Should I Get a Boundary Survey Before Buying Property?

Not necessarily. But before purchasing property, you should understand what information is available about its boundaries and whether there are reasons to be concerned.

Buying property is one of the largest financial investments most people will ever make. Before purchasing a home, buyers commonly hire a home inspector to evaluate the condition of the house. They want to know whether the roof is failing, the foundation has problems, or expensive repairs may be waiting for them.

But what about the land the house sits on?

Do you know where the property boundaries are? Are the fences actually on the property lines? Does the neighbor's driveway cross onto the property? Has the property ever been surveyed?

These are important questions, and unfortunately, many buyers don't think to ask them until after they've purchased the property.

Does Every Property Need a Boundary Survey Before Purchase?

No.

Some properties have recent surveys and substantial existing survey documentation. Others may have little reliable survey information, missing monuments, conflicting records, or indications of potential encroachments.

Several factors can influence whether a boundary survey should be considered:

• Age of the property: Older subdivisions may have missing or disturbed monuments, while newer subdivisions may have more readily available survey information. Age alone, however, does not determine boundary reliability.

• Existing survey records: A property may have been surveyed recently, or recorded surveys of neighboring properties may provide useful information.

• Property monuments: Existing survey records may document monuments marking property corners, although their present condition and location cannot be confirmed through records alone.

• Potential encroachments: Fences, buildings, driveways, retaining walls, and other improvements near property lines may warrant investigation.

• Property history: Previous boundary disputes, changes in property configuration, or historical uses may raise questions about boundaries or property rights.

A new boundary survey may be necessary to resolve some of these questions. But in many cases, a professional review of existing information can help determine whether commissioning a full survey before purchase is advisable.

What Can Existing Records Tell You?

In Washington State, recorded subdivision plats, Records of Survey, and other publicly available documents can provide valuable information about a property's survey history.

A licensed professional land surveyor can review these records to identify when surveying last occurred, what survey documentation is available, and whether the records reveal potential concerns that warrant further investigation.

County parcel maps and aerial imagery can also be useful tools.

However, county parcel maps are not boundary surveys.

The parcel lines displayed on county GIS and assessor maps are approximate representations maintained primarily for administrative purposes, such as property identification and tax assessment. They are not intended to establish or accurately depict legal property boundaries and should never be relied upon to determine where those boundaries are located.

Nevertheless, these maps can be useful research tools when compared with recorded surveys, aerial imagery, and other available information to identify potential concerns warranting further investigation.

For example, a fence or driveway appearing to cross a mapped parcel line does not establish that an encroachment exists. The mapped line itself may be inaccurate. But that apparent discrepancy may provide a reason to investigate further.

Similarly, the absence of an apparent discrepancy does not establish that no encroachment exists.

What About Title Insurance?

Many property buyers assume title insurance will protect them if a boundary problem is discovered after closing.

Unfortunately, that is not necessarily the case.

Title insurance protects against certain covered defects in title, subject to the policy's terms, exclusions, and exceptions. Standard title insurance policies commonly include exceptions for matters that would be disclosed by an accurate survey, although additional coverage may be available in some circumstances.

A title policy does not automatically guarantee the location of property boundaries or protect against every encroachment or boundary dispute.

Think of it like purchasing insurance on a house with a known history of flooding. You shouldn't assume an insurance company will cover that particular risk without conditions or exclusions.

Similarly, you should not assume a title company will pay to resolve an existing fence, driveway, or structure encroachment discovered after closing.

Title insurance is not a substitute for understanding the property's boundaries before purchasing it.

What About Easements?

Boundary lines are only part of understanding the property you're purchasing.

Easements may allow others to use portions of a property or provide the property with rights to use adjoining land.

For example, a driveway may cross a neighboring property under a recorded access easement. But does the existing driveway actually follow the easement described in the recorded documents?

The presence of an easement in a title report does not necessarily establish that the existing driveway is located within it.

A review of recorded easement documents and available imagery may identify potential inconsistencies. However, determining the actual location of an easement and improvements relative to it generally requires surveying, while questions about the legal extent or enforceability of easement rights may require legal advice.

These are important considerations, particularly when purchasing property that relies on an easement for access.

What Happens When a Boundary Problem Is Discovered After Closing?

