Our ALTA Survey service includes:

• ALTA survey in accordance with the ALTA / ACSM Land Title Survey Minimum Standards (dated 2005)
• High-quality color survey delivered to your e-mail
• Qualified personnel to perform site visit, report preparation, and review
• Dedicated project manager to ensure project quality and schedule
• Standard three (3) week turnaround (faster turnaround times available)

Do I need an ALTA Survey?

An ALTA survey is a boundary survey prepared to a set of minimum standards that have been jointly prepared and adopted by the American Land Title Association (ALTA) and the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM). The most current version of these standards is the 2005 set of requirements.

An ALTA survey shows improvements, easements, rights-of-way, and other elements impacting the ownership of land. An ALTA Survey is often prepared for commercial properties, as it will provide the title company with the information required to insure the title to the land and improvements to the high degree that a commercial development may require.

In addition to the minimum standards set forth, an table of optional elements is included in the ALTA/ACSM standards. A careful review of the elements from the optional "Table A" is helpful in delineating a clear scope of the land surveyor's services.

When is an ALTA survey required?

Every owner's title policy contains 5 standard exemptions, also referred to as general exceptions. These include (a) rights or claims of parties in possession not shown by the public records; (b) encroachments, overlaps, boundary line disputes, or other matters; (c) easements, or claims of easements, not shown by the public record; (d) any lien, or right to a lien, for labor, services, or materials; and (e) taxes or special assessments that are not shown as existing liens by the public records.

If the title company is furnished with the necessary documentation, and this documentation reveals not additional matters or adverse impacts, it can waive these five standard exemptions from the owner's title policy. However, when insuring large and expensive commercial, industrial, and even vacant and multi-family properties, title companies will usually require a land title survey when asked to issue extended coverage.

What do I need for an ALTA survey?

A current title commitment is required before an ALTA Survey can be completed. The surveyor will refer to the title commitment for the legal description of the property and for the legal description of any encumbrances (exceptions). The guidelines for describing real property can be obtained here as provided by the First American Title Company.

What will be provided to me at completion of an ALTA survey?

A full engineering drawing depicting the property boundaries as well as any encumbrances, easements, improvements, and encroachments will be depicted on an ALTA survey of a property. Areas of ownership, improvements and encubrances will be shown graphically on the ALTA survey. If the survey discovers any encroachements, they will be shown graphically, and a note indicating the nature of the encroachment may also be added.

The certification language of the ALTA Survey will include the names of the affected parties, including as appropriate the buyer, seller, title company, and lender. The surveyor must work in close association with the title insurance company, as the surveyor and the title company are relying on each others work to show the matters affecting the ownership of the land and improvements in a comprehensive manner.