Land Surveying in Salt Lake County, Utah
Land Surveying in Salt Lake County, Utah
Engineer-stamped boundary surveys, ALTA surveys, topographic surveys, construction staking, and FEMA elevation certificates for every Salt Lake County city — from Salt Lake City and West Valley to Draper and South Jordan.
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Updated May 2026 · By the Ludlow Engineering team
Salt Lake County is Utah’s largest population center and one of the most actively surveyed counties in the state. From Wasatch Front benchland subdivisions to urban infill lots, FEMA-mapped Jordan River corridors to industrial parcels along I-15, land surveying in Salt Lake County covers a wider range of property types than almost any other Utah county. Ludlow Engineering has provided Utah-licensed land surveying since 1975 — boundary surveys, ALTA surveys, topographic surveys, construction staking, and FEMA Elevation Certificates across every Salt Lake County city. Call (435) 623-0897 or request a quote.
Boundary surveys for property line work, fence permits, and disputes. ALTA/NSPS surveys for commercial property closings and lender requirements. Topographic surveys for construction, site planning, and engineering design. Construction staking for builders and developers. FEMA Elevation Certificates for properties along the Jordan River and other Salt Lake County flood zones. All work signed and stamped by Utah-licensed Professional Land Surveyors.
Salt Lake County Cities We Serve
From our Nephi office, our survey crews routinely work projects across every Salt Lake County city. Travel time from Nephi to Salt Lake County is about 90 minutes — we typically schedule multiple Salt Lake County jobs together to keep travel costs minimal.
Surveys in Salt Lake County’s unincorporated areas (Emigration Canyon, Copperton, Brighton, Alta) are also routine — we work the canyon and bench areas regularly, including high-elevation properties that need adjusted scheduling for winter conditions.
Salt Lake County Survey Services
Most of our Salt Lake County land surveying work falls into one of these categories. Click through for service-specific pricing and detail:
Boundary Surveys
Property line surveys for fence permits, additions, disputes, and lot splits. Salt Lake County residential boundary surveys typically run $1,025–$2,500. See our Utah property line survey page for full detail.
ALTA / NSPS Surveys
Commercial property closings, lender-required surveys, title insurance support. Salt Lake County ALTA surveys typically run $3,500–$8,500. See Utah ALTA survey cost and the ALTA survey service page.
Topographic Surveys
Elevation maps for new construction, site planning, and engineering. Particularly important for Wasatch benchland properties. Pricing $1,500–$4,500. See our Utah topographic survey page.
Construction Staking
Building corner stakeout, road centerlines, utility staking, grade stakes. For Salt Lake County builders and developers. Pricing varies by project phase — see Utah construction staking.
FEMA Elevation Certificates
Required for properties in Salt Lake County FEMA flood zones — Jordan River corridor, City Creek, Mill Creek, and Big Cottonwood Creek areas. $350–$650 per certificate. See FEMA Elevation Certificate page.
Civil Site Plans
Engineer-stamped site plans for Salt Lake County building permits — residential, commercial, ADU, subdivision. Salt Lake City and the larger Salt Lake County cities have specific submittal requirements. See Utah site plans for building permits.
Salt Lake County-Specific Surveying Realities
Salt Lake County’s geography and built environment create surveying conditions you don’t find in other Utah counties. Five factors that most often affect our Salt Lake County clients:
Wasatch Front Benchland
The bench properties along the Wasatch from North Salt Lake through Draper — particularly in cities like Holladay, Cottonwood Heights, Sandy, and Draper — involve significant slope and often unstable soils. Boundary surveys on benchland lots run 15–25% above flat-lot baseline pricing. Topographic surveys are nearly always required for new construction on these properties.
Older Salt Lake City Plats & Urban Infill
Salt Lake City’s older neighborhoods (Avenues, Sugar House, Liberty Park area, Marmalade, Capitol Hill) often have parcels established under nineteenth-century plats with vague descriptions or moved monuments. Land surveyors in Salt Lake City regularly resolve discrepancies between recorded deeds and physical conditions on these older lots — careful records research is essential.
FEMA Flood Zones
The Jordan River corridor through the western half of Salt Lake County carries mapped Zone AE flood designations affecting properties in West Valley City, West Jordan, Riverton, Bluffdale, and South Jordan. City Creek, Red Butte Creek, Emigration Creek, Parley’s Creek, Mill Creek, Big Cottonwood Creek, and Little Cottonwood Creek all carry mapped flood areas through the eastern bench cities. Properties in these zones often need FEMA Elevation Certificates for flood insurance, mortgage closings, or construction permits.
Plan-Check Variation Across SLC Cities
Salt Lake City, West Valley City, Sandy, and Murray all have professional, predictable plan-check processes. Salt Lake County’s smaller cities are generally straightforward. Salt Lake City Building Services and West Valley City Community & Economic Development have specific submittal preferences for site plans and survey work — knowing those local conventions reduces revision cycles.
