What Is an Encroachment Survey?

An encroachment survey is a licensed land surveyor's determination of where a structure crosses a property line or a recorded easement. The surveyor locates the true boundary, measures the encroaching feature, a fence, shed, driveway, roof overhang, or a neighbor's addition, and shows on a sealed drawing exactly how far and in which direction it crosses. It is the document that turns "I think the fence is over the line" into a measured fact you can act on.

What an encroachment survey shows

The survey starts as a boundary survey: the surveyor researches your deed, the recorded plat, and adjoining deeds, then recovers or resets the corner monuments so the true line is established. On top of that, the encroachment survey locates and dimensions anything sitting across the line or an easement and labels the overlap. The result answers three questions precisely: where is the boundary, what is crossing it, and by how much.

Encroachment survey vs boundary survey

Every encroachment survey is built on a boundary survey; the difference is focus. A plain boundary survey establishes and marks your lines and corners. An encroachment survey does that and then specifically identifies and measures whatever crosses those lines or easements, because the reason you ordered it is a suspected overlap. If your only goal is to know where the line runs before you build a fence, a property line survey is usually enough. If a structure already sits near or over the line, ask for the encroachment locations to be shown.

The encroachment survey report

The deliverable is a signed and sealed plat or map from a licensed surveyor showing the boundary, the corner monuments, and each encroaching feature with its dimensions and the distance it crosses. Some surveyors add a short written statement describing the encroachments. This sealed report is what title companies, attorneys, lenders, and courts accept as evidence, and if the matter is heading toward a formal claim a boundary dispute survey is the version prepared with litigation in mind, which is why a neighbor's photo or your own tapemeasure will not do the same job.

How encroachments get resolved

Once the survey shows the facts, most encroachments are settled without a fight. Common cures include the neighbor moving the structure, granting or buying an easement, adjusting the boundary by agreement and recording it, or the title company issuing coverage over a minor, long-standing overlap. Where a structure crosses a recorded utility easement, the utility can usually require removal, so those get priority. If talks fail, the sealed survey is the core evidence your attorney relies on, and in a serious boundary dispute it is worth understanding how courts have handled similar cases through plain-English legal research before you commit to litigation.

Encroachment survey questions

What does an encroachment survey show?

It shows your true property lines and corners plus any structure that crosses them or a recorded easement, with each overlap measured and dimensioned. That includes fences, buildings, additions, driveways, sheds, pools, retaining walls, and even roof overhangs. The point is a precise, sealed record of what is encroaching and by exactly how much, not a rough idea. Where the encroaching feature is a fence, the specific rules and setbacks are covered on our survey for a fence page, and where it sits inside a recorded utility or access strip you want an easement survey instead.

What is the meaning of an encroachment survey?

An encroachment survey means a licensed surveyor has measured where something built on or near your parcel intrudes across a boundary or easement. "Encroachment" is the intrusion itself; the survey is the professional determination of where it is and how far it extends. It carries legal weight because a licensed surveyor sealed it.

How much does an encroachment survey cost?

Because it is a boundary survey with encroachments located, expect to pay in the range of a boundary survey, roughly $450 to $1,200 for a typical residential lot, more for larger parcels, missing monuments, or complex encroachments that need extra field work. Our land survey cost guide breaks down pricing by survey type.

What is an encroachment survey report?

It is the signed and sealed map the surveyor delivers, showing the boundary, the monuments, and each encroaching feature with dimensions and the distance it crosses the line. Title companies, attorneys, and courts accept this report as evidence of the encroachment. Some surveyors include a brief written narrative alongside the drawing.

Can you sell a house with an encroachment?

You can, but it usually has to be disclosed and dealt with, because a known encroachment is a title defect that can spook buyers and lenders. Options are curing it before closing, getting the title company to insure over it, or negotiating a price adjustment. Commercial deals catch these through an ALTA survey, which plots every recorded exception and improvement.

The bottom line

If a fence, building, or driveway sits near or over your line, an encroachment survey replaces guesswork with a measured, sealed fact you can negotiate or litigate from. It usually costs a few hundred to just over a thousand dollars and settles most disputes before they escalate. Post your job on the Surveyors.io homepage to compare up to three quotes from license-verified local surveyors within 24 hours.