An ALTA Title Survey is completed based on the \u201cMinimum Standard Detail Requirements and Accuracy Standards For ALTA\/NSPS Land Title Surveys.\u201d This standard document <\/a>was developed and is revised on a regular basis by a combination of Title industry and Surveying industry professionals. The latest version of this document is the 2021 revision.<\/p>
ALTA Land Surveys are generally used on commercial or multi-family residential sites and also when either the lender or owner is in another state jurisdiction. The ALTA standards are somewhat of a \u201cnational standard\u201d for surveying, intended to yield a consistent survey no matter what state the work is done in. While most States have surveying standards, they vary widely from one state to the other. So, the ALTA standard<\/a> is used to cut down on this variation.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
So, if you have a commercial parcel or a large multi-family residential complex, you should consider asking for the ALTA survey standards to be used. You should also probably do this if you are considering the purchase or development of a parcel outside your state. Most of the banks will require this if you ask for a loan on this type property, but I recommend this even if the bank doesn\u2019t require it.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
As we said, the ALTA Surveys take more time and effort, so, the costs are usually higher.<\/p>
I see ALTA surveys priced from 50% to 200% more than a comparable boundary survey. This depends on the items checked in \u201cTable A \u2013 Optional Survey Responsibilities and Specifications<\/a>.\u201d This table adds additional or specific tasks to the surveyor\u2019s scope of work. One item that is usually included with most all ALTA survey requests is Item #1, monuments placed.<\/p>