Wondering how much a land survey costs? On average, you're looking at $380 to $750, with most homeowners paying around $565. But wait! There's more to the story.
The price can vary widely based on factors like lot size, shape, and location. Whether you're settling boundary disputes, planning improvements, or just curious about your property lines, understanding these costs is crucial. Let's dive into what affects land survey prices and how to get the best value.
Key Takeaways
- The average cost of a land survey ranges from $380 to $750, with most homeowners paying around $565.
- Factors affecting land survey costs include the type of survey, property size, location, terrain complexity, and availability of existing information.
- Different types of land surveys serve various purposes, such as boundary surveys ($100-$600), mortgage surveys (around $500), and topographic surveys ($500-$1,200).
Understanding Land Surveys
So, what is a land survey? Put simply, land surveying is the process of measuring plots of land to understand their precise dimensions. However, it’s not as simple as just getting out there and measuring everything yourself. As well as being an almost impossible task, a DIY land survey wouldn’t be legally binding. Instead, you need a licensed professional to complete a survey for you with the use of equipment including drones, lasers, and scanners.
Those professionals will then use those survey dimensions to produce precise maps of your plot. This can help to determine exact boundaries, which could help with –
- Planning an expansion project.
- Understanding taxation bands.
- Settling any legal disputes with neighbors.
- Buying or selling a property.
- Refinancing a mortgage.
- Determining the land's size after inheritance.
Your town or municipality will typically keep a copy of any land surveys in your local tax or assessor’s office for longevity purposes, and for use in any additional surveys in the future.
Land Survey Cost Factors
An average land survey can set you back anywhere between $100-$3,000. That’s a major price gap to bridge, and which side of the river your survey falls on will ultimately depend on a range of telling cost factors, such as –
- Type of survey: As we’ll discuss, various types of land surveys involve different levels of detail, and are perhaps the most variable cost factors.
- Location: Surveys in rural areas are typically cheaper than those in Metropolitan areas.
- Land size: Most surveyors will offer bulk rates on large projects. While you will ultimately pay more for a survey on a large plot of land, you can still expect a lower per-acre rate than you’d pay on a small plot.
- Availability of parcel information: Surveyors rely on public information to complete a land survey, and may charge more if that information is difficult to access.
- Deadlines: Land surveys require preparation and planning to be effective. If you want a land survey within a tight deadline for the sake of something like a property purchase or sale, you’ll likely end up paying more.
- Terrain: Sloped, rocky, or tree-covered land is more difficult to survey, and will cost you more than a simple flat plot would.
- Special services: Surveyors will charge more if you require special services, such as the presentation of survey findings to a zoning commission, buyer, or legal team.
- Time of year: Surveys conducted in tricky conditions like ice, snow, and heavy rain, tend to cost more. In other words, a winter survey may end up costing more than one completed during summer.
Preparing for a Land Survey
While you can’t change the nature of your land, preparation before a land survey could help to save you money and save your surveyors time. Tasks you might want to complete in the lead-up to your land survey include –
- Gathering your documents: Heading to your local county offices to obtain vital documents like title deeds and any previous surveys can help to save your surveyor time, and will likely cut survey costs.
- Informing neighboring properties: Before you know precisely where your property boundaries lie, there’s a risk that surveyors will end up encroaching on neighboring land. Make sure this doesn’t become a problem by informing your closest neighbors about your land survey in advance. If you're not familiar with who owns the land, perform a property record search to learn.
- Preparing your land: Land preparations like the clearing of weeds or excessive plant growth can simplify surveys and save you money.
Understanding what type of survey you need: As we’ll discuss, different types of surveys bring varying costs and serve different purposes. Developing some understanding of the type of survey you might need in advance can help you budget, and contact the right specialist land surveyors for your needs.
Types of Land Surveys and Costs
There are a multitude of different types of land surveys. The right one for you will depend on everything from where you’re based, to the land you’re dealing with, and your reasons for wanting a land survey in the first place.
