Survey Needs

There are many variations in the requirements for a land survey. Taking a "one size fits all" approach is not cost effective, and may not fulfill your needs. When contacting your land surveyor, it is very important that you both understand the scope of the survey. Problems can arise when a survey is requested if there is any ambiguity in the request. Take for instance the term "pin survey". This is a relatively common request, but a misleading one. A pin survey does not mean the same thing to everyone. A property owner who wishes to erect a fence may ask for a pin survey so that he can be certain of the fence location. All he needs is for the property corners to be located and marked with monuments.

Another example might be a real estate agent who calls and asks for a pin survey because the buyer wants to see if there are any encroachments. A pin survey is specifically asked for because the corners would not be ordinarily located for a residential property transaction. In some such circumstances, a pin survey is requested, but the survey needed is one that will allow for the standard survey exception to be removed from the title insurance policy. This is just one example. As the complexity increases, so does the potential for misunderstandings. Clearly written specifications are the best way to ensure that the survey fits the need and is priced accordingly.

In order to address this particular issue, the American Land Title Association and the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping have created a set of specifications that can be used in requesting a survey with a clearly defined scope of work.  These specifications are known as the ALTA / ACSM Survey Specifications.  The most current revision of these specifications is dated 2005.

Because land and boundary laws differ from state to state, there are state specific standards which must be followed in addition to specifications requested by the client.