What to Ask Property Survey Companies Before You Hire

Atlanta Land Surveying Posted on by
Homeowner meeting with a survey professional while comparing property survey companies

Choosing between property survey companies is not just about finding the lowest price. The questions you ask before signing anything can save you from delays, unexpected charges, and results that do not hold up when you need them most. Here are the questions that actually matter, and why each one is worth asking.

Is the Surveyor Licensed in Georgia?

This is the first question to ask, and it is not negotiable. In Georgia, only a licensed Professional Land Surveyor can legally perform and certify a land survey. Licenses are issued by the Georgia State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, and you can verify any surveyor’s license status directly on the Georgia Secretary of State’s website at verify.sos.ga.gov.

An unlicensed survey is not a legal document. It cannot be used in a real estate closing, a permit application, or a property dispute. Always confirm the license before the conversation goes any further.

What Is Included in the Quote?

A survey quote can look affordable until you find out what is not included. Before you agree to anything, ask specifically whether the following are part of the price:

  • Monument setting. If your property corners need new iron pins or concrete markers, is that included or billed separately?
  • Recorded plat. Will the surveyor file the final drawing with the county, or is that an extra step you handle yourself?
  • Legal description. Some surveys include a written boundary description that can be used in a deed. Others do not.
  • Rush fees. If you have a closing deadline, ask upfront whether faster turnaround costs more.

Getting a clear answer on these items prevents surprises when the final invoice arrives.

How Much Experience Do You Have in This Area?

Local experience matters more than most people realize. A surveyor who has worked in your neighborhood or zip code likely has records from nearby surveys already on file. That means less research time, which can lower your cost and speed up the timeline.

In Atlanta, properties in older neighborhoods like Inman Park, West End, and Kirkwood often have deed chains going back many decades. A surveyor familiar with Fulton County and DeKalb County records will navigate those histories faster than someone working in the area for the first time.

Ask how many surveys the company has completed in your area and whether they have prior records related to your property or subdivision.

Who Will Actually Do the Work?

Some survey companies use their own licensed staff. Others act as brokers and send the work out to subcontractors. Either model can produce good results, but you have a right to know who will be on your property and whose license will be on the final document.

Ask for the name of the licensed Professional Land Surveyor who will review and certify your survey. That person is legally responsible for the accuracy of the final product.

How Long Will It Take?

Timeline expectations vary a lot depending on the type of survey and the complexity of your property. A straightforward residential boundary survey in a recorded Atlanta subdivision typically takes one to two weeks. Older properties, rural parcels, or surveys requiring county review can take three to six weeks or longer.

If you are working toward a closing date or a permit deadline, give the company that date upfront. Ask whether they can meet it and whether there is an additional charge for a faster turnaround.

What Do I Need to Provide?

You can often lower your cost and speed up the process by providing documents before the work begins. Ask the surveyor what they need from you. Most will ask for:

  • A copy of your current deed
  • Any prior survey of the property, if you have one
  • Your title insurance policy, if available
  • The recorded subdivision plat, which can often be requested from the Fulton County or DeKalb County recorder’s office

Handing these over upfront reduces the time the surveyor spends on research, and that savings can show up in your quote.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I verify that a survey company is licensed in Georgia? 

Go to verify.sos.ga.gov and search by the surveyor’s name or license number. This is a free public database maintained by the Georgia Secretary of State. Any active license will show up there.

Is it okay to hire the cheapest survey company I can find? 

Price is worth comparing, but the lowest quote is not always the best choice. A very low quote sometimes means a narrower scope, fewer deliverables, or less experienced staff. Ask what is included before making a decision based on price alone.

Can I use the same survey company my neighbor used? 

Yes, and in many cases it is worth asking about. If the company recently surveyed a property next to yours, they may already have records and corner data that apply to your property as well. That can reduce their research time and potentially lower your cost.

What happens if two surveys of the same property show different results? 

