Records
Your deed, your neighbors’ deeds, the subdivision or townsite plat, and prior surveys and corner records filed with the county.
Land Surveys in Utah: What They Are & What They Cost
Utah land survey guide · Ludlow Engineering since 1975
What Is a Land Survey? A Utah Guide.
What a land survey is, the different types, what you get, what it costs in Utah, and how to tell which one you need. Written from more than 5,600 surveying and engineering projects we’ve tracked since 2000.
The short answer
A Land Survey, Defined.
A land survey is the professional measurement and mapping of a piece of land by a licensed land surveyor. The surveyor researches deeds and plats, finds the evidence on the ground, measures it, and decides where the property’s boundaries and corners are. The result is a stamped map showing the lines, corners, buildings, fences and easements, and in Utah, boundary surveys are filed with the county.
Most people need one when they’re buying land, building, putting up a fence, splitting a parcel, or settling a question with a neighbor.
- Who does itA Utah-licensed Professional Land Surveyor (PLS)
- Typical costBoundary survey from $1,025; ALTA $3,000–$8,000+
- Typical time1–3 weeks for most residential lots
- On recordFiled with the county within 90 days (Utah Code § 17-73-504)
01 · The terms
Land Survey vs. Property Survey vs. Boundary Survey
These three phrases get used interchangeably. Here’s how surveyors use them.
| Term | What it usually means | Who asks for it |
|---|---|---|
| Land survey | The umbrella term: any professional survey of land, including boundary, topographic, ALTA, subdivision and construction surveys. | Anyone; it’s the general name. |
| Property survey | Usually a boundary survey of a home or lot, often in connection with a sale, fence or building permit. | Homeowners, buyers, real estate agents. |
| Boundary survey | The specific survey that locates and marks property lines and corners and is filed with the county. | Owners, title companies, attorneys, cities. |
02 · The work
What Does a Land Surveyor Actually Do?
A boundary survey is not just measuring the deed. The surveyor weighs the written record against the physical evidence and decides where the line legally is.
Evidence
The crew searches for pins, monuments, section corners, fences and walls, and measures everything with GNSS and a total station.
Decisions
The surveyor reconciles the records with what was found, and resolves gaps, overlaps and conflicting evidence.
Map & Monuments
Missing corners are set, the stamped map is delivered, and boundary surveys are filed with the county.
03 · Utah specifics
How Utah Land Is Described
Where your parcel came from decides how hard it is to survey. In central Utah we see all four of these, often on the same block.
Public Land Survey sections
Most rural Utah land traces to the federal Public Land Survey System: townships, ranges and sections measured from the Salt Lake Base and Meridian, or the Uintah Special Meridian in the northeast corner of the state. Farm and ranch parcels are described as parts of sections, and their corners have to be recovered or re-established.
Pioneer townsite plats
Towns like Nephi, Manti, Mona and Levan were laid out as pioneer townsites with large blocks. Older lots trace back to those plats and to deeds written long before modern equipment, and fences rarely sit exactly on the record lines.
Recorded subdivisions
Newer neighborhoods are lots on a recorded subdivision plat with monuments set by the original surveyor. These are usually the simplest and least expensive boundary surveys, when the pins are still there.
Metes and bounds and mining claims
Many older parcels are described by distances and bearings from a starting point (“metes and bounds”). Around Eureka and the Tintic district, patented mining claims are described by mineral survey numbers instead of sections, which takes specific research.
04 · Survey types
The Main Types of Land Surveys
Each type answers a different question. The numbers are how many of each Ludlow Engineering has completed since we began tracking projects in 2000.
1,729
Ludlow projects since 2000Boundary Survey
Finds or sets your property corners, shows fences and buildings near the lines, and is filed with the county.
Boundary Survey details →529
Ludlow projects since 2000Subdivision & Lot Split
Divides land into new lots or parcels on a plat the city or county approves and records.
Subdivision details →170
Ludlow projects since 2000ALTA / NSPS Survey
The detailed, title-grade survey lenders and title companies require for commercial property.
ALTA details →142
Ludlow projects since 2000Topographic Survey
Maps ground elevations, contours and site features so an engineer or architect can design.
Topographic Survey details →177
Ludlow projects since 2000Easement & Legal Descriptions
Writes the legal description for a new parcel, easement or right-of-way so it can be recorded.
Easement details →206
Ludlow projects since 2000Well Proof
Locates and documents a well for a Utah water-right proof of beneficial use.
Well Proof details →122
Ludlow projects since 2000Foundation Survey & Staking
Stakes a new home before you dig, then checks its location and elevation after the pour.
Foundation Survey details →30
Ludlow projects since 2000Lot-Line Adjustment
Moves the shared line between two neighbors and records the new descriptions.