Canyon & High-Elevation Properties
Properties in Emigration Canyon, Parley’s Canyon, Mill Creek Canyon, Big Cottonwood Canyon, and Little Cottonwood Canyon (including Brighton and Alta) involve steep terrain, snow-affected scheduling, and sometimes US Forest Service or BLM-adjacent boundary work. We routinely handle this work but it’s priced differently than valley-floor surveys.
Salt Lake County Survey Pricing
Typical Ludlow Engineering pricing for Salt Lake County work in 2026:
| Service | Typical Scope | Typical Price |
|---|---|---|
| Residential boundary survey | Lot under 1 acre, valley floor | $1,025 – $1,800 |
| Residential boundary survey | Wasatch benchland, slope conditions | $1,500 – $2,800 |
| Commercial boundary survey | Standalone commercial property | $1,800 – $3,800 |
| ALTA / NSPS survey | Commercial, lender-required | $3,500 – $8,500 |
| Topographic survey | Residential lot | $1,500 – $3,500 |
| Topographic survey | Commercial parcel | $2,500 – $8,500 |
| FEMA Elevation Certificate | Existing residential structure | $350 – $650 |
| Construction staking | Single home stakeout | $750 – $1,500 |
| Construction staking | Commercial project (multi-phase) | $2,500 – $14,000 |
| Civil site plan | Residential building permit | $1,500 – $3,500 |
Pricing is for Salt Lake County jobs combined with our regional schedule. Travel from Nephi is built into the baseline. See our Utah land survey costs guide for service-specific cost detail across all Utah counties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you provide land surveying in Salt Lake City and across Salt Lake County?
Yes. From our Nephi office, we serve every Salt Lake County city — Salt Lake City, West Valley City, West Jordan, Sandy, South Jordan, Murray, Taylorsville, Draper, Riverton, Cottonwood Heights, Midvale, Holladay, Herriman, Bluffdale, Millcreek, South Salt Lake, and Magna — plus the unincorporated canyon areas. Travel time from Nephi is about 90 minutes; we typically batch Salt Lake County jobs together to keep travel cost minimal.
How much does a Salt Lake County land survey cost?
Salt Lake County residential boundary surveys typically run $1,025–$2,800 depending on terrain and complexity. ALTA surveys run $3,500–$8,500. Topographic surveys run $1,500–$8,500. FEMA Elevation Certificates run $350–$650. See our pricing table above for the full breakdown by service type.
How long does a Salt Lake County land survey take?
Most Salt Lake County residential boundary surveys deliver in 1–3 weeks from contract. Topographic surveys typically take 2–3 weeks. ALTA surveys take 3–5 weeks. FEMA Elevation Certificates take 1–2 weeks. Field work itself is usually half a day on site; the rest is records research, computation, drafting, and engineer review.
Are you a licensed land surveyor in Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County?
Yes. Our Professional Land Surveyors hold active Utah PLS licenses issued by the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL). Utah PLS licenses are statewide — a Utah-licensed PLS can perform surveys in every Utah county including Salt Lake County. All stamped maps we produce are accepted by Salt Lake County Recorder, every Salt Lake County city’s building department, and every state agency that reviews survey documents.
Do you handle FEMA Elevation Certificates for Salt Lake County properties along the Jordan River?
Yes. Properties in Salt Lake County’s mapped flood zones — Jordan River corridor (West Valley, West Jordan, Riverton, Bluffdale, South Jordan) and the canyon creek systems (City Creek, Mill Creek, Big and Little Cottonwood Creeks) — often require FEMA Elevation Certificates for flood insurance, mortgage closings, and construction permits. See our dedicated FEMA Elevation Certificate page for full detail.
Can you survey older Salt Lake City properties with vague deed descriptions?
Yes. Older Salt Lake City neighborhoods — Avenues, Sugar House, Liberty Park area, Marmalade, Capitol Hill — often have parcels established under nineteenth-century plats with vague metes-and-bounds descriptions or moved corner monuments. We routinely resolve these discrepancies through careful records research, recovery of historic monuments, and resolution under Utah survey law. Plan for slightly longer timelines and modestly higher pricing on these properties.
Do you do construction staking for Salt Lake County builders?
Yes. Construction staking — building corner stakeout, road centerlines, utility staking, grade stakes — is a regular part of our Salt Lake County work for residential builders, commercial GCs, and subdivision developers. Most projects involve multiple staking visits across the construction schedule. See our Utah construction staking page for service detail.
What’s the difference between Salt Lake County Recorder and a Salt Lake County surveyor?
The Salt Lake County Recorder is the county office that maintains and records property documents — deeds, plats, easements, liens. A Salt Lake County surveyor is a private Utah-licensed Professional Land Surveyor who performs survey work on a specific property. The Recorder doesn’t perform surveys; private surveyors do. The two work together: a surveyor researches recorded documents at the Recorder’s office and may record final boundary line adjustments back to the Recorder.
How do I get a quote for a Salt Lake County survey?
Send us the property address and what the survey is for (fence permit, real estate closing, building permit, FEMA, etc.). We pull the parcel information, identify any Salt Lake County-specific factors that affect price, and send a fixed-fee written quote within 1–2 business days. Call (435) 623-0897 or use the contact form.