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An ALTA/ACSM Land Title Survey (ALTA) is a survey based on a set of minimum standards of performance for precision and detail jointly established by the American Land Title Association (ALTA) and the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM). Lenders may require an ALTA survey before they will lend money and/or Title Insurance Companies may require an ALTA survey before they will issue title insurance.
Members of the American Land Title Association have specific needs, unique to title insurance matters. In order to meet such needs title insurers and lenders rely on surveyors to prepare plats that are uniform, complete and accurate across the United States. An ALTA survey will include on-site fieldwork, the preparation of a plat showing the results of the fieldwork and its relationship to record documents. A title commitment will be provided to the surveyor which generally lists a number of exceptions that may benefit or burden the property. The surveyor will identify these exceptions on the face of the survey and explain whether or not they affect the property.
The surveyor may be asked to address a number of other items which are collectively known as the TABLE A – Optional Survey Responsibilities and Specifications and include such matters as the height and square footage of buildings, flood zone designation, location of utilities, topographic relief, current zoning classification, and many others. A full list of the 22 Table “A” items can be found at the ACSM website.
How Much Does an ALTA Survey Cost?
Aside from the size and complexity of the property, the main factors affecting the cost of an ALTA survey are the number of items from the Table “A” list that the client wants to include. For an accurate price quote please fill out our survey request form, and we will get back to you as quickly as possible.