Imagine purchasing a home with a beautiful backyard enclosed by a fence.

A year later, your neighbor hires a land surveyor. The survey reveals that the fence is several feet onto the neighbor's property.

Suddenly, the backyard you believed you purchased may not be entirely yours.

Or perhaps you discover that a portion of your garage extends across a property line, or that the driveway you've been using crosses another property without a documented easement.

These situations can lead to additional surveying expenses, negotiations, legal disputes, or the relocation of improvements.

Not every apparent encroachment becomes a legal dispute. Longstanding occupation and use can also raise legal questions that a survey alone cannot resolve.

But these are issues buyers are generally better off investigating before closing, when they still have an opportunity to make informed decisions.

Is There an Alternative to Getting a Full Boundary Survey?

Yes. A professional Pre-Purchase Property Assessment can be a useful first step.

Much like a home inspection evaluates the physical condition of a house, a Pre-Purchase Property Assessment evaluates existing records and other available information for indications of potential issues that may warrant further investigation.

A licensed professional land surveyor can review recorded surveys, subdivision plats, public records, county parcel information, and aerial imagery to identify potential concerns and evaluate whether a boundary survey should be recommended before purchase.

Depending on the circumstances, additional review of title documents or an on-site visual inspection may also be appropriate.

A Pre-Purchase Property Assessment is not a boundary survey. It does not establish, locate, verify, or certify property boundaries, determine the location of improvements relative to those boundaries, or establish whether encroachments exist.

Instead, it provides a professional opinion about whether the available information identifies reasons to recommend obtaining a boundary survey.

For many properties, this can be a more economical first step than immediately commissioning a full boundary survey.

Making an Informed Decision

A boundary survey can be an important investment, particularly when purchasing property with uncertain boundaries, apparent encroachments, or questions about access and easements.

But not every property presents the same level of concern.

Before purchasing property, consider having a licensed professional land surveyor evaluate the available information and help determine whether a boundary survey is advisable.

The goal isn't to survey every property before it's purchased. It's to avoid purchasing a boundary problem you didn't know existed.

Interested in learning how a Pre-Purchase Property Assessment works?

Check out our Pre-Purchase Assessment Service!

Common misunderstandings of surveying.

1. The Screen vs. Reality (The "Flattened Orange Peel")

• The Myth:"The line on Google Maps / County GIS / OnX shows my neighbor’s fence is encroaching on my yard."

• The Reality: You cannot display a curved, 3D Earth on a flat, 2D screen without stretching and tearing the lines.

• The Margin of Error: To force parcel shapes to fit together like a jigsaw puzzle over thousands of square miles, GIS departments must warp and stretch the lines. These digital screens carry a 5-to-10-foot error margin at best, and much worse in rural or older areas.

• The Rule: Online maps are strictly for approximate area and administrative tax purposes. They carry zero legal authority.

2. There is No Master GPS Database (The "Anchor & Chain")

• The Myth:"Can’t you just pull up a master list of GPS coordinates and drop a pin on my property corner?"

• The Reality: There is no permanent digital coordinate database for property lines. Furthermore, because global coordinates are tied to the center of the Earth, tectonic drift causes the surface of the Earth to move several inches every year.

• The Rule: Your legal boundary is tied to historical physical monuments near you geographically, not to a digital grid point in space. To establish your lines, a surveyor must locate a minimum of two official physical monuments outside your property (often hidden in the street or half a mile or more away). The first monument anchors the team to a specific starting location, while the second monument provides the necessary mathematical rotation to ensure the entire line is pointing in the correct direction. From those two anchors, they mathematically trace the relative measurements (the Chain) all the way to your yard.

3. Surveyors are "Detectives of the Land"

• The Investigation: A boundary survey is a forensic investigation.

• The Deed vs. The Ground: Your deed is not a final answer; it is simply a set of historical clues and witness notes. The physical ground is the actual crime scene.

• The Professional Role: A licensed Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) acts as a forensic investigator, gathering physical evidence (old iron pipes, stone mounds, historical fence lines) to mathematically reconstruct exactly what the very first surveyor did when the land was originally divided.

4. The Real Math Behind Survey Costs

• The Myth:"Online home improvement blogs say a survey should only cost $300 to $500."

