How Much Does a Land Survey Cost in 2025?

Land Survey Cost Factors

Hiring a land surveyor costs around $543, but the total cost can vary depending on the lot size, geographical location, and the lot’s age.

Lot Size

Land surveys cost between $50 and $500 per acre, depending on the lot size, how wooded it is, and how many property corners you need to be marked. Generally, the larger your lot and the more markings you need, the more you can expect to pay. Rates also differ among professionals and regions, so there’s no hard-set, per-acre rate. 

Property Dimensions and Shape

While many properties include four sides, others include additional sides, creating odd lots with unique dimensions. Expect to pay about $50 per additional side. Properties with complex dimensions and shapes trigger additional costs for professionals to accurately survey.

Accessibility and Terrain

Surveys for flat, cleared land are typically less expensive than those for properties with lots of underbrush or tree cover. Lots with difficult terrain are generally more expensive to survey. You can expect to pay an additional $100 per 10,000 square feet for hilled or sloped terrain. 

Labor

Most professional land surveyors charge by the acre or by the type of land survey, so your labor costs depend on your property. However, surveyors can do more than locate property lines, so you may want to consider additional services while your surveyor is on the property. 

Some extra services can include providing legal boundary line descriptions, creating maps of individual plots, and locating and pinpointing utility lines. For this type of work, expect to pay your surveyor between $120 and $150 per hour.

Other Cost Factors

In addition to primary factors like the size and accessibility of your terrain, it’s important to budget for other considerations, such as travel fees and line adjustments.

Research and Travel Fees

Part of the surveyor’s job is to research the property deeds and other official records to compare with physical markers like fences and walls. If the land is well documented, it will save time in the process, ultimately saving money. 

Likewise, the farther the professional travels to get to the location, the more you pay. Rural properties may come with a higher price tag if you have to budget for your surveyor’s travel costs.

Property Line Adjustments

A property line adjustment is a legal process by which a property’s boundary lines are changed or adjusted. For example, you can combine two adjacent lots into a single lot by removing the property line that separates them, or you can change four contiguous lots into three by adjusting their lot lines. You can also adjust property lines to reconfigure the shapes of two or more lots.

Property line adjustments cannot be used to create more lots. For example, if you have a single large lot and want to create two lots out of it, you’ll have to go through your municipality’s subdivision process. 

Recertification vs. Resurveying

If you’re working with an old survey, you’ll likely need a recertification to confirm boundaries. Recertification negates the need for a new land survey and cuts costs by 50% or more.

However, this cannot be done without incurring additional costs, as the professional surveyor is extending their potential legal liability to new, additional parties. Additionally, the surveyor may need to do additional work to comply with updated legal and professional standards. Some professionals may insist on resurveying the property instead of simply recertifying prior work. 

Required Land Survey Documentation

Your municipality or county may require specific land survey documentation in the event of a sale. This step largely depends on the title company, and the land surveyor must comply with their requests. Gathering and completing the documentation may increase the time it takes the surveyor to complete the survey. Documentation is an often overlooked item when calculating land survey cost factors. 

Pre-Existing Survey Markers

If the land has been surveyed, survey markers, fencing, monuments, tree lines, or other readily identifiable markers should exist. If these markers are not easily identifiable, you should anticipate the process taking longer (and possibly paying an additional fee) so the surveyor can reestablish the property’s original survey. 

Sectionalized Land Survey Work

Sectionalized land surveys are more common in rural areas. Unlike standard land surveys, the surveyor surveys one square mile (640 acres) rather than only the property. The surveyor may also need to survey other sections due to the parcel’s proximity to those included on government plat documents. The scope of this work will likely impart additional fees that vary widely from region to region, especially if these vast swaths of land include difficult-to-survey terrain. 

Property Survey Costs by Type

There are several types of property surveys, each with its own use. Read on to learn which property survey types best fit your needs.

Boundary 

A boundary survey costs $100 to $600 on average. It is the most basic type of survey people get when buying a home or pursuing a project. A professional land surveyor establishes the legal boundaries and provides a legal description of them.

Different states have different legal requirements, but if you are a home buyer, getting a boundary survey to know exactly how much real estate you are buying is to your benefit. Land surveyors often find defects that could lead to renegotiating the price of the real estate. If you’re selling your home, a boundary survey could give you valuable information to help appropriately price your home and property.

Topographic 

A topographic survey or review ranges from $500 to $1,200, and it’s specifically for a lot that’s smaller than 10,000 square feet in size. It locates both man-made and natural features, including streams, trees, elevations, fences, and buildings. Governmental agencies, architects, or engineers may require this type of survey before developing on a lot. Rates are higher for plots with significant topographical elements, like rivers and hills.

Mortgage Survey for Buying a House

A mortgage survey typically costs around $500. It pinpoints the property’s boundaries along with the precise locations of any buildings on that lot. Lending institutions and title companies often require this kind of survey as part of the financing process.