Lot-Line Adjustment details →18
Ludlow projects since 2000Flood Elevation Certificate
Measures a building's elevation for FEMA flood insurance and permits.
Flood Elevation Certificate details →Also: drone (UAV) mapping, as-built surveys, construction staking for commercial sites, and site plans for building permits (142 since 2000).
05 · Choosing
Which Land Survey Do You Need?
Start with what you need the survey to answer. If your situation isn’t here, call us and describe it.
| Your situation | Survey you probably need | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Building or replacing a fence | Boundary survey | Have the corners flagged before the fence crew arrives. |
| Buying a home or vacant land | Boundary survey | Shows encroachments and easements before you close. Ask your title company what they need. |
| Buying or refinancing commercial property | ALTA / NSPS survey | Your lender’s Table A list sets the scope. |
| Designing a new home or addition | Topographic + boundary | The architect needs contours; the city needs setbacks from the lines. |
| Building permit / new foundation | Site plan, then foundation survey | Staking before you dig; location and elevation check after the pour. |
| Splitting land or creating lots | Subdivision plat or lot split | City or county approval required before recording. |
| Moving a line with a neighbor | Lot-line adjustment | Both owners sign; new descriptions are recorded. |
| Water right for a well | Well proof | Filed with the Utah Division of Water Rights by its deadline. |
| Flood insurance or a floodplain permit | Elevation certificate | Measures the building against the flood elevation. |
06 · Deliverables
What You Receive From a Land Survey
For a boundary survey, expect all of the following. Other survey types add drawings and data files for the designer.
- A stamped and signed map by a Utah PLS
- Property corners found, or set with rebar and a cap marked with the surveyor’s license number
- Fences, buildings, driveways and other improvements near the lines
- Record easements and visible encroachments
- The legal description and the survey’s basis of bearings
- Filing of the survey with the county recorder or surveyor
Not automatically included
These need a different professional or added scope. Ask before you order so the quote covers what you need.
- A title search (your title company does this)
- Zoning approval or building permits
- Underground utility locating (call 811 Blue Stakes before digging)
- Soils, environmental or structural inspections
- Legal advice on a boundary dispute
07 · Cost and timing
How Much Does a Land Survey Cost in Utah?
2026 planning ranges for typical parcels. Every Ludlow quote is a fixed fee for your specific property, with travel shown as its own line.
| Survey | Typical range | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| Boundary, recorded subdivision lot | $1,025–$1,800 | Whether the original pins are still in place. |
| Boundary, older town lot | $1,800–$2,500+ | Old deeds, missing corners, fences off the line. |
| Boundary, acreage or ranch land | $2,500–$6,000+ | Size, terrain, distance between section corners. |
| Topographic survey | $1,500–$4,500 | Area, slope, trees and level of detail needed. |
| ALTA / NSPS survey | $3,000–$8,000+ | Table A items, site size, utilities and zoning reports. |
Most residential boundary surveys are finished in 1–3 weeks. Snow, large acreage or missing records add time. More detail: Utah survey cost guide · how long a survey takes.
08 · Utah rules
What Utah Law Says About Land Surveys
A few rules every Utah property owner should know.
- Licensed surveyors only. Boundary surveys must be certified by a Professional Land Surveyor licensed by the Utah Division of Professional Licensing (Utah Code Title 58, Chapter 22).
- Filed within 90 days. A map of every boundary survey must be filed with the county within 90 days of establishing or re-establishing a boundary (Utah Code § 17-73-504).
- Monuments carry a license number. Corners a surveyor sets are marked with the surveyor’s license number so the next surveyor knows who set them.
- Prior surveys are public. Filed surveys and corner records are kept by the county, which is why a surveyor’s first stop is the county records.
Fences that don’t match the line
It’s common, especially on older central Utah lots, for a fence to sit a few feet off the record boundary. Utah courts have recognized long-standing fences as the boundary in some circumstances (often called boundary by acquiescence), but the rules are specific.
A survey shows you exactly where the record line is and where the fence sits. If they differ and it matters, talk to a real estate attorney before you move a fence or build. We’re surveyors, not lawyers.
09 · From our files
What Five Decades of Surveying Utah Has Taught Us
Ludlow Engineering has surveyed Utah property since 1975. Our tracked records alone hold 5,606 projects, 1,862 of them in Juab County and 1,875 in Sanpete. These are the patterns we see most.
The pins are often already there.
On recorded subdivisions, the original corners are frequently still in the ground, just buried or hidden under landscaping. Finding them is faster and cheaper than re-establishing them, and it’s why recent-plat lots cost least.
Old fences rarely match old deeds.
On pioneer-era town lots and farm ground, fences were built where it was convenient. Expect a few feet of difference, and get the survey before you rebuild a fence or sell.
