Name the Current Standard
The written request should specifically identify a 2026 ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey and the requested Table A items.
2026 ALTA/NSPS Standards Explained: What Changed from 2021
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2026 ALTA/NSPS Standards
Effective February 23, 2026
2026 ALTA/NSPS Standards: What Changed + Complete Table A Guide
The 2026 ALTA/NSPS Minimum Standard Detail Requirements now govern new ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys. This guide explains what changed from 2021, what stayed the same, how Table A works and what buyers, lenders, title professionals and property owners should coordinate before the survey begins.
The short version:
the 2026 standards are primarily a clarification and coordination
update—not a completely different ALTA survey. The biggest practical
changes involve written survey requests, records research, utility
limitations, imagery, unusual property interests and a new optional
Item 20 review table.
Feb. 23, 2026
Effective date of current standards
20 Items
Defined optional Table A items
Item 21
Additional negotiated requirements
2 cm + 50 ppm
Maximum RPP standard retained
Direct answer
What Changed in the 2026 ALTA/NSPS Standards?
The 2026 standards superseded the 2021 standards on February 23, 2026. The revision strengthens how an ALTA survey is ordered and coordinated, clarifies research and field procedures, adds more specific limitations for underground utility information, rewrites the imagery option under Table A Item 15 and creates a defined Item 20 for summarizing certain potential encroachments and access conditions in a keyed review table.
01 · Changes that affect transactions
Eight 2026 Changes Worth Understanding
Many wording changes are technical. These are the revisions most likely to affect survey ordering, title review, lender requirements, scope, timing or coordination.
Scope Unusual Interests Early
Leases, easements, mineral interests, marinas, mobile-home parks and other unusual interests may require a written project-specific scope.
Clarified Record Responsibilities
Current title evidence and relevant recorded documents remain central, while the standards clarify who obtains information needed to complete the survey.
Technology-Neutral Language
The standards focus on professionally acceptable practices and required results rather than tying the fieldwork to one particular measurement technology.
Better Water-Boundary Documentation
Where water affects the surveyed boundary, the map must communicate what was measured and relevant limitations involving changing water features.
Stronger Utility Limitations
Table A Item 11 more clearly communicates that records, markings and observed evidence do not guarantee exact underground utility locations.
Item 15 Was Reworked
When imagery is used for qualifying non-boundary features, source, date or version, licensing and limitations must be addressed with the client.
Key Potential Issues for Review
A new optional item can organize specified potential encroachments, setback concerns and certain access conditions into a keyed table for easier review.
The standard begins before fieldwork
A Better ALTA Survey Starts With Better Instructions.
A recurring theme in the 2026 standards is coordination before the surveyor begins work. The property interests, title evidence, Table A items, intended transaction use and unusual requirements should be understood early—not added after the field crew has already completed the site visit.
02 · 2026 vs. 2021
What the Changes Mean in a Real Transaction
The practical question is not merely what wording changed. It is what the buyer, lender, title company, attorney or surveyor needs to do differently.
| Topic | 2021 Approach | 2026 Standard | Who Should Act? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Survey request | ALTA survey and selected Table A items identified. | Request specifically identifies the 2026 ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey and selected optional items. | Client / lender / title team |
| Effective standard | 2021 standards governed applicable work. | 2026 standards superseded prior versions on February 23, 2026. | All transaction parties |
| Property interests | Non-standard conditions were handled by project scope. | Unusual interests are expressly highlighted for early written coordination. | Client / lender / insurer / surveyor |
| Measurement | Relative Positional Precision requirements applied. | Language was revised and clarified, but the numerical maximum remains unchanged. | Surveyor |
| Records research | Title evidence and other records were supplied or researched under the prior framework. | Responsibilities and required information are clarified. | Title team / surveyor |
| Field procedures | More traditional fieldwork terminology appeared in the standard. | Technology-neutral language focuses on professionally acceptable practices and results. | Surveyor |
| Underground utilities | Item 11 allowed specified utility evidence. | Limitations are clearer about completeness and reliability without excavation. | Client / surveyor / design team |
| Imagery | Imagery could support certain mapped features. | Item 15 requires clearer advance agreement on the imagery and its qualifications. | Client / surveyor |
| Potential issues table | No equivalent defined Table A item. | New Item 20 provides a standardized optional review table for specified conditions. | Transaction review team |
03 · Important constants
What Did Not Fundamentally Change?