This does happen, usually on older properties with unclear deed descriptions. If two certified surveys conflict, a real estate attorney can help determine which result is more legally sound. In some cases, a boundary line action through the Georgia court system may be needed to settle the question permanently.

What Does a Professional Land Surveyor Actually Do?

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Professional land surveyor using a total station to measure property boundaries in the field

Most people never think about a professional land surveyor until they actually need one. A neighbor puts up a fence in the wrong spot. A lender asks for a survey before closing. A permit gets held up. Knowing what a surveyor does before that moment can save you a lot of confusion and wasted time.

What Is a Professional Land Surveyor?

A professional land surveyor is a licensed expert who measures land and maps property boundaries. Their job is to figure out exactly where one property ends and another begins, and to put that in writing as a legal document.

In Georgia, every land surveyor must be licensed by the Georgia State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors. Getting that license is not easy. It requires a four-year college degree, at least four years of hands-on training under a licensed surveyor, and passing a national exam called the NCEES. After that, surveyors must keep learning every year to stay licensed.

The license matters because survey results show up in deeds, permits, and court cases. A mistake on a survey can cost a property owner thousands of dollars to fix.

What a Land Surveyor Does Step by Step

A survey is not just someone walking around your yard with a tape measure. There are a few clear steps involved.

Step 1. Research Before the Site Visit

Before the surveyor comes to your property, they spend time at their desk doing research. They look up your deed, the plat map for your subdivision, records from neighboring properties, and any older surveys that may exist.

In Atlanta, this often means searching through records at the Fulton County Superior Court Clerk’s office. If your property has old or unclear records, this step takes longer. That extra time shows up in the final quote.

Step 2. Finding Your Corner Markers in the Field

Once the research is done, the survey crew visits your property. Their main job is to find your corner markers. These are metal pins or concrete posts that were placed in the ground during a past survey to mark where your property corners are.

If those markers are still in place and easy to find, the fieldwork goes smoothly. If they are buried, missing, or have been moved by old construction or landscaping work, the crew has to dig deeper to figure out where the corners should be.

Step 3. Checking the Numbers Back at the Office

After the field visit, the surveyor goes back to the office and compares what they measured on your property against what the deed and plat records say. They figure out where the legal boundary lines fall and look for anything that does not match up.

This step is where experience really counts. Reading old records and turning them into accurate measurements on the ground is a skill that takes years to develop.

Step 4. Drawing and Signing the Final Plat

The last step is creating the survey drawing, which is called a plat. It shows your property lines, corner markers, easements, and any encroachments from neighboring structures. The surveyor signs and stamps it, which makes it an official legal document.

According to the American Land Title Association, nearly 40 percent of commercial real estate closings in the United States require a certified survey before the deal can close.

Tools a Land Surveyor Uses

Surveyors today use a mix of older and newer technology to get accurate results.

  • Total station. This is the most common tool on the job. It measures angles and distances with high precision and is used on most residential and commercial surveys.
  • GPS and GNSS receivers. These devices use satellite signals to pinpoint exact locations. They work especially well on large properties where measuring by sight alone is difficult.
  • Drone-mounted LiDAR. A LiDAR sensor shoots millions of tiny laser beams at the ground and records where they land. This creates a detailed 3D map of the land below. According to the USGS 3D Elevation Program, modern LiDAR systems can measure elevation to within 1 to 5 centimeters. In Atlanta, where thick trees and hilly ground are common, this tool saves a lot of time on bigger jobs.

When Do You Need a Land Surveyor?

Here are the most common reasons homeowners and buyers hire a licensed land surveyor.

  • Your lender or title company asks for a survey before closing
  • You want to put up a fence and need to know where your property line actually is
  • A neighbor is claiming part of your land
  • You plan to build something close to the edge of your lot
  • You need a permit from Fulton County that requires a certified plat
  • You are buying commercial property and need an ALTA survey for the lender

Fulton County records a large number of new plats and boundary surveys every year through the Superior Court Clerk’s office. That tells you how often surveys are a normal part of buying, selling, and building in the Atlanta area.

