A record of survey is an official, scaled map prepared and signed by a licensed land surveyor that documents the exact boundaries of a specific parcel of land and is filed with the county as a permanent public record. You generally need one when a surveyor’s fieldwork turns up boundary evidence or discrepancies the existing public records don’t show, when new corner monuments are set, when a boundary is disputed, when land is being split or a lot line adjusted, and often when a local building department, lender, or title company asks for current proof of where your lines fall.
What a Record of Survey Is
The document is a scaled drawing showing where a property’s boundaries sit on the ground, based on a licensed surveyor’s measurements and research. It shows the distance and direction of each boundary line, the location of physical markers (called monuments) the surveyor found or placed, any easements or rights-of-way that cross the parcel, and a legal description tying the land to the public records. The surveyor signs and seals it, putting their license behind the accuracy.
People sometimes mix this up with a subdivision plat. A plat covers multiple lots in a development and gets filed before homes are built, creating the lot-and-block system that later deeds reference. A record of survey focuses on one parcel, or a small number of parcels, and typically uses metes-and-bounds descriptions with precise measurements and landmarks. If you already own a home and want to know exactly where your property ends, you’re looking at a record of survey, not a plat.
When You Need One
State laws govern when a surveyor must file a record of survey, and the triggers are broadly similar across jurisdictions. In general, a filing is required whenever fieldwork reveals something the recorded maps don’t already reflect. The common triggers:
- Boundary lines or corner markers aren’t shown on any previously recorded map or subdivision plat.
- Physical conditions on the ground don’t match earlier surveys, deeds, or official maps.
- The surveyor sets new permanent markers, such as iron rebar, iron pipe, or concrete monuments, to define property corners.
- Two neighbors disagree about a property line and a surveyor is brought in to establish it.
- A parcel is being split into smaller lots, or an existing boundary between two parcels is being shifted.
Outside of what state law requires, property owners often commission surveys voluntarily. Building a fence, adding a room, installing a pool, or pulling a building permit can all require proof of where the lines sit. Many local governments want a current survey before issuing construction permits, especially for structures close to a property boundary. If you’re planning improvements and the last survey is years old, check with the building department before assuming the old one will be accepted.
What’s on the Document
A well-prepared record of survey gives anyone reading it a complete picture of the property’s physical and legal boundaries. You’ll see:
- Boundary lines with each one’s compass bearing and measured distance.
- Monuments at the corners, whether recovered from a prior survey or newly set. Modern surveyors typically use iron rebar or iron pipe topped with a cap stamped with the surveyor’s license number.
- Easements and rights-of-way that allow others to use part of the land, such as utility easements or access roads.
- A basis of bearings, which is the reference system the surveyor used to orient measurements so future surveyors can replicate the work.
- A legal description connecting the survey to the deed and public land records.
- The surveyor’s name, license number, signature, and professional seal.
The map often also shows existing structures, fences, and improvements near the boundaries. That matters because a fence that doesn’t track the true line, or a neighbor’s shed that sits across it, can create legal problems if nobody documents it.
Who Prepares and Files It
Only a licensed professional land surveyor, or in some states a licensed civil engineer authorized to practice land surveying, can legally prepare a record of survey. The work has two parts. First, the surveyor researches recorded deeds, prior surveys, subdivision plats, and government land records to understand the parcel’s history. Then they go into the field to locate existing monuments, measure distances, and compare what’s on the ground against what’s on paper.
After drafting the map, the surveyor submits it to the county surveyor’s office for review. The county checks it for technical accuracy and compliance with local filing standards. Once approved, the map is recorded with the county recorder and becomes a permanent public record. State laws typically give surveyors a limited window after completing fieldwork to file, commonly in the range of 90 days, so the work enters the record while the evidence is still fresh.
What It Costs
Fees vary widely with the property and the scope of work. For a straightforward residential boundary survey on a standard suburban lot, expect somewhere between $400 and $1,000. Larger parcels, rural land, heavily wooded sites, or parcels with complicated deed histories push the price higher, sometimes well above that. The main cost drivers:
- Property size. More acreage means more ground to cover.
- Terrain and vegetation. Dense trees, wetlands, or steep slopes slow fieldwork and may require specialized equipment.