The 2026 revision should not be interpreted as a completely new kind of survey. Several core elements remain intact.
The Purpose Is Still Title Due Diligence
An ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey remains a nationally standardized survey product designed to support title, lender and transaction review.
Boundary Law Still Controls the Boundary
The surveyor must establish or retrace the boundary using applicable boundary principles and the facts and evidence found during the work.
RPP Remains 2 cm + 50 ppm
The maximum allowable Relative Positional Precision remains 2 centimeters, or 0.07 feet, plus 50 parts per million.
Table A Is Optional
The first 20 Table A items are optional unless independently required by applicable law or regulation. Scope and fees are negotiated.
Certification Language Is Controlled
The ALTA/NSPS certification is prescribed by the standard rather than freely rewritten for each lender or transaction.
State Rules Still Apply
ALTA/NSPS requirements are national minimums. More stringent state or local surveying requirements still control when applicable.
Table A changes the scope
There Is No Universal “ALTA Survey With Everything.”
Table A is a menu of optional responsibilities. A warehouse acquisition, a downtown office building, an undeveloped commercial tract and a multi-parcel development may need very different optional items. Selecting everything can increase fieldwork, research, coordination, cost and turnaround without necessarily improving the transaction.
04 · 2026 Table A
Complete Table A Planning Checklist
These descriptions are plain-English planning summaries. Use the controlling 2026 ALTA/NSPS wording when the survey scope is formally requested and contracted.
1
Boundary Monuments
Place or reference monuments at major boundary corners when appropriate monuments are not already available.
2
Property Address
Show the address when it is disclosed by supplied records or observed during the survey.
3
Flood Zone
Show the applicable flood-zone classification through scaled graphic plotting from the designated mapping source.
4
Land Area
Report gross land area and additional areas specifically requested by the client.
5
Vertical Relief
Provide agreed elevation information such as contours, datum, benchmark and source.
6
Zoning & Setbacks
List or depict specified zoning information supplied through the appropriate report or letter, subject to the item’s limitations.
7
Building Dimensions & Heights
Provide selected exterior dimensions, footprint areas or measured building heights as specified.
8
Additional Substantial Features
Show substantial observed site features beyond those already required by the base standards.
9
Parking Counts
Count and categorize clearly identifiable marked parking spaces, including specialized marked spaces.
10
Party & Division Walls
Determine the relationship of client-designated division or party walls to adjoining properties.
11
Underground Utility Evidence
Combine selected records or private-locate markings with observed evidence to develop a limited view of underground utilities.
12
Government Agency Requirements
Address survey-related requirements of a specified government agency when those requirements are supplied to the surveyor.
13
Adjoining Owner Names
Show adjoining-property owner names based on current tax records.
14
Nearest Intersecting Street
Report the distance to the nearest intersecting street.
15
Use of Imagery
Permit qualifying non-boundary features to be shown using agreed imagery with documented source, date or version and limitations.
16
Recent Earth Moving & Construction
Show evidence of recent earthwork, building construction or building additions observed during fieldwork.
17
Proposed Right-of-Way Changes
Address available proposed right-of-way changes and observed recent street or sidewalk construction.
18
Offsite Appurtenant Easements
Extend applicable survey work to plottable offsite easements benefitting the surveyed property.
19
Professional Liability Insurance
Require the surveyor to maintain a negotiated minimum amount of professional liability insurance during the contract term.
20
Potential Encroachment & Access Table
Summarize specified potential encroachments, setback conditions and certain undocumented access situations in a keyed review table.
21
Additional Negotiated Work
Use Item 21 for custom services or requirements beyond the first 20 defined items, typically identified as 21(a), 21(b) and so on.
Printable companion page
Choose Table A Items Before the Proposal Is Finalized.
The separate 2026 Table A checklist is designed for buyers, lenders, title companies, attorneys, developers and property managers who need a simple working document for deciding which optional items belong in the survey scope.
Use it to coordinate the transaction team before fieldwork begins, then send the selected scope to the surveyor for review, pricing and any necessary qualifications.
