can identify which one you need.

• Property boundary survey: This survey identifies your boundary lines and their location. It can be useful if you plan to build a fence, wall, or structure near adjacent properties.

• ALTA/NSPS land title survey: The American Land Title Association (ALTA) and the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS) are professional organizations that conduct comprehensive land surveys. Lenders may require these types of surveys for complex real estate transactions, like those involving high-value homes or major legal concerns.

• Topographic survey: Topographic surveys provide a detailed map of your property’s natural and man-made features, including its contours and elevation changes. This type of survey can help with construction planning, landscaping, and detecting drainage concerns.

• Construction survey: These surveys illustrate existing features and planned changes on a structure or the land. This ensures a construction or major project progresses smoothly with minimal errors, avoiding unnecessary, and often considerable, costs.

• Subdivision survey: If you plan to divide a large parcel of land, a subdivision survey outlines proposed boundary lines to avoid future disputes and adhere to local zoning regulations.

• Mortgage survey: A mortgage survey is a simplified version of the ALTA survey, providing a legal description of a property.^[2] Mortgage lenders may require it to verify the property’s location, boundaries, and existing features to determine if it meets mortgage loan conditions.

Components of a property survey

A property survey provides crucial information on a property, including its boundaries and existing structures. Here’s a brief overview of its components:

• Physical land features: Surveys identify natural features on a piece of land, like bodies of water (streams, ponds, etc.) and vegetation (trees, shrubbery, etc.).

• Legal boundaries: Boundary lines are a key component of land surveys, marking where your property begins and ends.

• Easements and rights of way: Your property may include entry points that others can legally access. For example, it tells you if a neighbor can enter a shared driveway or where a utility company can enter to handle service lines that run under your yard.

• Site improvements: Property surveys identify improvements (structures that increase a property’s value) and their specific locations relative to property lines.^[3]

• Flood zone classification: A property survey may note if your home is in a flood zone, which is an area that experiences increased flood risk.

How a property survey is conducted

A qualified property surveyor conducts a survey using the following steps:

• Pre-survey research: Before visiting the site, a professional land surveyor will pull public records, deeds, and historical maps to understand its boundaries and legal designation.

• Fieldwork and data collection: Surveyors on-site use specialized tools like GPS units and total stations to capture precise measurements of boundary lines, location of structures, and topographical characteristics.

• Analysis and mapping: The surveyor analyzes the collected data to create a detailed property map or survey plat. The document may also include written notes of the surveyor’s findings, highlighting easements, encroachments, and potential issues.

• Delivering the survey report: Surveyors review the report for accuracy and compliance with local and state standards. Then, they share it with the property owner and any relevant parties involved.

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Understanding the survey report

Property surveys can look intimidating, but becoming familiar with their key components can make understanding them easier.

Here’s a closer look at what might appear on your survey report.

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  The property’s information

  This section shows your property’s specific location, including its address, lot and block number, and jurisdiction (such as city or county).

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  Boundary lines

  Surveys typically mark the boundaries with solid or dashed lines. They also list directions and distance measurements between each boundary segment.

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  Legend

  Legends explain what the different symbols and abbreviations on your map mean. You should also find a scale to help with accurate measurements.

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  Compass

  Surveys include a compass to identify the property’s orientation on your map. Depending on the type of survey, you’ll see magnetic north (points to the Earth’s magnetic pole or the direction in which a real compass will point) or geographic north (points to the Earth’s geographic North Pole). Most surveys use geographic north.

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  Written report

  This section discloses the findings that may affect your property, such as easements and encroachments.

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  Surveyor certification

  The certification proves that a licensed land surveyor performed the survey. It includes the surveyor’s name, company, signature, seal, and completion date.

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