While a mortgage survey or boundary assessment is not always a requirement, you may need one if you plan to buy extended title insurance. Like a home appraisal, it can provide valuable information regarding pricing. 

Additionally, a mortgage survey can help buyers be aware of details regarding local regulations. For example, it may not be legal to build a fence dividing your yard from a neighbor’s along the adjoining boundary line, or the driveway may encroach on a neighbor's space. A mortgage survey can help pinpoint issues to address before closing a real estate transaction.

New Construction

Survey services for new construction homes can range from $1,000 to $2,000. Several tiers are involved in the process, typically including boundary, topography, staking, and location services.

Fence

A land study for fencing costs $250 to $1,000, depending on the lot size. If there’s already a fence in place, there’s no guarantee you’re building on your property line. If you build over the line or within the public “setback” boundaries in urban areas, you may have to remove the fence later. It’s worthwhile to obtain a professional fence survey beforehand.

ALTA Home Survey

The typical rate for an ALTA survey ranges from $2,000 to $3,000. This type of assessment is conducted according to the standards of the American Land Title Association and is one of the most extensive property survey options.

People typically get these services to qualify with a lender when purchasing a commercial property. However, purchasers of residential properties may also choose this more thorough option to ensure their property is accurately defined. Additionally, lenders often require ALTA surveys because they catch potential risks or issues that might otherwise change the details of the purchase agreement.

As-Built 

As-built surveys cost an average of $800 to $1,200, depending on square footage. For this service, the professional surveyor measures the exterior and interior of a home or structure to create a three-dimensional representation. The process involves using lasers to capture dimensions. This method is more accurate than blueprints and plans.

Staked Site

The price range for a site staking report is $200 to $500. Professionals usually perform this service ahead of new construction. The professionals mark for structures you’re building or installing, such as buildings and roads. They also designate slopes and prep locations for utilities and lighting.

Plot Plan or Plat Surveys

Plot plans cost anywhere from $75 to $200, while plat surveys purchased from the county cost $10 to $30. Both of these products concern a subject “plot,” which is a designated parcel of land considered an independent piece of property, regardless of what improvements have been made to it. However, the two are very different from one another:

• Plot plan: This design lays out any structures and buildings that exist on or will exist on the plot. It is not as accurate as a land survey.

• Plat survey: This is a legal document that shows the plot and the area around the plot. It clarifies where streets, other plots, and easements are located and illustrates how your plot fits into the bigger picture.

Additions

The average cost for a property survey prior to adding buildings or other improvements is around $500. If you’re a property owner, consider having an assessment prepared to define the plot before building home additions to ensure they don’t encroach upon a neighbor's property. At worst, you might find yourself in court with a neighbor over something you’ve built or placed on land that may or may not be yours.

It’s also important to know how local laws can dictate how close you can build to boundary lines regardless of whether you have neighbors. Local ordinances determine the extent of these restrictions, or “setbacks.”

• Garages and driveways: Making improvements or extensions outside of your building limits can cause significant future problems. For example, if part of your property contains an easement—a portion of land where service companies or other individuals have access rights—you shouldn’t build anything to interfere with that space. If you do, the easement holder could demand you remove it at your expense.

• Patios and decks: Before you build a large deck or even a small patio, define your boundary lines so you know exactly what you must work within.

• Vertical additions: Some municipalities require a post-construction survey when an additional story is added to a house to verify that the constructed height is within a few inches of what was permitted.

Subdivision

When you have a piece of property that you want to divide into two or more lots, the legal and regulatory process that accomplishes that goal is called subdivision. Usually governed by local municipal or county regulations, subdivision requires a current, accurate land survey to show both the existing and the proposed new property boundaries. These surveys generally cost between $300 and $400 per lot. 

Budgeting for a Land Survey

Official land surveys require a licensed professional, especially if you need documentation for sales, additions, or other activities. However, there are still several steps you can take to help your survey stay budget-friendly:

• Gather existing documentation: Your land survey will go faster if you provide your surveyor with copies of any previous land surveys, deeds, and titles.

• Prepare the property: The surveyor needs to walk the property lines, which can take longer if the area is difficult to access. Clear brush, vehicles, or other obstructions around the property lines and markers. 

• Check credentials: Before hiring a surveyor, check that their license and insurance are current. If you have a property with difficult terrain, consult your surveyor in advance to make sure they work with your type of property.

• Compare quotes: Reach out to multiple professional land surveyors in your area to compare prices.

How HomeAdvisor Gets Its Cost Data

No place is more important than your home, which is why HomeAdvisor connects homeowners with local pros to transform their houses into homes they love. To help homeowners prepare for their next project, HomeAdvisor provides readers with accurate cost data and follows strict editorial guidelines. We surveyed thousands of real customers about their project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.