Get information about the township, county, and land range. If you have information about the name of the last surveyor or the date of the survey, this can also be helpful. If you have limited information, you potentially will have to sift through a lot of surveys to find the one you need.
In some cases, particularly with larger tracts of land, the survey may be kept at the state rather than local level. You may be able to view the actual survey online, since many places digitize these records. Even if you can’t view the actual survey online, at least you know where the survey is located so you can go to the right office and look at it. Some property offices may be willing to mail you a copy of the survey for the cost of postage plus fees for copying.
Property search sites can be easier to navigate than government sites, and they may give you better results if you have limited information. On the other hand, if you use a third-party search site you may end up paying for a survey you could have gotten for free if you’d done a little legwork with the local property office.
Be prepared to provide all the information you have about the property so staff can locate any surveys of that property. Often you can look at the land survey for free, but you’ll have to pay a fee if you want your own copy. Some records offices also may charge a search fee if you don’t have exact information about the property.
When you reach the surveyor, explain that you want a copy of the survey they completed. If they have it, they may charge you to make a copy of it.
You’ll need as much information about the property as possible for staff to locate the correct deed. Keep in mind that deeds aren’t always organized by street address. You may need a plat number or mortgage description. Expect to pay a fee for a copy of the deed. You also may have to pay a fee for the search. Property title search companies also may have access to this information. If you’re in the process of buying the property, talk to your real estate agent and find out if a title search has been conducted.
If you’re planning to have a new survey done, these markers can be helpful to your surveyor. Make a note of them so you can point them out.
Cost is only one factor to evaluate when you’re choosing a surveyor. An experienced surveyor with a good reputation may charge more, but their ultimate product may be worth the higher price.
Most homeowners in the United States spend around $500 to have a land survey completed. [9] X Research source
Your surveyor will come to the property and measure it against the legal record. They’ll create a map of the property that includes information about the property itself and why the survey was performed.
Older surveys may not account for changes in the land, or may include outdated landmarks or structures on the property that no longer exist. Generally, get a new survey if the old survey doesn’t reflect the condition of the current property.
In the case of a boundary fence, your neighbor may be willing to split the cost of a survey with you as the fence would benefit them as well as you.
Most surveyors will mark the location of underground pipes and cables. In some cases, you may need to specially request this information.
If you think you’re going to hire an attorney, you probably should talk to more than one so you can choose the attorney who best suits your needs and budget. However, you don’t need to go to all that effort if you just have a simple question about land surveys.
