Why You Need a Land Survey Before Building

You can design a gorgeous house, hire a top-tier builder, and still wreck your budget if you start on the wrong patch of dirt. I’ve seen homeowners lose months and tens of thousands because a fence line didn’t match the property line, a utility easement cut through their planned pool, or the slope looked gentle until it demanded a six-figure retaining wall. A land survey is how you turn “land-shaped guesswork” into a buildable, code-compliant plan. It’s not a formality; it’s the base map everything else depends on—zoning, drainage, walls, driveways, even where the front steps can land.

What a land survey actually does

A licensed land surveyor measures and maps what you own (or plan to buy) on the ground and on paper. At a minimum, a proper survey tells you:

• Where your true property boundaries and corners are, in coordinates and distances.
• What’s on or near those boundaries—fences, walls, buildings, driveways, sheds.
• Easements and rights-of-way that limit where you can build (utility lines, drainage, access).
• Encroachments (yours onto neighbors or theirs onto you).
• Topography—spot elevations and contours that show slopes, ridges, swales.
• Nearby features that affect design: trees, utilities, waterways, cliffs, wetlands buffers.
• The location of the public right-of-way versus visible pavement or curb.
• Notes about the basis of bearings, datums, benchmarks, and the records used.

That drawing becomes the base layer for your architect’s site plan, your civil engineer’s grading and drainage design, the builder’s staking in the field, and the documents your city reviewers, lender, and title company rely on. Skip it, and every step is built on assumptions.

The main survey types you might need

You won’t always need every type. The right mix depends on your site, project scope, lender, and local requirements. Here’s what each one does and when it matters.

Boundary survey (aka mortgage or property survey)

• What it is: Establishes and marks the exact property lines and corners. Shows improvements near boundaries and any encroachments.
• When you need it: Always before designing and building. Also when fencing, subdividing, or resolving disputes.
• Deliverables: Signed/sealed plat, bearings and distances, found/set monuments, encroachments, easements of record.
• Cost/time: Typically $800–$2,500 for a standard urban/suburban lot; larger/wooded/complex parcels can run $3,000–$10,000+. 1–3 weeks is common, longer in backlogged seasons.
• Real-world note: Fences and old stakes often lie. Boundary surveys resolve what the deed actually calls for—meets-and-bounds descriptions, plats, and monumentation—not where someone guessed twenty years ago.

Topographic survey (topo)

• What it is: Maps the shape of the land—contours, spot elevations, critical features (trees, walls, drainage paths).
• When you need it: Anytime slope, drainage, retaining walls, or precise grading matter. Most new builds and major additions benefit.
• Deliverables: Contours (commonly 1- or 2-foot intervals), spot grades, benchmarks, surface features.
• Cost/time: $1,200–$5,000 for typical residential; more on large or heavily wooded sites. 1–3 weeks.
• Why it pays: Your driveway grade, foundation step-downs, and stormwater plan come from topography. Designing without topo is designing blind.

ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey (mostly for commercial, sometimes for high-value residential)

• What it is: The most comprehensive survey standard in the U.S., done to lender and title company specifications to reveal all matters affecting title and improvements on site.
• When you need it: Commercial properties; complex residential with financing/title requirements or multiple easements.
• Deliverables: Everything in a boundary survey plus Table A items (as negotiated) like utilities, zoning, flood zone, setbacks, parking counts.
• Cost/time: $3,000–$12,000+ depending on scope and Table A items. 3–6 weeks typical.

Construction staking (layout survey)

• What it is: Surveyors transfer the plan onto the ground—marking the exact location of corners, foundation, utilities, roads.
• When you need it: Before excavation and key phases—foundation, utilities, curb/gutter, and hardscapes.
• Deliverables: Stakes and hubs with offsets; field notes; sometimes a foundation location certificate after forms are set.
• Cost/time: $1,000–$5,000+ across phases on a residential build; each site is different.
• Why it matters: This is what keeps your foundation in the right spot relative to setbacks and easements. No guessing with tape measures from a curb that might not be your property line.

Elevation certificate / floodplain survey

• What it is: Certifies elevations relative to the Base Flood Elevation (BFE). Required for building in mapped flood zones and setting finished floor heights.
• When you need it: If your parcel touches FEMA Zone A or AE (or local overlays). Lenders and insurers may require it.
• Deliverables: FEMA Elevation Certificate form; spot grades at key points (lowest adjacent grade, finished floor).
• Cost/time: $500–$1,500. 1–2 weeks typical.
• Bonus: FEMA estimates just one inch of water can cause up to $25,000 in damage. Designing to proper elevations—and proving it—can also reduce flood insurance premiums.