Neighbors’ surveys help yours.
Every survey filed nearby is evidence for the next one. In the towns where we’ve worked most, the corners and records from earlier jobs often shorten the search on yours.
Plan around the season.
Snow buries monuments and crops hide them. Late winter is the time to book spring and summer work, especially on higher mountain lots and farm ground.
10 · Myths
Common Land Survey Myths
What people often assume, and what’s actually true.
MythThe county GIS map shows my property line.
County parcel maps are for tax purposes and can be off by many feet. Only a survey locates the legal boundary.
MythMy fence is my property line.
Sometimes it is, often it isn’t. A survey shows the record line and where the fence sits relative to it.
MythThe title policy covers boundary problems.
Many policies exclude matters a survey would have shown. Ask your title company what’s covered.
MythA survey from years ago is always good.
Corners get disturbed and improvements change. An older survey can be a good start, but check whether it still meets your needs.
MythEvery survey is the same.
A boundary survey, topo and ALTA answer different questions. Ordering the wrong one wastes money; ask before you order.
MythGPS on my phone is close enough.
Consumer GPS is accurate to several meters. Survey equipment measures to fractions of an inch, and only a licensed surveyor’s work is legally recognized.
11 · Direct answers
Land Survey Questions, Answered.
What is a land survey?
A land survey is the professional measurement and mapping of a piece of land by a licensed land surveyor. It locates the property's boundaries, corners and improvements from deeds, plats and evidence on the ground, and records the results on a stamped map.
What is the difference between a land survey and a property survey?
In everyday use they mean the same thing. "Property survey" usually refers to a boundary survey of a home or lot; "land survey" is the broader term that also covers topographic, ALTA, subdivision and construction surveys.
How much does a land survey cost in Utah?
A boundary survey on a recorded subdivision lot typically starts at $1,025 and runs to about $2,500. Older town lots, acreage and steep or wooded parcels cost more. Topographic surveys usually run $1,500–$4,500 and ALTA/NSPS surveys $3,000–$8,000 or more.
How long does a land survey take?
Most residential boundary surveys are finished in one to three weeks from approval. Large acreage, missing corners, snow cover or complicated records can add time.
Who can perform a land survey in Utah?
Only a Professional Land Surveyor licensed by the State of Utah can certify a boundary survey. Licensing is regulated by the Utah Division of Professional Licensing under the Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors Licensing Act.
Is a land survey recorded with the county?
Yes. Utah Code Section 17-73-504 requires the surveyor to file a map of a boundary survey with the county within 90 days of establishing or re-establishing a boundary.
Do I need a survey when buying land?
It is strongly recommended, especially for vacant land, rural acreage or any parcel with unclear fences. A survey shows the actual boundaries, easements and encroachments before you close, when problems are easiest to resolve.
Will a survey settle a dispute with my neighbor?
A survey shows where the record boundary is and where fences and buildings sit relative to it. It is the evidence most disputes are resolved with, but if a fence has stood in the wrong place for many years, talk to a real estate attorney about your rights.
Can I use an old survey?
Sometimes. An existing survey may still be accurate, but corners get disturbed and new improvements appear. A surveyor can tell you whether an older survey still meets your needs or should be updated.
Keep reading: boundary surveys · how to order a survey · boundary surveys explained · our project record
Licensed Utah surveying & engineering · Since 1975
Not Sure Which Survey You Need?
Tell us the address or parcel number and what you’re trying to do: buy, build, fence, split or settle a question. We’ll recommend the right survey and send a fixed fee.
Who's behind this page
Licensed Utah Surveyors & Engineers Since 1975.
Ludlow Engineering has surveyed and engineered Utah property for 51 years. Every survey and plan is prepared under a licensed professional, not handed off.
Daryl Penrod
Professional Land SurveyorState of Utah No. 5331527
Directs our boundary, topographic, ALTA and subdivision surveys.
J. Brett Ludlow
Professional EngineerState of Utah
Stamps our site plans, foundation designs and civil engineering.
Travis Ludlow
Partner & Managing MemberMBA
Managing Member of Ludlow Engineers and Associates
Since 197551 years, family-run in Nephi
5,606projects tracked since 2000
1,200+survey maps filed with Utah counties
19 countiesacross Utah where we've worked
Where we work
Projects in 19 Utah counties since 2000, from our office in the center of the state.
Recent projects
- Subdivision & plattingNephi, Juab County
- Site planSantaquin, Utah County
- Survey projectPerry, Box Elder County
- Subdivision & plattingFillmore, Millard County
- Subdivision & plattingNephi, Juab County
Counts come from Ludlow Engineering's project records (2000–present, updated Oct 2026). Client names are never shown.