• The Reality: Internet pricing aggregators rely on a single, outdated corporate database that conflates full boundary surveys with basic fence-line staking. A $400 estimate does not even cover two hours of a professional crew's time.

• The Invisible Labor: A legal, defensible survey requires a multi-step process that often takes a minimum of 16 to 20 total hours of combined professional labor:

  • Historical Research & Pre-Calculations: 2+ hours (PLS)

  • On-Site Forensic Field Work & Anchor Hunting: 8+ hours (2-Person Crew)

  • CAD Data Analysis & Drafting: 4+ hours (CAD Tech)

  • Final Legal Review, Stamp, & Lifetime Liability: 2+ hours (PLS)

• The Rule: You are not paying for someone to hold a GPS rod for an hour; you are paying for an expert forensic investigation and a legally stamped document that stands up in a court of law.

Adverse Possession, understanding when you do not own what your deed says you own.

First and foremost, nothing in this blog, on this specific page or it’s entirety, constitutes legal advice. Should you require legal advice, consult an attorney. Additionally, this article is based on my knowledge and experience in Washington State, not all states treat the following issues the same. “Your millage may vary.”

On more than one occasion, I have been asked (even told) to cross a fence and set a property corner on the other side, because their deed says they own it. In almost every circumstance, I was required to say no. I will explain why, but first we need some understanding of property ownership and adverse possession in Washington State.

Deed vs. Possession. In Washington State, ownership of Blackacre (a hypothetical plot of land we will use in this discussion) is formally conveyed by deed, be it a warranty deed, quit claim deed, or some other form of deed, which is typically recorded at the county auditor/recorders office. When you have recorded the deed saying you own the property, it is commonly referred to as having “Title” to the property.

What Blackacre you physically have possession of is generally referred to as Ownership. What constitutes physical possession you might ask, and if you did, that is a great question. Generally speaking (and again, this is not legal advice) possession of Blackacre is what you show to the world as yours. You put up a fence around your property, you mow up to that fence, you do not cross the fence and maintain the other side, or use it for storage, or cut wood. In short, you treat that fence line as the edge of your property. Now a fence is not required to show the limits of your ownership, but it certainly can be a big sign.

Lets say this fence is over ten years old, the fence has always been easily visible, you or the previous owners have maintained the fence, fixed it, and have never abandoned it or the property, maybe even told kids to get out of your yard when you saw them hoping the fence. Then one day, your neighbor hires a surveyor, and when the survey is done, they bring you a map that shows the property line as being 4 feet inside your fence, and is telling you that you must move it.

So who’s property is it?

This could be an instance of when ownership may not match title.

This is frequently caused by a Common Law doctrine know as “Adverse Possession” (not to be confused with that statutory “Adverse possession under claim and color of title” found in RCW 7.28.070.) According to the Beresford Booth website (retrieved 11/13/2025) Adverse Possession requires 4 elements, with the 5th being the length of time the adverse possession must be in existence. Those elements are as follows, 1) Exclusive, you have to treat it like it is your property, and not sharing it with someone else. 2) Actual and uninterrupted, meaning you, and or the previous owners (because the timer transfers to new owner, it does not start over) owned and lived in the house. It cannot have sat abandoned and unmaintained during the required time period. 3) Open and Notorious, it cannot be done in secret, or by hiding the adverse activity. 4) Hostile, this does not mean you have to argue with the other land owner, it means you cannot have title to it, be that an actual deed of ownership, or an easement, among other things. The fifth element is time (and a GREAT movie), it must be for a period of 10 years.

Here is the important point, when all 4 elements are meet for the entire 10 year period, the OWNERSHIP (but not title) transfers to the possessor (possession is 9 tenths of the law as they say.) So if the adverse possession started in 1985, and met all the requirements into 1995 and beyond, then from 1995 onward, that property belongs to the adverse possessor. To get TITLE to it, the adverse possessor has to bring a claim before the courts. The court (Judge) determines if, and when, all the elements were met, and when (in the past) ownership transferred.

We as surveyors have to be especially careful in these situations, and you should be as well. Just because you have title to a property, does not mean the other person does not own it. If you cross that fence, if the surveyor crosses that fence, you and or the surveyor could be committing trespass EVEN IF YOU HAVE TITLE.