Subdivision, platting, and lot line adjustments

• What it is: Splits land into lots, consolidates lots, or adjusts boundaries; produces a record plat or record of survey map.
• When you need it: Selling a portion, creating a flag lot, solving an encroachment via line adjustment.
• Deliverables: Plats for recording; legal descriptions; monumentation.
• Cost/time: Highly variable. Simple lot line adjustments might be $2,000–$6,000; full subdivisions require surveying plus civil engineering and municipal fees, often $20,000+ and months of process.

As-built or foundation location survey

• What it is: Confirms what was built sits where the approved plans say. Many jurisdictions and lenders require this after the foundation is formed and before pour, or after pour and framing.
• When you need it: During construction at milestones (foundation, utilities, final).
• Deliverables: Stamped drawing showing structure relative to property lines, easements, and elevations.
• Cost/time: $500–$1,500 per visit; often bundled in staking.

Utility mapping and SUE (Subsurface Utility Engineering)

• What it is: Locates utilities—public and private—with varying accuracy levels (D through A). Includes records research, surface locate, geophysics, and vacuum potholing.
• When you need it: Tight urban infill, heavy landscaping, pool additions, or anywhere hitting a line would be costly/dangerous.
• Deliverables: Utility plan with quality levels noted.
• Cost/time: $1,000–$10,000+ depending on scope; potholing is the most accurate and expensive.

Tree survey

• What it is: Maps trunk location, size (DBH), species, drip line, and condition for protection and permitting.
• When you need it: Areas with tree protection ordinances or where roots can affect foundation/driveways.
• Deliverables: Tree plan integrated with topo.
• Cost/time: $600–$3,000 for residential lots, often in tandem with topo.

Real stories from the field

I’ve sat at kitchen tables with owners trying to figure out how a “simple addition” spiraled into red tags and legal letters. A few examples that stuck with me:

• The fence that cost $18,000 in redesign. A client assumed the 30-year-old fence marked the lot line. We did a boundary survey for their addition and found the fence was 1.8 feet inside their property on one side and 1.2 feet over on the other. Their planned 4-foot side yard setback wasn’t met on one side, and their neighbor’s shed encroached 1.5 feet. Outcome: we shifted the addition, requested a variance (denied), and ended up shaving 2 feet off the room and negotiating an encroachment agreement for the neighbor’s shed. Survey cost: ~$1,600. Redesign and legal: ~$18,000. Time lost: 7 weeks.

• The driveway slope nobody saw coming. A sloped lot looked “buildable.” The topo showed a 12% slope where the driveway had to go. Local code capped driveway slopes at 10% for 20 feet near the street. Without the topo, the owner would have poured a noncompliant drive. With the data, we lowered the garage slab 10 inches and added a small retaining wall. Wall and redesign added ~$9,500, but saved a rip-and-replace plus a zoning variance hearing.

• The invisible pipeline easement. In a rural build, the preliminary title report mentioned a “blanket utility easement” from the 1950s. Our survey and records research found a high-pressure gas line that cut across the planned house location. The easement prohibited structures within 25 feet. We shifted the house 30 feet and avoided a catastrophic mistake. Survey and enhanced records work: ~$3,800. Redesign: ~$5,000. Potential worst-case? Forcing a pipeline encroachment removal after the fact would have been demolition.

• The flood elevation that halved insurance. A coastal remodel sat near the edge of Zone AE. Neighbors paid $3,000+ per year for flood insurance. We shot an elevation certificate showing the finished floor 2.1 feet above BFE. Premium dropped to under $1,000/year based on the improved elevation and mitigation features. The $950 certificate paid for itself the first year.

• The “wrong lot” near-miss. On a rural subdivision, two lots looked identical. A prior contractor had set a silt fence on the wrong property. Our staking crew caught it on day one. The owner would have cleared the neighbor’s trees and graded the wrong pad. That kind of mistake leads to lawsuits. Staking fee: $1,400. Headache avoided: priceless.

How a survey protects your budget and schedule

• Fewer change orders. Changes after excavation are the most expensive. Industry-wide, residential change orders can add 5–15% to total cost when site conditions are poorly understood. Accurate topo and staking minimize surprises.

