What Is an ALTA Survey and Do You Need One?
If you are buying or refinancing commercial property, you will likely hear the term ALTA survey come up during the transaction. Your lender or title company may even require one before closing. But unless you work in commercial real estate regularly, the term can feel confusing.
What Is an ALTA Survey?
An ALTA survey is a detailed property survey that meets a national standard set by the American Land Title Association and the National Society of Professional Surveyors. It is sometimes called an ALTA/NSPS survey.
What makes it different from other types of surveys is that it follows the same rules no matter where the property is located. A lender in New York and a title company in Arizona will both accept the same ALTA format. That consistency is the whole point.
ALTA surveys were created for commercial real estate transactions. They give lenders, buyers, and title companies a single document that shows the full picture of a property, not just the boundary lines.
What Does an ALTA Survey Include?
A standard ALTA survey documents quite a bit more than a typical boundary survey. At a minimum, it will show:
- The legal property boundaries with measurements and bearings
- All buildings and improvements on the land
- Easements and rights-of-way that affect the property
- Any encroachments, meaning structures that cross a property boundary
- Access points to public roads
- Bodies of water and flood zone information
- The names of neighboring property owners
Beyond the standard items, lenders and title companies can request optional additions called Table A items. These might include locating underground utilities, counting parking spaces, providing topographic contours, or measuring building square footage. Before the survey begins, your lender will specify which Table A items they need. The surveyor includes those in the final document and in the quoted price.
How Is It Different from a Boundary Survey?
A boundary survey establishes where your property lines are. That is its main purpose. It is the survey most homeowners get when they are putting up a fence, resolving a neighbor dispute, or preparing for a construction project.
An ALTA survey does everything a boundary survey does, but it goes much further. It documents easements, encroachments, access, utilities, and flood zones in one certified package that meets a nationally recognized standard. That is why lenders and title companies require it for commercial deals. A standard boundary survey is not accepted as a substitute.
When Do You Need an ALTA Survey?
Most homeowners will never need one. ALTA surveys are almost always a requirement for commercial real estate. You are most likely to need one if you are:
- Purchasing commercial, industrial, or multi-family property
- Refinancing a commercial real estate loan
- Acquiring land for a new development or subdivision
- Working with a title company that requires it as a condition of issuing title insurance
In Lake Havasu City, commercial activity along Highway 95 and the waterfront has made ALTA surveys a routine part of deals involving retail, hospitality, and mixed-use properties. If you are working on a commercial transaction, ask your lender or title company early whether they require one. It can add two to four weeks to your closing timeline, so ordering it early avoids delays.
How Long Does an ALTA Survey Take?
Most ALTA surveys are completed in two to four weeks from the date the surveyor receives the order and all required documents. The process follows three stages.
First, the surveyor gathers and reviews existing records. This includes deeds, title commitments, recorded easement documents, and any prior surveys of the property. Having clean, organized records speeds this step up considerably.
Second, the survey crew visits the property to measure the boundaries, confirm the locations of improvements, and look for physical evidence of easements or encroachments.
Third, the surveyor drafts the plat, writes the certification, and delivers the final stamped document to you, your lender, and your title company.
If your closing has a firm deadline, order the survey the moment your purchase agreement is signed. Title companies cannot finalize their commitments until they have reviewed the completed ALTA survey.