This is what makes knowing where your property line is, so important. If you do not have corners you can find, and a map showing those corners, and you have neighbors, then you probably need a survey. Ask any parent, ten years goes by in a blink of an eye. If you do not maintain your boundaries, you could be paying taxes on property you don’t even own any more.

“How Much Does a Land Survey Cost? [2024 Data]”

Written by Em Norton, found on Angi.com, retrieved on October 22nd, 2024

- Or what I like to call, A well written fantasy!

TLDR F- - (yes, F minus minus), The article is actually well written, and I think Em did a great job with what they had, but all of the price quotes are garbage. GIGO, Garbage in, Garbage out.

Full disclosure, at a previous company, I tried to work with Angi’s list. I knew it would be painful, but I also knew how they generated the numbers they used. I told them repeatedly, I wanted to work with Angi’s developers to help improve the listing of surveying services, to give them good data. They basically said yeah, sounds great, and then nothing. Total lip service.

See my previous blog about factors that impact surveys and costs.

Haven spoken to one of the author’s they occasionally contract to write this article, I know they give them the data collected on their website, and then tell them to update the article. I know a version of this article has been around since at least 2006, and it has been a running joke in the surveying community from Tennessee to Washington state, and I am sure everywhere else.

Here I am going to correct the tabular data used, and leave the article alone. Why is there data wrong do you ask? Because they 1, have too few data points, 2, the services listed on the request form are not always relevant or accurate, and 3, a potential client thinks they need a record of survey, but I suspect most that are “successful” sales are in fact corner recoveries. A corner recovery is where a surveyor finds your existing recorded corners, not determine boundaries and set new or replacement corners. A corner recovery is vastly less expensive, but only possible in limited circumstances. (If you would like to know if yours is one, please give me a call!)

Price range tool, set for my Zip Code (98310) shows average of $1,123, Low of $700, and High of $1,500. I would 100% agree with this, if they were talking a corner recovery. For a Boundary Survey, I would estimate it at average of $2,800, Low of $1,800 and a High of about $5,000. I am using a MODE average, not MEAN.

OK, first table, Size

Angi’s Numbers Actual Surveyors numbers

Property Size Cost Property Size Cost

1 acre $200 – $500 1 acre $2,500 – $5,000

5 acres $1,000 – $2,500 5 acres $3,500 – $8,500

10 acres $2,000 – $5,000 10 acres $4,000 – $15,000

Remember, see my other blog for the factors that impact cost, these are just rough estimates, but there are so many factors that can move those numbers up or down.

OK, Second Table, Type of Survey

Angi’s Numbers Actual Surveyors numbers

Type of Survey Cost Type of Survey Cost

Boundary Survey $100 – $600 Boundary Survey $2,500 – $5,000

Topographic Survey $500 – $1,200 Topographic Survey $3,500 – $8,500

Mortgage Survey* $500 “I do not think that means what you think it means”

Fence Land Survey** $250 – $1,000 Fence Land Survey $1250 – $1,500

As-Built Survey*** $800 – $1,200 As-Built Survey $3,500 – $8,500

ALTA Survey $1,200 – $3,000 ALTA Survey $2,500 – $5,000+

Subdivision Survey $300 – $1,000 Subdivision Survey $5,000 – $10,000+

New Construction Survey $400.– $1,800 New Construction Survey $1,500– $????

*As far as I know, a “Mortgage Survey” is an ALTA (American Land Tittle Association) Survey, which is sometimes called a super survey, and they are NEVER cheap. They are usually required by banks lending on multi-million dollar properties.

** Fence Land Survey, this would typically fall under a corner recovery. When you have corners (maybe you don’t know where they are, or maybe you cant see between them) and you have a survey company mark them, and stake a proposed fence line location between them.

*** an As-Built Survey is typically required after construction of a subdivision infrastructure or commercial building. For the average home owner, what they need similar to that is a topographic survey, and it is typically used by design professionals to help plan out building on a site, or modifications to an existing one.

Subdivision surveys are for dividing land into smaller lots. Where I live and work, it requires a great deal, including multi page maps that are submitted to the review authority (city or county.) Not your average survey, nor simple by any means and requires many hours in the office and the field. This could be for dividing a lot into two lots, or taking a 110+ acre lot and dividing it into hundreds of new lots.