• Schedule certainty. If zoning says you’re 5 feet from the line, a survey proves you’re 5 feet. Many building departments won’t issue permits or will place conditions until they see a certified survey. Waiting to order one can add 2–6 weeks of idle time.

• Avoiding a “tear it out” letter. Setback encroachments happen more than anyone admits. I’ve seen a new driveway saw-cut back 3 feet ($7,000) and a foundation wing wall chipped and re-poured ($20,000+). A simple form survey before concrete would have prevented both.

• Insurance and lending benefits. Lenders often require a current survey or foundation location certificate for draws. Elevation certificates can reduce flood premiums. Title insurers rely on surveys to remove exceptions and issue coverage for encroachments.

• Design optimization. With topo, architects can step the foundation to work with the land, reduce retaining walls, and design drainage so water flows around, not through, your house. A foot of earthwork avoided might save $10–$20 per cubic yard quickly.

Common problems a survey catches early

• Setback violations. Side and rear yards are notorious pinch points. Surveys confirm buildable envelope size before you draft a floor plan that can’t be permitted.

• Easements. Utility, drainage, access, conservation—these limit construction. They also define where you can run your own utilities. Not every easement is visible.

• Encroachments. Sheds, eaves, fences, driveways, even retaining walls. You need to know if you’re encroaching or someone else is. Options include redesign, encroachment agreement, lot line adjustment, or removal.

• Right-of-way surprises. The curb is often not the property line. Cities sometimes own 5–15 feet of the “front lawn” as right-of-way. That affects fences, walls, and driveway aprons.

• Topography-driven costs. Steeper slopes mean stepped foundations, longer drives, more retaining walls, and more erosion control. Seeing the contours lets you budget realistically.

• Drainage and swales. Water doesn’t care about paper property lines. Surveys show flow paths you must respect or redirect. A down-slope neighbor lawsuit is a real risk if you change runoff without engineering.

• Floodplain and elevation. Flood zones aren’t guesswork. Correct elevations can save your project (and your belongings).

• Deed gaps and overlaps. In rural or older platted areas, legal descriptions can conflict. Surveyors resolve these using precedence rules, monuments, and court-tested methods.

• Utility conflicts. Water, gas, and sewer laterals are often not where old drawings say. Field-located utilities save digging into surprises.

• Tree protection and root zones. In many cities, harming protected trees triggers fines or replacement requirements. Good mapping allows for protective fencing and minor plan shifts.

The process: step-by-step from dirt to done

Here’s how a typical residential journey runs when it’s dialed in.

1) Pre-purchase due diligence

• Ask your agent and title company for the latest recorded plat, deed, and any prior survey.
• Order a preliminary title report or commitment to see easements.
• If slopes, floodplain, or lot lines look questionable, order a boundary + topo during your feasibility period. Yes, spend money before closing—this is when renegotiation or walking away is still possible.

2) Scope and hire your surveyor

• Share your goals (new build, addition, pool), local requirements, and any HOA rules.
• Deliver the deed, prior surveys, title commitment, and any city guidance.
• Request a written scope: which survey types, deliverables (PDF, CAD, benchmark info), anticipated schedule, and fee.
• Confirm licensing and insurance. Ask about recent work in your jurisdiction.

3) Records research

• The surveyor pulls plats, deeds, adjoining records, filed surveys, road dedications, easements, and utility maps. This desk work is where many boundary problems are solved before a field crew ever sets up.

4) Fieldwork

• Crews recover and set monuments, run traverses with total stations/GNSS, shoot topography, spot visible utilities, map trees and features.
• Expect flags, wooden stakes, paint marks, and sometimes temporary iron pins.

5) Drafting and quality control

• The office compiles field data, reconciles records, checks closures, and creates the drawing. The surveyor of record signs/seals it.

6) Review with your design team

• Architect overlays the survey in CAD/BIM to place the house within setbacks.
• Civil engineer uses contours for grading, drainage, and erosion control plans.
• Discuss driveway slopes, wall heights, and foundation steps now—not after excavation.

7) Permitting

• Submit the survey with your site and grading plans. Many reviewers want to see the stamped survey and benchmark notes.

8) Construction staking

• Before digging, the surveyor stakes the foundation with offsets so crews don’t disturb corners.
• After forms are set, many jurisdictions require a form survey (foundation location) to confirm setbacks prior to pour.

9) Mid-course checks

• Additional staking for utilities, walls, and drives as needed. Red tags often come from things that drifted—call your surveyor back if something seems off.