Property Survey Cost: What Drives the Price Up or Down

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Land surveyor reviewing a property plat and surveying a residential lot as part of determining property survey cost

If you’ve been quoted a property survey cost and it felt higher than you expected, you’re not alone. This is one of the most common things homeowners say when they call us. The truth is, no two surveys are priced the same, and understanding what actually moves the needle on price helps you make a smarter decision before you hire anyone.

Here’s a clear, no-fluff look at what goes into your quote.

The Short Answer on Price

In Atlanta and across the greater metro area, a standard residential property survey typically runs between $500 and $1,500 for most suburban lots. Smaller platted properties with clean records on the lower end, more complex or larger parcels on the higher end.

Statewide in Georgia, the range is similar. The Atlanta metro tends to sit toward the upper end of that range simply because of higher demand, denser urban lots, and the older plat records you’ll find in neighborhoods like Decatur, East Atlanta, or Grant Park.

For commercial properties or anything requiring an ALTA/NSPS survey, budget significantly more, often $2,500 to $8,000 or higher.

The Biggest Factors That Affect Your Quote

The Age and Condition of Your Property Records

This is the one most homeowners don’t think about. Before anyone steps onto your land, your surveyor spends time in the office going through your deed, prior surveys, neighboring lot records, and county plat books. If those records are clean, consistent, and recent, the job moves quickly. If your property hasn’t been surveyed in 30 years, or if there are conflicting descriptions between neighboring deeds, that research time adds up fast.

In older Atlanta neighborhoods especially, finding usable documentation can take considerably more time than the fieldwork itself.

Whether Your Corner Monuments Are Still There

Corner monuments, the iron pins, concrete markers, or rebar set at your property corners, are the physical evidence surveyors use in the field. If they’re present and undisturbed, your surveyor can locate and verify them efficiently. If they’ve been removed, buried, or disturbed over time, new monuments need to be set. That adds both time and material cost to your survey.

The Shape and Size of Your Lot

Irregular lot shapes with multiple corners take longer to survey than a simple rectangular lot. More corners mean more monuments to locate or set, more measurements to take, and more time in the field. Larger acreage compounds this further. A half-acre suburban lot and a 10-acre rural parcel are entirely different jobs in terms of time and effort.

Vegetation and Site Conditions

Wooded lots, steep slopes, and heavy brush all slow down a survey crew. Survey equipment depends on clear sightlines between points. When vegetation gets in the way, the crew works around it, which takes more time. A clear, open lot in a newer subdivision is considerably easier to work than a heavily wooded parcel.

Whether You’re in a Flood Zone

Properties near floodplains, particularly those near Peachtree Creek or other Atlanta-area watersheds, may require additional documentation or an elevation certificate as part of the survey process. This is a separate service that adds to the overall cost but is often required by lenders or for flood insurance purposes.

What’s Usually Included in a Standard Quote

When you get a property survey quote, here’s what should typically be covered in the base price:

  • Deed and public records research
  • Fieldwork to locate or set property corners
  • Preparation of the survey plat or drawing
  • Licensed surveyor review and stamp
  • One copy of the completed plat

What may or may not be included, depending on the firm and the scope:

  • Setting new corner monuments (if existing ones are missing)
  • A recorded copy filed with the county
  • Staking for a specific purpose like fencing or construction
  • A written legal description of the boundary

Always ask what’s included before you sign off on a quote. A lower price that doesn’t include monument placement or a recorded document can end up costing you more later.

Why Atlanta Properties Sometimes Cost More

A few things specific to the Atlanta market push survey costs upward:

Older urban lots. Many neighborhoods inside the perimeter have original plats going back decades. The documentation is often inconsistent or hard to trace, which means more research time.

Infill development. With so much infill construction happening across Atlanta, surveys in tighter urban settings involve more neighboring lot research, encroachment checks, and careful boundary work in constrained spaces.

High surveyor demand. Metro Atlanta is one of the fastest-growing regions in the Southeast. Surveyors are busy, and busy firms sometimes price their time accordingly.