05 · Four items deserve extra attention
Items 11, 15, 20 & 21 Explained
These items can materially affect scope, fee, expectations or how the finished survey is reviewed.
Underground Utilities Are Not a Guarantee
Item 11 can incorporate utility plans or reports, private-locate markings and visible evidence. The resulting depiction is still limited by the quality of the available information.
Without excavation, an ALTA survey cannot guarantee the exact location, completeness or reliability of every underground feature. If a design team needs substantially greater utility confidence, a separately scoped utility investigation may be appropriate.
Transaction question:
Does the lender merely need utility evidence shown, or does the
design team need engineering-grade subsurface utility information?
Those are different scopes.
Imagery Must Be Coordinated Before Use
The 2026 version provides a clearer framework for using imagery to locate qualifying non-boundary features.
The surveyor and client should address the imagery source, date or version, licensing requirements and the potential effect on completeness and precision. The finished survey also needs an appropriate note explaining the imagery used and its qualifications.
Important:
imagery does not replace the boundary-survey portion of an
ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey.
A Faster Way to Navigate Potential Issues
When selected, Item 20 creates a table that points reviewers to specified physical conditions on the face of the survey. Examples can include potential encroachments across boundaries, potential encroachments into documented rights-of-way or easements, certain setback concerns and specified access conditions.
The table is intended to make review easier. It is not a legal opinion, an ownership determination or necessarily a complete list of every concern shown on the survey.
Put Custom Requirements Here
Item 21 is the place for additional negotiated responsibilities that are not one of the first 20 defined Table A items.
Examples might include project-specific CAD deliverables, additional topographic information or other work needed for engineering or development. The exact requirement should be written clearly rather than described only as “extra survey work.”
If the project needs an engineering design survey, do not assume
that selecting Items 5 or 11 automatically creates one. Define
the additional design scope under Item 21.
ALTA Scope Follows the Transaction
Access, parking, easements, buildings, zoning information and offsite rights may matter differently depending on the property and the lender or title requirements.
Complex Properties Need Early Coordination
Urban buildings, shared access, party walls, easements and multiple property interests can expand both survey research and transaction review.
06 · Before fieldwork starts
2026 ALTA Survey Ordering Workflow
A late or incomplete scope is one of the easiest ways to create additional fieldwork, added fees and closing pressure.
1
Request the 2026 Survey
State in writing that the project requires a 2026 ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey.
2
Send Title Evidence
Provide the current title commitment and the relevant documents referenced by the title package.
3
Select Table A
Choose optional items based on the actual transaction rather than automatically requesting every available item.
4
Confirm Special Scope
Discuss unusual property interests, offsite easements, imagery, utility expectations and custom Item 21 requirements.
5
Set Review Dates
Give the surveyor the lender, title and closing review schedule—not only the final closing date.
07 · Send this before the quote is finalized
Commercial ALTA Survey Intake Checklist
Providing the right information early makes it easier to define a realistic scope, fee and delivery schedule.
| Send or Confirm | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Property address and parcel information | Identifies the property and helps begin records review. |
| Current title commitment | Provides the insured property description, exceptions and referenced documents. |
| Referenced title documents | Allows recorded easements and other title matters to be evaluated against the survey. |
| Written 2026 ALTA survey request | Confirms the governing survey standard. |
| Selected Table A items | Defines optional field, research and mapping responsibilities. |
| Certification parties | Identifies the appropriate client, lender and title-insurer names for certification. |
| Property interests being surveyed | Clarifies fee parcels, easements, leases and other interests that may affect scope. |
| Intended property use | Can affect the appropriate precision and site information needed for non-boundary features. |
| Review and closing deadlines | Allows fieldwork, drafting and revision time to be planned realistically. |
| Special lender or agency requirements | Allows non-standard requirements to be reviewed before fieldwork. |
08 · Applying the national standard locally
2026 ALTA Surveys in Utah
The ALTA/NSPS standards establish national minimum requirements. They do not replace Utah surveying law, professional standards or the property-specific evidence required to establish a boundary.
Utah transactions can involve subdivision plats, metes-and-bounds descriptions, Public Land Survey System evidence, irrigation features, private access, appurtenant easements and rapidly changing development conditions.
