By Scott Pritchard, National Client Manager
Knowing what to expect when ordering an ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey (ALTA Survey) helps commercial real estate (CRE) professionals plan more effectively for transactions, major renovations, and ground-up development. The two factors clients care about most are cost and turnaround time, which are directly tied to how complete the title information provided is and how the survey is produced. Typical questions we hear include: Can the surveyor do it faster? Why does it take so long after receiving the title commitment to deliver the survey? Do I need a title report to complete an ALTA Survey?
This article breaks down the standard workflow required to complete an ALTA Survey, excluding Table A Optional Items due to the nuances, added labor, third-party coordination, and increased costs often associated with those selections.
Every ALTA Survey requires at least one field visit, detailed measurements, and the conversion of that data into an accurate mapped representation of the property. Much like creating a precise portrait, the process is deliberate and technical. When rushed, you might be sacrificing quality.
The Nine-Step Process Behind an ALTA Survey
1. Proposal, Scope, and Contract
The process begins when a lender, attorney, or developer requests a proposal. The surveyor reviews the property’s size, location, and complexity. He also confirms the required Table A Optional Items, coordinates timing and deliverables, and issues a formal proposal and contract.
2. Receive Title Commitment and Support Documents
The client or title company provides a title commitment with an effective date. Additional recorded documents, such as easements, rights-of-way, agreements, plats, prior surveys, site plans, or engineering files, can also help expedite the survey process. The surveyor relies heavily on these documents to identify encumbrances that need to be shown on the ALTA Survey.
3. Preliminary Research
The surveyor conducts background research on deeds and legal descriptions, parcel maps and subdivision plots, local GIS records, and County Assessor or Recorder information. This research helps ensure the survey aligns with the property’s historical boundary records.
4. Field Survey and Measurements
A field crew visits the property to collect accurate on-site data. This activity typically includes observing and documenting boundary evidence such as monuments, fences, walls, and lines of occupation; measuring the locations of buildings, improvements, pavement, utilities visible above ground, access points, ingress and egress, driveways, and flood zone indicators.
Modern ALTA Surveys often rely on GPS, robotic total stations, and laser scanning. The surveyor typically only needs property access. Gates, fences, or other barriers should be unlocked for him to collect the required measurements. In many cases, the most efficient process is for the surveyor to work without an escort, as an escort may slow progress and increase field time. For an ALTA Survey, the surveyor does not need access to interior spaces.
5. Boundary Analysis
Using the field data collected by the field crew and title records, the licensed surveyor performs a formal boundary analysis of the legal description, compares historical and current evidence, locates and depicts recorded easements, and identifies encroachments and discrepancies. This step requires professional judgment and standard-of-care.
6. Drafting the ALTA Map
The surveyor or a skilled professional prepares a CAD drawing that adheres to ALTA/NSPS standards. The map typically includes boundary lines with bearings and distances, all improvements, buildings, and site features, encroachments on or off the property, easements from the title commitment, rights-of-way and access information, legal description, and any notes about discrepancies, surveyor’s certification statement, and elective Table A Optional Items.
7. Quality Control and Internal Review
Prior to issuing the final product, survey firms perform quality control to confirm title document accuracy, boundary determinations, Table A compliance, and drafting/labeling precision, ensuring the survey meets all required ALTA/NSPS standards.
8. Deliver Draft to Client and Title Company
The surveyor provides a draft survey, typically in PDF or CAD format, for stakeholder review. The draft may identify missing easements, title exceptions requiring clarification, layout or site issues, or lender-specific requirements. The surveyor revises the survey based on feedback.
9. Issue Final ALTA Survey
Once all comments are resolved, the surveyor signs and seals the final ALTA Survey in the format agreed upon in the contract and coordinates with the title company to finalize the title insurance policy.
Key Takeaways on Timing, Cost, and Survey Use
Expediting a survey may be possible with an additional fee, but timing depends on several factors, including the type, size, and location of the property, weather conditions, terrain, and vegetation. Complex boundary conditions may also increase drafting and analysis time.
When accelerated timelines are requested, this coordination becomes even more complex, as every step—from fieldwork to boundary analysis—must still meet strict ALTA/NSPS standards and is dependent on staff availability.
In general, a survey remains usable until it is superseded by a newer survey or property conditions change significantly. A new survey is commonly required for a new transaction, refinancing, lender requirements, or other financial/legal purposes.
A sealed ALTA Survey is a contract-binding document that integrates critical title and land information for a property. Producing it requires careful coordination among field crews, CAD technicians, project managers, weather conditions, and the licensed surveyor who ultimately certifies the final map. Understanding the depth of work behind an ALTA Survey helps CRE professionals set realistic expectations and plan due diligence with greater confidence.