- Type of legal description. Platted subdivisions with lot-and-block descriptions are simpler than older metes-and-bounds parcels, which require tracing historical bearings and distances.
- Existing improvements. More structures, fences, and driveways mean more features to locate and document.
- Availability of prior records. Intact monuments and clear previous surveys speed the work; missing monuments and sparse records add research time.
County recording fees for filing the finished document are modest, generally in the range of $30 to $60. An ALTA/NSPS land title survey for a commercial transaction costs significantly more than a residential boundary survey because of the additional detail required.
How Long It Stays Useful
A recorded survey doesn’t technically expire. Once filed, it stays in the public record indefinitely. Its practical usefulness is another matter. New construction, grading, fencing, erosion, flooding, and changes to adjacent properties can all shift conditions on the ground enough that an older map no longer matches reality. Title companies, lenders, and building departments each set their own standards for how recent a survey must be. Fannie Mae’s multifamily program, for instance, requires surveys dated within 360 days of the mortgage recording.1Fannie Mae. Survey For residential transactions, lenders often accept surveys five to ten years old if paired with a seller’s affidavit confirming nothing material has changed.
If you’re relying on a survey for a transaction, permit application, or boundary dispute, ask the party that needs it how recent it must be before you pay for new fieldwork.
How Surveys Affect Closings and Title Insurance
Surveys matter more in real estate transactions than many buyers realize. Standard title insurance policies contain a survey exception, meaning the insurer won’t cover losses from boundary problems, encroachments, or easements that a survey would have revealed. Removing that exception requires giving the title company a current survey.
For residential purchases, whether a lender wants a new survey depends on the loan product, the location, and when the property was last surveyed. Some lenders accept an existing survey with a seller’s affidavit that nothing has changed. Others, especially for new construction or rural land, insist on fresh work. Where surveys aren’t customary in a given area, Fannie Mae requires the lender to obtain an ALTA 9 endorsement to cover survey-related risks, and the title policy must not contain a survey exception in any case.2Fannie Mae. Title Exceptions and Impediments
Commercial deals almost always call for a more detailed product, the ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey. These follow national standards jointly published by the National Society of Professional Surveyors and the American Land Title Association, and they go well beyond a typical boundary survey, mapping easements, encroachments, evidence of possession along the perimeter, and various optional items negotiated between the parties. The current version of the standards took effect February 23, 2026, replacing the 2021 edition.3National Society of Professional Surveyors. 2026 ALTA/NSPS Standards
What Happens When a Survey Finds a Problem
Surveys sometimes deliver unwelcome news. The most common finding is an encroachment, where a fence, driveway, shed, or part of a house crosses the line in one direction or the other. Encroachments don’t resolve themselves just because they’re on the map. The usual options:
- A boundary agreement, in which the neighbors sign a written agreement establishing the line they’ll both respect. In many jurisdictions, these can be recorded with the county to bind future owners.
- An easement, giving the encroaching party a formal legal right to use the strip of the neighbor’s land. This is common when a feature like a septic system or drainage line can’t easily be moved.
- A lot-line adjustment or deed transfer, in which the neighbor whose land is being encroached upon conveys the strip to the other owner, with a surveyor preparing a revised legal description.
- Removal of the encroaching structure.
- A quiet title action, where neighbors can’t agree and a court establishes the boundary. The survey becomes key evidence, though courts also weigh deed language, long-standing use, and other factors.
A survey by itself doesn’t fix title problems or legally settle a boundary. A recorded map doesn’t override a deed or resolve competing ownership claims. What it does is give you reliable evidence of where the physical line falls, which is the foundation for every resolution above.
Finding an Existing Record of Survey
Because these documents are filed with the county, they’re public records. Most county recorder and county surveyor offices maintain searchable archives, and many offer online portals that let you look up surveys by address, parcel number, or owner name. If records aren’t online, a call or visit to the recorder’s office usually gets you access. A local surveyor can also pull prior records as part of the research phase before commissioning new work.
Not every survey performed on a property ends up in the public record. A survey that doesn’t trigger a mandatory filing requirement under state law may stay private between the surveyor and the owner. If the county has nothing on file for your parcel, it doesn’t mean no survey was ever done; it may just mean none was ever recorded.