New construction surveys should not be in here. Construction companies call for this service, and if they are using Angi’s list, find your self a different builder. These can be for a single house, a 500 lot subdivision, or an amazon warehouse.

I can’t give location information for anywhere other than my little corner of Western Washington, but I hope the above helps.

P.S. I did notice that Angi’s now has a place to email quotes to Angi’s for them to improve their prices, I might just have to cc them every time.

“Here’s What to Expect When Surveying Your Home’s Property Lines”

a “Story” by Kristine Gill, found on MSM.com, retrieved on October 22nd, 2024

- Or what I like to call, An article that does not say what you would expect!

TLDR D+, gives some good information, but most of this article is quotes from people that don’t really know anything about Land Surveying.

The initial tag line claims it will tell you the types of projects that REQUIRE (emphasis added) property line surveys, and what to do when problems arise.

First and foremost, no article on the internet will definitively tell you when a survey is required. Only local and state (in the U.S. at least) regulations and code will tell you that. Sadly, in most states I am aware of, a survey is almost NEVER required. Having said that, it is ALWAYS a good idea to know where your property (boundary is a more correct term generally) lines are located. But you should consider contacting a surveyor any time you are doing improvements (walls, fence, decks etc.) near a property line, or if you do not know where they are at all.

The first person the author quotes, is a roofer, not someone who normally worries about property lines. By the time the roofer is involved, if the house in the wrong place, the damage is done! Why did the author not get input from say… a land surveyor maybe?

Ok, moving on. The article then addresses Boundary Surveys, and they say it is the most common, and hey they are RIGHT! But then they go on to tell you what it isn’t. Because that is helpful, right? Oh yeah, maybe because the person they are quoting now, again, is not a surveyor, he is from a landscaping firm. Well, it has land in the title, that is good enough, right?

So, what is a Boundary Survey? A Boundary Survey shows your parcel boundaries, and in most places, any evidence of potential adverse possession (a unwritten ownership right) into the property. This is EXTREMELY important. Boundary Survey’s should also show ties to existing controlling monuments for your property. Both on your property, and typically to street or section monuments (in the non colonial states) that could be a mile or more away.

“Property surveys are typically conducted when a home is bought or sold” wait, I thought we were talking about boundary surveys, well they are, they just can’t keep the name straight. How I wish this statement was true. While it may be true is some states (I have heard Texas, but do not know first hand) may require it, the vast majority (I believe) do not.

Cost! We finally get to cost, the article quotes our landscaper as saying it should cost between $500 and $2000. My survey crew bills out at $150 and hour, and that is just part of the work, there is the research, review of the field work, drafting the survey. project management etc. Remember the adage you get what you pay for? Doubly so in the survey world. Twenty-two years ago, in Biloxi Mississippi I worked for a land surveyor that did boundary surveys for about that price, but he had a system he had spent years developing to be able to do that. He was an exception.

2024, you should expect to pay anywhere from $2,500 to $5,000 on average for a boundary survey. That is modified by cost of living in your area, size of your lot, steepness or overall difficult terrain of your lot, when your lot was created, how your lot was created, and if it has ever been surveyed before.

They also say a survey can take a few hours to conduct. This is partially true, but look at the factors above, they all can add time. Most surveys take about 4 hours of field time for the initial visit, and often times, a few hours off site collecting controlling monument evidence.

“The Value of a Survey” is our next section. There is some good information here, but the true value, what they do not address here, is that the boundary survey PROTECTS THE LAND. It is what prevents someone else from using your land, and eventually, possibly owning that portion they are using.

Oh, by the way, the article is now back to quoting our roofer.

“When problems arise” talks about the need for a boundary survey, I agree! However, what would help even more, talk to a surveyor BEFORE you buy a property. Boundary disputes happen over time, not over night (usually). Having a surveyor look at your property before you buy it can potentially save you from headache and financial damages. In my home state, and I imagine it is the same in all 50 states, a surveyor must be impartial. Our professional opinion is not impacted by if you are going to buy the property or not.

The final section is “How to Dispute Survey Results.” Surveyors are people, we get stuff wrong too, but like I said, we have to be impartial. If you believe an error was made, talk to your surveyor. If you still feel there is an error, ask another surveyor to review the work. Get a second opinion. Then if you still believe it is wrong, contact your state board, each state has one, and they have a complaint process.