The nine questions that separate a survey you can use from one you’ll have to redo, what a good answer and a red flag sound like, and 2026 Utah prices, from a Nephi firm that has been answering them since 1975.
Hire a licensed Utah PLS you can look up, who asks what the survey is for, gives a fixed fee in writing, sets permanent corners marked with their license number, delivers a stamped map, and files it with the county. Local records experience is a bonus that saves time.
In Utah in 2026, boundary surveys start at $1,025 for a recorded lot and most take one to three weeks.
Why each one matters, what a good answer sounds like, and the red flag to listen for.
Only a Utah PLS can sign a boundary survey in Utah. Anyone can look up a license, its status and any discipline on the state’s license lookup.
A fence, a sale, a building permit and a lender all need different things. The wrong survey wastes money. Compare the main survey types.
Knowing the deliverable up front avoids surprises: a signed map, corners in the ground, a digital file, a legal description.
Corners are what you and your neighbor will look at for years. Utah law requires monuments a surveyor sets to be marked with the business name or “L.S.” and the surveyor’s license number.
Utah law requires a boundary survey map to be filed with the county surveyor within 90 days of establishing or re-establishing a boundary, so the next surveyor and the public can find it.
Hourly surveys with no cap can run long on older lots. See 2026 Utah survey costs.
Most residential boundary surveys take one to three weeks; topo one to four; ALTA three to six. See survey timelines.
Old town plats, section corners and county record systems differ across Utah. Local records knowledge saves research time.
Fences off the line, a shed over it, an unrecorded road: surveys find these. Ask how they’ll be shown and what comes next. See handling line disputes.
Our current ranges. Every quote is a fixed fee in writing, so you can compare surveyors on the same scope.
| Survey | Typical cost | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| Boundary, recorded subdivision lot | $1,025–$1,800 | 1–3 weeks |
| Boundary, older town lot | $1,800–$2,500+ | 2–3 weeks |
| Boundary, 1–5 acres | $2,000–$4,000 | 2–4 weeks |
| Boundary, 5–20 acres | $3,500–$6,500 | Quoted |
| Topographic survey | $1,500–$4,500 | 1–4 weeks |
| ALTA/NSPS survey | $3,000–$8,000+ | 3–6 weeks |
| House staking / foundation survey | $800–$2,000 | Scheduled to the pour |
| FEMA elevation certificate | $400–$700 | 1–2 weeks |
Full pricing: 2026 Utah land survey costs · how to order a survey
We’d rather you hold us to the same standard. Here are our answers, in writing.
| Question | Our answer |
|---|---|
| Licensed PLS? | Yes. Daryl Penrod, PLS, Utah No. 5331527, signs our surveys. A Utah PE, J. Brett Ludlow, works in the same office. |
| Which survey? | We ask what it’s for first, then recommend the least expensive survey that does the job. |
| What you get | A stamped map showing lines, corners, fences and buildings, plus a PDF; CAD files and legal descriptions when needed. |
| Corners | Found or set, marked with our license number, and shown on the map. |
| County filing | Boundary surveys filed with the county surveyor as Utah law requires; 1,241 filed in our records. |
| Price | A fixed fee in writing, usually within one business day of your request. |
| Timing | Most residential boundary surveys in 1–3 weeks. We’ll tell you honestly if your deadline isn’t realistic. |
| Local records | Central Utah since 1975, from Nephi. Project records back to 1985 across 19 Utah counties. |
| Problems | Shown on the map and explained. Legal questions go to your attorney or title company. |
Ask us all nine questions. We’ll answer with a fixed-fee quote in writing.
(435) 623-0897What our records show about the work behind the answers.
Search for surveyors in your county, then check each one's license on the Utah Division of Professional Licensing license lookup. Ask the nine questions on this page before you hire. A surveyor who already works in your county will know the local plats and records.
Boundary surveys run $1,025–$1,800 for a recorded subdivision lot, $1,800–$2,500+ for an older town lot, $2,000–$4,000 for 1–5 acres, and $3,500–$6,500 for 5–20 acres. Topographic surveys run $1,500–$4,500 and ALTA/NSPS surveys $3,000–$8,000+.
It's reasonable, as long as you compare the same scope. One quote may include corners, a stamped map and county filing; another may be just flagging. Ask every surveyor the same nine questions.
Not if it leaves out corners, the map or county filing. A survey you can't use for your fence, permit or lender has to be redone.
Sometimes, for your own information. But lenders, title companies and cities usually want a current survey, and corners may have been disturbed since. A surveyor can tell you whether an old one is still useful.
Ask. Many surveyors carry professional liability insurance; it's a fair question for any professional you hire.
No licensed surveyor named, no written price, no map, no permanent corners, or a reluctance to file with the county.
We're based in Nephi and work across central Utah and the Wasatch Front every week: Juab, Sanpete, Utah, Millard and Sevier counties, plus Salt Lake, Wasatch and others by schedule.
License lookup: Utah Division of Professional Licensing. Utah’s county filing and monument-marking rules are in the Utah Code’s county surveyor provisions.
Call or send your address and what the survey is for. We’ll answer all nine questions with a fixed-fee quote in writing.
Ludlow Engineering has surveyed and engineered Utah property for 51 years. Every survey and plan is prepared under a licensed professional, not handed off.
Professional Land SurveyorState of Utah No. 5331527
Directs our boundary, topographic, ALTA and subdivision surveys.
Professional EngineerState of Utah
Stamps our site plans, foundation designs and civil engineering.
Partner & Managing MemberMBA
Managing Member of Ludlow Engineers and Associates
Projects in 19 Utah counties since 2000, from our office in the center of the state.
Counts come from Ludlow Engineering's project records (2000–present, updated Oct 2026). Client names are never shown.