National + state requirements:
where an applicable Utah requirement is more stringent, the
more stringent requirement applies.
Water features:
a visible canal, ditch, stream or other water feature is not
automatically the same thing as the legal title boundary.
Offsite easements:
Table A Item 18 can materially increase survey scope where
important access, parking or utility rights extend beyond the fee parcel.
Design work:
an ALTA survey does not automatically become a complete
engineering design base. Coordinate additional topography,
utilities or CAD requirements separately when needed.
09 · Continue the ALTA project
ALTA Survey Resources From Ludlow Engineering
This page owns the 2026 standards and change-explainer intent. Use the permanent pages below for ordering, pricing and related survey decisions.
Primary service page
ALTA Surveys in Utah
Request a commercial ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey and review the service scope with Ludlow Engineering.
2026 checklistALTA Table A Checklist
A dedicated printable planning page covering the 20 defined optional items and additional Item 21 work.
PricingALTA Survey Costs
Understand the factors that affect commercial ALTA survey pricing and lender requirements.
Survey hubLand Survey Services
Compare ALTA, boundary, topographic and other professional surveying services.
Design informationTopographic Surveys
Use a dedicated topographic scope when engineers or architects need elevations and existing site conditions for design.
After acquisitionCivil Engineering
Move from title and survey due diligence into site, grading, drainage and infrastructure design.
10 · Controlling references
Verify the 2026 Standards at the Source
This page is a practical explanation. The official ALTA/NSPS documents control the survey standard and should be used when defining contractual requirements.
American Land Title Association
ALTA/NSPS Survey Standards
Current standards resources, education and industry guidance.
Official document
2026 Minimum Standard Detail Requirements
The controlling 2026 ALTA/NSPS standards effective February 23, 2026.
Official supporting documents
FAQ & 2026 / 2021 Redline
ALTA’s policy-forms library includes the current FAQ and comparison materials.
11 · Direct answers
2026 ALTA/NSPS Standards FAQ
Answers to the questions buyers, lenders, title professionals and property owners are most likely to ask about the current standard.
When did the 2026 ALTA/NSPS standards take effect?
The 2026 Minimum Standard Detail Requirements became effective February 23, 2026. As of that date, they superseded previous ALTA/ACSM and ALTA/NSPS versions.
What are the biggest changes from 2021?
Important changes involve the written survey request, research responsibilities, technology-neutral fieldwork language, documentation of certain water conditions, utility limitations, imagery under Item 15 and the new Item 20 review table.
Did the Relative Positional Precision standard change?
The wording was revised, but the maximum allowable Relative Positional Precision remains 2 centimeters, or 0.07 feet, plus 50 parts per million.
How many Table A items are there in 2026?
There are 20 defined optional Table A items. Additional negotiated requirements are placed under Item 21 and can be identified as 21(a), 21(b) and so forth.
What is new Table A Item 20?
Item 20 can require specified potential encroachments, certain setback conditions and specified access situations to be summarized in a table and keyed to the face of the survey for easier review.
What changed with Table A Item 15?
The 2026 item provides clearer requirements for advance agreement when imagery is used for qualifying non-boundary features, including the imagery source, date or version, licensing and relevant accuracy or completeness limitations.
Does Table A Item 11 guarantee underground utility locations?
No. Item 11 can combine utility records or reports, private-locate markings and observed evidence, but underground features cannot be guaranteed as completely or precisely located without more extensive investigation.
Should I order every Table A item?
Usually not. Table A items should be selected because they support a real title, lender, underwriting, development or transaction need. Unnecessary selections can add scope, cost and time.
Can an ALTA survey include design data?
Yes, when additional work is specifically negotiated. If an engineer needs a design-grade topographic, utility or CAD base, define that requirement rather than assuming the title survey automatically includes it.
Where can I order a 2026 ALTA survey in Utah?
Ludlow Engineering provides ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys throughout Utah. Send the property information, current title commitment, requested Table A items and transaction deadline for a project-specific scope.
2026 standard · Utah commercial property
Order the Survey Around the Transaction.
Send Ludlow Engineering the property information, current title commitment, selected Table A items, unusual property interests and your lender or closing review deadline. We can review the requirements and define the correct 2026 ALTA/NSPS survey scope.