10) As-built and final certifications

• Some cities require final as-builts showing finished floor elevation, drainage features, and structures. Your lender may also need a final foundation certificate before the last draw.

Reading your survey like a pro

Open the drawing and look for these key items:

• Legend and notes. Understand symbols for pins, monuments, fences, utilities, and benchmarks. Read the basis of bearings (e.g., NAD83) and vertical datum (e.g., NAVD88).
• Bearings and distances. Property lines will show courses (e.g., N 89°12’34” E) and lengths (e.g., 120.00’). Curved lines list radius, arc length, chord bearing/length.
• Monuments. Look for “found 1/2″ iron rod,” “set 5/8″ rebar with cap,” “found stone,” “PK nail,” or “x-cut in concrete.” These are the physical markers in the ground.
• Easements. They’ll be dashed or shaded with callouts: “10’ PUE” (public utility easement), “20’ Drainage Esmt per Doc #…”
• Improvements. House outline, porches, fences, walls, sheds—especially near lines.
• Contours and elevations. Close-together lines mean steep areas; far apart means flat. Spot grades show precise elevations at corners, driveways, and door thresholds.
• Buildable area. Many surveys or site plans show setback lines outlining the envelope.
• Benchmarks. The reference point for all elevations—critical for flood certificates and grading.
• Exceptions. If the surveyor couldn’t access a neighbor’s yard or locate a record, they’ll note limitations.

When you see something you don’t understand—ask. Good surveyors will walk you through the drawing and even flag lines in the field.

Costs, timeframes, and what drives them

Every market is different, but these ranges will help you budget:

• Boundary survey: $800–$2,500 for typical residential; $3,000–$10,000+ for large/complex/rural.
• Topographic survey: $1,200–$5,000 typical; higher for acreage or dense tree cover.
• ALTA/NSPS: $3,000–$12,000+, depending on Table A items.
• Construction staking: $1,000–$5,000 across a project in phases.
• Elevation certificate: $500–$1,500.
• Utility SUE (selective): $1,000–$10,000+ depending on methods.
• Tree survey: $600–$3,000.

What increases cost/time:

• Dense vegetation, steep slopes, rock, or limited access.
• Poor or conflicting records; lost monuments.
• Snow cover or leaf-off/leaf-on conditions depending on what’s being mapped.
• Rush requests and busy seasons (spring/summer).
• Additional deliverables like CAD files, 3D surface models, or repeated site visits.

Ways to keep it reasonable without cutting corners:

• Bundle services with one firm (boundary + topo + staking).
• Provide all records up front (deeds, prior surveys, title).
• Schedule early—before you need it—so you’re not paying rush fees.
• Ask for digital deliverables (CAD, surface files) in formats your design team uses.
• Clarify which items are must-haves versus nice-to-haves for your jurisdiction.

Picking the right surveyor

A good surveyor is part detective, part engineer, and part communicator. When you’re interviewing:

• Verify licensing and professional standing in your state.
• Ask about recent experience in your city or county. Local knowledge of monuments and reviewer preferences matters.
• Confirm insurance coverage appropriate to your project.
• Review a sample survey. Look for clear notes, legible linework, and complete callouts.
• Ask about equipment and techniques (GNSS, robotic total stations, drones, LiDAR). Tools don’t replace judgment, but they help with efficiency and accuracy.
• Define scope: boundary, topo, staking, elevation certificate, as-builts. Agree on deliverables (PDF, CAD, coordinate system), schedule, and fees.
• Clarify change policies. What happens if hidden issues arise—missing corners, deed conflicts, additional staking?
• Get references if it’s a large or complex job.

The best surveyors collaborate. They pick up the phone when your architect or civil engineer calls and help solve problems, not just point to them.

Coordination with your design and build team

Bringing your surveyor into the conversation early pays dividends:

• Architect: Uses boundary and topo to size the building footprint within setbacks, set finished floor elevations, and manage step-downs on sloped lots.
• Civil engineer: Designs grading, drainage, and erosion control. A precise topo prevents surprises in cut/fill volumes.
• Landscape architect: Plans walls, walks, and plantings around utilities, trees, and slopes.
• Builder: Schedules staking and verifies field conditions match plans. The surveyor’s stakes are the truth on the ground.
• HOA review: Many associations require showing improvements relative to easements, setbacks, and trees on a current survey.

Create a staking schedule as part of your construction plan: initial control, foundation offsets, form survey, utility stakes, drive/walk stakes, and as-built confirmation.