The most common types of land surveys to consider include –
Boundary Surveys ($100-$600)
As the name suggests, boundary surveys confirm your land boundaries. This relatively basic survey can help with mapping out new constructions or simply making sure that a new fence doesn’t broach your neighbor’s land (of you want to sell land to your neighbor).
Mortgage Surveys (Around $500)
Mortgage surveys are an essential part of the mortgage financing process, and help to determine property boundaries in advance of a sale or purchase. You should also seek a mortgage survey before refinancing your property.
Topographic Surveys ($500-$1,200)
Rather than focusing on boundaries alone, topographical surveys map out any natural or man-made features on your property (including any fences, rivers, trees, or walls) in advance of projects like new builds.
Construction Surveys ($400-$1,800)
Speaking of new builds, construction surveys compile a range of different surveys, including boundary and topographic surveys, to map out an area for planned construction.
ALTA Surveys ($1,200-$3,000)
American Land Title’s Association (ALTA) surveys are the most comprehensive (and most expensive) kind of land survey and are typically used for property purchases, or for settling legal land disputes. Some mortgage lenders will also require an ALTA survey before the purchase of any land or property.
Subdivision Surveys ($300-$1,000)
Subdivision surveys divide the land into different subplots and survey each to ensure they meet zoning requirements. This can be useful if you intend to split a parcel for any reason, or are planning a building project.
As-Built Surveys ($800-$1,200)
As-built surveys are useful for anyone planning a home construction or landscaping project, as they provide a detailed 3D drawing of your property and land as it is.
Saving on Land Survey Costs
Land survey costs can soon add up, but there are steps you can take to lessen the amount you pay overall, such as –
- Understanding what type of survey you need: There's no need to pay upwards of $1,200 for an as-built survey if you only need to know your land boundaries. Before you pursue a land survey, make sure you know what you need, and roughly how much you can expect to pay for it so that you never pay above the odds.
- Researching your land records: Your surveyor will likely offer a reduced rate if you’re able to provide land records like previous survey findings upfront, rather than requiring them to investigate.
- Clearing the area for fast access: Clearing the survey area of roots and unwanted growth, and making sure of easy access, can result in quicker and more affordable surveys overall.
- Dividing your plot: Except for something like a boundary survey, which should consider your entire plot, don’t hesitate to divide your plot, and only get a survey on the piece of land you intend to complete work or construction on.
- Collaborating with neighbors: If you’re getting a survey to determine something like a neighboring boundary line, then you may find that your neighbor is willing to split the costs. This way, you’ll both receive a copy of the survey, which will simplify future extension projects, fence placements, etc.
- Finding a trusted surveyor: Engaging a trusted, high-quality surveyor with experience in the type of survey that you need can lead to better results, and will ultimately save you money compared with something like an inaccurate or unreliable DIY survey that you’ll need to redo down the line.
When to Get a Land Survey
All of this is well and good, but when exactly would you need a land survey like the ones mentioned? In truth, land surveys serve a variety of different purposes, meaning that you could benefit from investing in a land survey if you’re –
- Planning any construction work on your property, including a custom-built home, extensions, or an ADU (accessory dwelling unit).
- Intend to buy or sell a property and want to know the exact boundary lines.
- Intend to get a mortgage, or refinance your existing property.
- Want to divide your land into smaller lots for construction or sale.
- Need to settle property disputes, such as where your land begins compared with your neighbor’s.
- Are planning to install a boundary fence, but don’t know where to place it.
- And so on.
Land surveys can be beneficial for all of these reasons and more. And, when you take steps to understand land survey costs and how to reduce them, this pursuit needn’t set you back a great deal. Simply make sure that you know what you want from your land survey going in, and seek the best reputable surveyor companies to help you achieve that goal.
FAQ
Why Might I Need a Land Survey?
A property owner might need to get a land survey for several reasons. These include establishing or verifying property lines, resolving property disputes, obtaining land title insurance, land development projects, building a new structure, or, for legal reasons, involving property line disputes.
Can I Survey My Own Property?
While it's technically possible to survey your property, it's recommended that you hire a professional land surveyor. Professional surveyors have the expertise, credentials, experience, and equipment necessary to determine property boundaries accurately.
