The team at Bono gets asked this question a lot: what’s the difference between an ALTA survey and a boundary survey? Both are types of land surveys, but they differ in scope, purpose, and the level of detail provided.
Boundary Survey
A boundary survey’s primary focus is to precisely establish the legal boundaries and corners of a parcel of land. It involves marking property lines and corners based on legal descriptions and typically includes a map or plat that shows the measurements, any monuments found or placed (such as corner markers) and may note obvious encroachments or easements if requested.
Boundary surveys are commonly used for property sales, dividing parcels, resolving disputes, or for construction planning.
ALTA Survey
An ALTA (American Land Title Association) survey provides everything in a boundary survey but with significantly more detail especially regarding improvements, easements, utilities, rights-of-way, zoning information, flood zone status, and other relevant factors that impact land ownership and land use.
ALTA surveys are performed to strict standards established by ALTA/NSPS (National Society of Professional Surveyors) and are typically required for commercial real estate transactions, title insurance, and lending purposes where a comprehensive understanding of property description and potential issues are necessary.
| Feature | Boundary Survey | ALTA Survey |
| Primary Purpose | Establish property boundaries and corners | Comprehensive due diligence for commercial real estate |
| Level of Detail | Focused on boundaries; basic encroachment information | Highly detailed; improvements, easements, zoning, utilities, etc. |
| Standards | No universal standard; follows state/local rules | Must meet ALTA/NSPS national standards |
| Typical Use | Residential sales, disputes, property division, construction | Large transactions, title insurance, lender/attorney use |
| Cost and Complexity | Simpler and less expensive | More time-consuming and costly due to depth of investigation |
To recap: a boundary survey is most useful for locating and marking property lines, while an ALTA survey offers a detailed, standardized overview of a property, tailored for risk assessment in higher-value transactions.
Need a survey? The team at Bono can help coordinate both a boundary survey and an ALTA survey for your next project in partnership with our network of survey subcontractors. Contact Bono Consulting Civil Engineers for more information.