Permits, lenders, and title: who wants what

• Planning/zoning: Often require a current survey showing property lines, setbacks, easements, and existing improvements with your application.
• Building department: May require the stamped survey plus a foundation location certificate before pouring concrete and a final as-built before Certificate Of Occupancy.
• Lenders: Commonly ask for a mortgage survey or foundation certificate for draws. Commercial loans nearly always require ALTA/NSPS.
• Title companies: Rely on surveys to remove standard exceptions and issue coverage for encroachments and easements. Without a survey, some risks remain excluded from coverage.
• Flood insurance: Elevation certificates set rates and prove compliance with local freeboard requirements.

If you’re unsure, ask your designer or builder for a “permit checklist.” The survey is almost always on page one.

Special situations to think through

• Corner lots and sight triangles. Cities often restrict walls and plantings near intersections for visibility. Surveys show the right-of-way and the triangle limits.
• Flag lots and panhandle driveways. Long narrow access strips have easements and width requirements. Misplacing fences or utilities here triggers neighbor disputes fast.
• Waterfront and riparian setbacks. Shoreline overlays, high-water marks, and dock rights require precise location work and sometimes additional permitting.
• Steep slopes and landslide hazard areas. Many jurisdictions require geotechnical studies tied to surveyed locations of slopes and scarps. Expect stricter setbacks.
• Wetlands and buffers. Delineations by a biologist must be located by survey and shown on plans. Buffer widths can be substantial.
• Historic districts. Surveys help your team maintain required setbacks and lot coverage in areas with strict design rules.
• Septic and well placement. Health departments have minimum separation distances—survey data helps place tanks, fields, and wells legally.
• Shared driveways and private roads. Easement widths and maintenance agreements are survey and title homework; build over them without clarity and you’re in for conflict.

Mistakes to avoid

These are the gotchas I see most often:

• Treating a fence as the boundary. Fences wander. Always verify with a boundary survey.
• Using county GIS as gospel. Parcel maps are approximate; they’re not design-grade. They can be off by feet or more.
• Skipping topo on “flat” lots. Flat to the eye still hides drainage patterns. Poor drainage equals wet basements and neighbor disputes.
• Waiting to order the survey. By the time you need it, everyone is waiting on you. Order early so design and permitting can start on schedule.
• Not coordinating easements with design. Driveway across a utility easement? Expect a future utility cut. Move it if you can.
• Moving or pulling survey stakes. That pin your crew kicked? It was there for a reason. Call the surveyor back; don’t guess.
• Ignoring basis of bearings and datum. Your civil and survey must match or elevation and coordinate errors creep into staking and grading.
• Not recording a lot line adjustment. A handshake deal with a neighbor doesn’t change your legal boundary. Record it or don’t rely on it.
• Pouring concrete without a form survey. It’s a cheap check that avoids expensive demo.
• Assuming “new subdivision” means “all good.” Monumentation and plats are great, but contractors still make field mistakes—verify corners and setbacks.

Practical tips to get the most from your survey

• Walk the site with the surveyor. Ask them to flag corners and key easements. Seeing it in person helps you understand trade-offs.
• Request 1-foot contours on smaller lots. Many jurisdictions accept 2-foot, but 1-foot contours give designers more precision.
• Ask for tree trunk locations and canopies on topo. It’s gold for protecting roots during construction.
• Get CAD files (DWG/DXF) with layers named clearly for property lines, easements, utilities, contours, and features.
• Keep the benchmark accessible. Contractors will need to check elevations repeatedly. Protect it from site disturbance.
• Coordinate with 811 and private locators. Public locates are a start, but irrigation lines, private electric, and septic laterals aren’t included.
• If floodplain is near, have the surveyor set a temporary mark at required finished floor elevation. Seeing it helps everyone respect it.
• Photograph and document stakes. If they get disturbed, the photos help the surveyor reestablish them faster.

Frequently asked questions

• Do I need a new survey if the previous owner did one a few years ago?

If no site changes occurred and your jurisdiction accepts it, maybe. But corners get disturbed, and easements or rules change. I usually recommend at least a verification and an updated topo for design-grade accuracy.

• How long does a survey stay “good”?

There’s no universal expiration, but lenders, cities, and title companies often want a “current” survey—typically less than a year old or verified. If conditions change (new fence, addition, regrading), update it.

• Can the surveyor mediate with my neighbor about an encroachment?

They can show facts and explain the map. They don’t arbitrate disputes. Use the survey as the basis for a civil conversation with your neighbor—and consult an attorney if needed.

