ALTA/ACSM Land Title Survey versus Boundary Survey

Real Estate is one of the largest investments made by an individual or business. To protect the investment and derive a future ROI it is critical that the purchaser or lender researches ALL related information of the property. But what is an ALTA Land Title Survey and how does it differ from a boundary 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). A boundary survey meets the standards of the regulatory industry of an individual state, whereas the ALTA/ACSM is comprehensively recognized across the entire nation. The objective of the ALTA/ACSM standard is to establish a level of standards so that all parties in the commercial transaction are ensured a common standard.

There are a number of items required to be shown on an ALTA survey which are not included on a typical boundary survey, including additional optional items (“Table A Items”). Some of the information shown on an ALTA Survey would be:

• Easements that may encumber or benefit the property
• Possible encroachments across boundary lines or easements
• Access to a public street or lack thereof
• Zoning of the property along with setback requirements
• Flood Zones that may affects the subject property
• Evidence of any use by other parties
• Location of any water boundaries on the subject property
• Evidence of cemeteries
• Names of adjoining property owners

A prerequisite to obtaining an ALTA Survey is a current title commitment. The title commitment will contain the legal description of the property and of any encumbrances to prepare the ALTA survey. The process of performing a boundary survey starts with a complete and thorough research of the county/municipal records. The pre-survey research provides knowledge of the land and potential conflicts with the surrounding lands. The surveyor then has complete knowledge and can direct field survey efforts accordingly.

A surveyor needs to be licensed in the state where the property is located. But most surveyors are licensed only in the state they reside in. For large commercial properties which involve multi-state or multi-site transactions, it is best to hire a nationwide land survey coordination firm like SRN. Smith-Roberts National Corporation is a nationwide land survey coordination firm that specializes in coordinating and reviewing Land Title Surveys for multi-site, multi-state real estate transactions.

There are many advantages in having one firm in charge of the survey acquisition stage of a multi-site, multi-state property transaction. Probably the most important advantage is that professional surveyors can effectively communicate the investor’s needs to other licensed surveyors in a manner that they might better understand. With a nationwide coordinator as liaison it greatly reduces difficulties title companies or investors may experience while dealing with surveyors from different regions of the country.