What Is Land Surveying and How Do I Find a Land Surveyor?

Updated

Land surveying is the professional practice of measuring and mapping land boundaries, elevations, and features to establish legal property lines and support design and construction. You need a licensed land surveyor when buying or dividing property, building near setbacks, resolving boundary disputes, or preparing a site plan. To find one, use a professional association directory such as the Illinois Professional Land Surveyors Association's "Find a Surveyor" tool, then verify the license with your state's licensing board before hiring.

What Land Surveying Is

A land surveyor measures the physical world and translates it into legally defensible records. The work combines field measurement (using instruments such as total stations and GPS) with research into deeds, plats, and prior surveys, and produces a signed, sealed document—often a plat or boundary survey—that describes where lines and features actually lie.

The Illinois Professional Land Surveyors Association (IPLSA) describes surveying as a career and profession with its own licensure path, regulation, and enforcement, and it maintains resources on "About Surveying," "Path to Licensure," and "Maintaining Your License." That structure matters to you as a consumer: a surveyor's authority to certify boundaries comes from a state license, not just from experience.

Main Types of Surveys and When You Need One

Survey type What it establishes Typical trigger
Boundary survey Location of property lines, corners, and encroachments Buying/selling land, fences, disputes, additions
Topographic survey Elevations, contours, natural and built features Site design, drainage, grading, permits
Construction survey Layout and staking of improvements New builds, roads, utilities
ALTA/NSPS survey Detailed title-related boundary and easement map Commercial real estate transactions, title insurance

Use this as a starting point, not a menu: the scope you actually need depends on your project and on what your lender, title company, or local permitting authority requires. Ask the surveyor to state in writing which type they will perform and what it will and will not show.

What a Land Surveyor Does

In practice, a surveyor will:

  • Research public records—deeds, plats, and prior surveys—to understand the legal description of the property.
  • Measure in the field to locate corners, lines, and physical features.
  • Analyze evidence and reconcile it with the record description.
  • Prepare and certify a plat or report, and often file or record it as required.
  • Advise on encroachments, easements, and setback questions within the scope of the survey.

IPLSA's site also points to GLO (General Land Office) plats, which are historical federal survey records used in boundary research—an example of the record work that precedes field measurement.

How to Find and Verify a Licensed Surveyor

  1. Start with a directory. IPLSA offers a "Find a Surveyor" search and a "Get It Surveyed" resource for the public. Similar directories exist through other state associations and the National Society of Professional Engineers' affiliated surveying bodies.
  2. Confirm the license. Licensing is handled at the state level. IPLSA's "Licensure" and "Regulation & Enforcement" sections describe Illinois' path to licensure and how the state regulates the profession; check your own state board's license lookup for the individual's name and status.
  3. Ask about scope and credentials. Request the surveyor's license number, the type of survey they propose, and whether they carry professional liability insurance.
  4. Get a written proposal. It should list the survey type, deliverables, timeline, and any exclusions (for example, whether utility locating or wetland delineation is included).

What to Prepare Before You Call

Gather these items to get an accurate quote and avoid delays:

  • The property's legal description, deed, and any prior survey or plat you have.
  • The address, parcel number, and approximate acreage.
  • A sketch or photos of known corners, fences, and structures near the lines.
  • The purpose of the survey (sale, permit, dispute, construction) and any deadline.
  • Any requirements from your lender, title company, or local building department.

Expect the surveyor to need access to the property and possibly neighbors' land to locate corners; discuss access and any locked gates up front.

Common Pitfalls and How to Check Credentials

  • Hiring on price alone. A cheap "mortgage inspection" or spot survey is not a boundary survey and may not protect you in a dispute. Confirm the deliverable in writing.
  • Skipping license verification. A license lookup takes minutes and is the single best check. IPLSA's licensure and enforcement pages show that the state, not the association, holds disciplinary authority.
  • Assuming a survey settles ownership. A survey locates lines based on record and evidence; it does not by itself resolve title or legal ownership questions. For those, involve a title company or attorney.
  • Ignoring continuing education. IPLSA promotes professional development hours (PDH) and courses such as its virtual conference and jurisdictional exam review—signs of a profession that expects ongoing training. Ask whether your surveyor stays current.

For a property purchase or a boundary question, the practical sequence is: identify the survey type you need, find a licensed surveyor through a directory like IPLSA's, verify the license with the state board, and get a written scope before work begins.