• What if pins are missing?

Surveyors set new monuments as part of the boundary survey, and they reference them to found monuments and records. Don’t set your own DIY pins—they won’t be legally defensible.

• Can I build off the curb or sidewalk as a reference?

No. The property line rarely aligns with visible features. Always use survey control and construction staking.

• Is winter a bad time to survey?

Snow can slow fieldwork and hide features, but surveyors work year-round. Topo is easier with leaves off; utility locates may be tougher when ground is frozen.

• My lot is tiny—do I still need topo?

Yes if you’re grading, adding a driveway, or adjusting drainage. Even a few inches of elevation change affects water flow and Code Compliance.

A quick pre-construction checklist

Use this to keep your project on track:

• Order boundary + topo during due diligence or early design.
• Provide deed, title commitment, and any prior surveys to your surveyor.
• Confirm setbacks, easements, and floodplain with your design team using the survey.
• Schedule 811 and private utility locates before topo if possible.
• Meet on-site to flag corners, easements, and the buildable envelope.
• Coordinate grading and drainage design with topo data.
• Book construction staking on the schedule ahead of excavation.
• Require a form survey before pouring any concrete.
• Get an elevation certificate if anywhere near flood zones.
• Request final as-built for lender and certificate of occupancy if required.

What the tech means for you

Modern survey gear boosts accuracy and speed:

• GNSS/GPS and robotic total stations capture precise locations quickly, with typical residential tolerances often within a few hundredths of a foot.
• Drones and LiDAR can create detailed surface models fast, especially on larger or steep sites.
• Geodetic datums (NAD83 for horizontal, NAVD88 or local vertical) ensure your data aligns with public datasets, flood maps, and engineering software.

Ask your surveyor how they’ll deliver results: PDF for permitting plus CAD files for your design team is the sweet spot. If your project is complex, a surface model (TIN) can save your engineer hours.

Why building departments, lenders, and insurers care

They’re not trying to make your life difficult. They need to know:

• The house sits inside setbacks and outside easements to avoid future legal messes.
• Finished floor elevation meets flood and local freeboard rules to protect life and property.
• The title is as clean as practical so insurable and financeable interests are protected.
• The site will drain properly and won’t flood neighbors or public streets.

A clear, accurate survey answers those concerns in a way everyone trusts.

What to do if the survey reveals a problem

Don’t panic—problems caught early are fixable.

• Minor encroachment into your yard from a neighbor: Consider an encroachment agreement or lot line adjustment. Sometimes it’s cheaper to let a small fence encroach than to litigate.
• Your planned build clips a setback: Options include shifting the footprint, shrinking the plan, or pursuing a variance. Variances are discretionary and require justification—plan for time.
• Unexpected easement: Relocate improvements outside it. Utilities usually won’t release or move easements for private convenience.
• Floodplain issues: Raise finished floors, adjust site grading, consider flood vents or elevated foundations. An elevation certificate guides design.
• Shared driveway or access conflict: Confirm easement language with title, then design accordingly.
• Deed/record conflicts: Your surveyor can often reconcile them; occasionally, legal action or agreements are needed.

The right sequence is talk to your surveyor, then your designer, then your permitting team, and only then attorneys if necessary.

A candid word on budgets and trade-offs

Surveys feel like overhead until they save your project from a landmine. I’ve watched owners try to trim $1,500 from the survey scope and spend $15,000 fixing a driveway grade, or $25,000 relocating a wall that wandered into a utility easement. Resist the urge to “just get something on paper for permitting.” Ask for the level of detail your design requires, not the bare minimum.

If you truly have to economize:

• Combine field visits. Get boundary and topo done together.
• Clarify contour intervals—1-foot where you build, 2-foot elsewhere.
• Limit utility locating to areas of conflict rather than the whole parcel.
• Stage staking visits around key milestones to avoid re-mobilization.

But don’t cut the form survey or skip topo on anything but the simplest, dead-flat sites.

The bottom line

A land survey is the one document that touches every decision about where and how you build: design, permitting, financing, construction, and final approvals. It maps the invisible rules—setbacks, easements, flood elevations—and the very visible realities—slopes, trees, walls, utilities. It’s also relatively small money in the context of a six- or seven-figure build. Order it early, involve your surveyor in the conversation, and use that map as your ground truth. You’ll design smarter, permit faster, build cleaner, and sleep better knowing you’re not an inch over a line you shouldn’t cross.