What Do Land Surveyors Do and How Do I Find One?

Updated

Land surveyors measure and map property boundaries, elevations, and improvements so you know exactly where a property line, building, or easement sits. You need one when buying or selling land, building near a line, dividing a parcel, or resolving a boundary dispute. In Illinois, the Illinois Professional Land Surveyors Association (IPLSA) provides a Find a Surveyor tool and a Get It Surveyed resource to help you locate licensed professionals and understand when a survey is warranted.

What a Land Surveyor Does

A land surveyor establishes and re-establishes property boundaries, prepares plats and legal descriptions, and documents physical features on the land. The work typically includes:

  • Boundary surveys — locating corners and lines based on deeds, plats, and recorded documents
  • Topographic surveys — mapping elevation and terrain for design and drainage
  • ALTA/NSPS surveys — detailed surveys often required for commercial real estate transactions
  • Subdivision plats — dividing land into lots and dedicating rights-of-way
  • Elevation and construction layout — setting grades and staking improvements

Surveyors also research the public record, including General Land Office (GLO) plats, which IPLSA makes available as a reference resource.

When You Need a Property Survey

A survey is commonly needed when:

  • You are buying or selling property and the deed description is unclear or the parcel has not been surveyed recently
  • You plan to build, add a fence, or place a structure near a boundary
  • You want to divide or combine parcels
  • A neighbor dispute arises over an encroachment or easement
  • A lender or title company requires one for a transaction

If you are unsure whether your situation requires a full boundary survey, IPLSA's Get It Surveyed page is designed to explain the process and help you decide.

How to Find a Licensed Land Surveyor

  1. Use IPLSA's Find a Surveyor tool — the association maintains a directory to connect property owners with surveyors.
  2. Confirm licensure — Illinois surveyors are licensed through the state; IPLSA's Licensure section covers the path to licensure and regulation and enforcement, which explains how the profession is governed.
  3. Ask about scope and deliverables — confirm whether you will receive a plat, a written report, or both, and whether monumentation is included.
  4. Check for relevant experience — for boundary or ALTA work, ask whether the surveyor regularly handles that type of survey in your county.

What to Prepare Before Contacting a Surveyor

Having the right documents ready speeds up the process and often reduces cost:

  • Deed and legal description for the property
  • Plat of survey from a prior survey, if one exists
  • Title commitment or property record card, if available
  • A clear statement of purpose — purchase, construction, subdivision, or dispute
  • Any known concerns — fences that may not match the deed line, easements, or neighbor issues

Typical Steps in a Boundary Survey

  1. Research — the surveyor reviews deeds, plats, and recorded documents affecting the parcel.
  2. Field work — the surveyor locates existing monuments and measures the property, setting or re-setting corners as needed.
  3. Analysis — field measurements are compared against the record documents to resolve discrepancies.
  4. Deliverables — you receive a plat of survey and, where required, a written description or report.

Expect the surveyor to explain any discrepancies between the deed and physical conditions, since those findings often matter most in a transaction or dispute.

Verifying Licensure and Reading the Survey Report

Before hiring, confirm the surveyor's license is active through the state licensing authority; IPLSA's Licensure pages describe the regulatory structure and enforcement process. When you receive the survey:

  • Check that the plat matches your deed description and shows all improvements, easements, and setbacks
  • Confirm monuments are shown and described (what was found versus set)
  • Review the surveyor's certification, date, and seal
  • Ask the surveyor to walk you through any encroachments or discrepancies noted

Building a Career or Staying Current

IPLSA also supports the profession itself. The Career Center, Young Surveyors Network, and Future Surveyors scholarships and instructional videos serve students and teachers exploring surveying. For licensed professionals, the association offers continuing education, including a 2026 Virtual Conference with eight courses totaling 21 Professional Development Hours (covering sexual harassment prevention, ethics, and statutes and standards), a 2026 Professional Development Seminar webinar with Gary Kent offering 8 PDHs on statutes and standards, professional ethics, and risk management on November 4–5, and an Illinois Jurisdictional Exam Review Course available standalone or bundled with the Illinois Compiled Statutes for exam preparation. A 2024 Statute Book is also available. These resources are listed on the IPLSA site with purchase and registration links; check the site for current availability and pricing.