The Complete Guide

to ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys

ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys

What Commercial Buyers and Lenders Need to Know

ALTA/NSPS land title surveys are specialized surveys used in commercial real estate transactions to document property conditions according to national standards.

When you’re buying commercial real estate, industrial property, or anything that involves serious money and multiple parties, a basic boundary survey won’t cut it.

Lenders, title companies, and commercial buyers need more detail, more certainty, and standardized information they can rely on. That’s what ALTA/NSPS surveys deliver.

ALTA stands for the American Land Title Association, and NSPS is the National Society of Professional Surveyors.

Together, they publish the ALTA/NSPS survey standards that define survey content, accuracy, and presentation requirements.

Together, they created detailed standards that define exactly what goes into these surveys and how the information gets presented.

Everyone involved in the transaction speaks the same language because everyone’s looking at the same standardized format.

Why Commercial Transactions Require ALTA/NSPS Surveys

These requirements go beyond standard boundary surveys and reflect specific ALTA survey requirements tied to commercial risk and financing.

Residential property surveys focus on boundaries and major structures.

ALTA surveys dig deeper.

They show utilities, access rights, parking counts, setback compliance, zoning boundaries, easements (all of them, not just the obvious ones), and any condition that could affect the property’s use or value.

Commercial lenders require this level of detail because they’re lending millions of dollars secured by real property.

They need to know exactly what they’re taking as collateral. Title companies need it because they’re insuring the property for much higher values and they can’t afford to miss issues that could trigger claims.

Buyers need it because commercial property comes with complexity that residential properties don’t have.

Common Issues Identified in ALTA/NSPS Surveys Include:

• • Utility easements that restrict development
  • Encroachments from adjoining properties
  • Parking requirements that must be met
  • Setback violations that limit expansion
  • All of this affects value and use

These items are documented through standardized deliverables defined by ALTA/NSPS survey standards.

 

What Gets Included in an ALTA Survey

The base ALTA survey includes boundaries, improvements (buildings, paving, parking areas, utilities), easements, rights of way, access points, flood zone information, and any encroachments in either direction.

These elements reflect baseline ALTA survey requirements used in commercial transactions.

We’re measuring everything and checking it against recorded documents, zoning requirements, and title commitment schedules.

Then there are optional items—known as ALTA Table A items in ALTA terminology.

• • Locating utilities (water, sewer, gas, electric, telecom)

  • Parking space counts and dimensions

  • Setback compliance

  • Signs and fences

  • Evidence of underground improvements

Lenders and title companies typically specify which Table A items they need. It varies by property type and transaction specifics. An industrial property might need detailed utility locations. A retail center needs parking counts and access compliance.

An office building needs setback verification and evidence of any easement violations.

The Title Commitment Connection

An ALTA survey functions as a title insurance survey by translating recorded title information into mapped, on-the-ground conditions.

ALTA surveys work hand-in-hand with title commitments. The title company provides a commitment that lists every easement, restriction, and encumbrance they’ve found in public records.

Our job is to go to the property and show where all of that actually sits on the ground.

We plot every easement the title commitment lists. If there’s a 20-foot utility easement along the rear property line, we show it on the survey and note whether any structures encroach into it.

If there’s a shared access agreement with the adjoining parcel, we show the access route and verify it matches the recorded document.

This verification often identifies discrepancies. Sometimes recorded easements don’t match physical conditions.

Sometimes there are unrecorded easements or encroachments that need to be addressed before closing.

Finding these issues early – during due diligence rather than at closing – gives everyone time to fix them or renegotiate.

Where Commercial Deals Fall Apart

 Survey findings can reveal issues such as encroachments, access limitations, zoning conflicts, easement restrictions, and utility constraints that materially affect a property’s use or value.

These are not minor details. They can materially affect transaction outcomes and project feasibility.

The cost of an ALTA survey varies based on property size, complexity, and required Table A items. – is minimal compared to discovering after closing that the property can’t be used as intended.

Timing in Commercial Transactions

The ALTA survey process must align with commercial due diligence timelines to avoid closing delays.Commercial transactions move on compressed timelines despite their complexity. Due diligence periods might be 30-45 days, but surveys need to happen in the first half of that window.

Other aspects of due diligence – environmental assessments, engineering studies, market analysis – depend on having accurate survey information.

Order the ALTA survey as soon as you have a signed purchase agreement and title commitment available. We need that title commitment to know what easements and encumbrances to research and plot.

Waiting for other due diligence items to complete before ordering the survey creates bottlenecks and extends timelines.

ALTA surveys take longer than residential surveys because there’s more to measure, more to research, and more to coordinate.

Plan on 2-3 weeks for most properties, longer for complex sites or properties where we’re dealing with multiple parcels, elaborate easement structures, or extensive improvements.

Special Considerations for North Georgia Properties

Certain regional factors can affect how ALTA/NSPS surveys are performed and interpreted.

North Georgia commercial properties often sit on terrain that complicates surveying. A retail center built on a hillside has elevation changes that matter for grading, drainage, and ADA compliance.

An industrial park in the mountains might have parcels that span ridge lines, requiring more extensive fieldwork to establish boundaries.

Older commercial properties often lack current surveys or rely on outdated documentation.

Older industrial buildings, retail properties, and office parks…

We also deal with properties that have been assembled over time through multiple purchases, creating complex boundary situations where adjoining parcels were never properly combined or where easements overlap in ways that nobody documented clearly.

What Happens When Problems Surface

ALTA surveys reveal issues that require action. Sometimes it’s simple – the title company adds an exception to the policy for a specific encroachment, and everyone moves forward with eyes open.

Sometimes it’s complex – the seller needs to fix a problem or the buyer needs to renegotiate price and terms.

Encroachments into easements might require easement modifications or releases. Parking deficiencies might require creative solutions or zoning variances. Access problems might need recorded agreements with adjoining property owners.

The survey gives you leverage to address these issues while you’re still in due diligence. Once you close, they’re your problems to fix on your dime.

Better to know now and deal with it before money changes hands.

Lender and Title Company Requirements

Commercial lenders have specific requirements for ALTA surveys. They want current information -typically within recent timeframes specified by the lender or title company. They want specific Table A items included based on property type and loan structure.

They want the survey signed and sealed by a licensed surveyor in the state where the property sits.

Title companies have equally specific requirements. They’re issuing extended coverage policies based on survey information, so they need complete, accurate documentation of everything that could affect the title.

Miss something and they either exclude it from coverage or refuse to insure the transaction.

Both lenders and title companies reject surveys that don’t meet ALTA standards or that cut corners on requirements. Getting it right the first time avoids delays and keeps deals on track.

These expectations reflect standard ALTA/NSPS survey standards used in commercial transactions.

Long-Term Value Beyond the Purchase

An ALTA survey obtained during a commercial purchase can continue to support future planning and management decisions. When you want to expand buildings, reconfigure parking, install new utilities, or redevelop portions of the site, you start with that survey. It’s your base map for all future work.

When you eventually sell, having a recent ALTA survey makes the property more attractive to buyers and smooths the transaction.

You’re providing documentation that saves them time and reduces their due diligence risk.

The survey also matters for ongoing management. Lease negotiations with commercial tenants sometimes involve space measurements and parking allocations – information that comes from the survey.

Insurance and tax matters sometimes require documentation of property improvements – again, that’s survey information.

Cost Factors and What Drives Pricing

ALTA survey cost is influenced by several site-specific and transaction-related factors.

ALTA survey costs vary widely based on multiple factors. Property size obviously matters – a half-acre retail pad costs less to survey than a 50-acre industrial park.

Terrain affects cost because steep, wooded, or otherwise difficult sites take more time in the field.

Complexity of improvements matters. A single-building property is simpler than a multi-building office park with extensive parking, signage, and site improvements.

Number of easements and encumbrances matters – plotting and researching five easements costs less than dealing with twenty.

Research requirements affect cost. Properties with clear title and recent surveys cost less than properties where we’re working from 1950s deeds and reconstructing boundaries from limited information.

Table A items add cost. Each additional item requires specific fieldwork, research, or analysis. A survey with ten Table A items costs more than a base survey with two or three items.

Working with Multiple Parties

ALTA surveys involve coordination between surveyors, title companies, lenders, buyers, sellers, and sometimes engineers or architects working on redevelopment plans.

We work directly with title companies to ensure the survey addresses everything in the title commitment.

We coordinate with lenders to include required Table A items and certifications.

If there are issues, we’re often on conference calls with buyers, sellers, and attorneys discussing findings and options.

Our role is to provide accurate information and explain what we found – not to make legal determinations about how to resolve problems, but to give everyone the facts they need to make informed decisions.

This coordination supports informed decisions while preserving the independent roles of legal and financial advisors.

Red Flags We Look For

• Buildings or paving that encroach into easements

• Parking that does not meet current zoning requirements

• Access points that do not match recorded agreements

• Utilities crossing property lines without documented easements

Parking that doesn’t meet current zoning requirements. Access points that don’t match recorded agreements.

Utilities that cross property lines without documented easements.

We review setback compliance. Many commercial properties were built decades ago under different zoning rules.

Current setback requirements might not match what’s actually built. That matters if you want to expand or rebuild – you might be grandfathered for existing structures but unable to add space in certain areas.

We’re noting flood zones and wetlands. Federal and state regulations restrict development in these areas. Knowing where they sit on your property affects what you can build and what permits you’ll need.

We’re documenting survey monuments and property markers. Commercial properties should have permanent markers at corners and angle points. Missing or disturbed markers create ambiguity about boundaries and can cause problems down the line.

Why This Level of Detail Matters

Commercial real estate transactions involve serious money and complex legal structures. Mistakes cost more than on residential deals.

An encroachment that is minor on a residential property can require significantly more time and expense to resolve on a commercial site.

Lenders have recourse against borrowers when things go wrong. Title companies have exposure to claims.

Buyers have invested capital that could be impaired by property defects. Everyone needs certainty, and ALTA surveys provide it through standardized, comprehensive documentation that reduces uncertainty in commercial transactions.

For more information regarding boundary surveys and other surveying services offered by The Land Surveying Company.

The Land Surveying Company provides ALTA/NSPS surveys for commercial transactions throughout Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and Kentucky.

We’re licensed in all four states and we work regularly with
regional and national title companies and commercial lenders.