How long does a land survey take? And every other question, answered

Most residential land surveys take 5 to 10 business days from engagement to sealed drawing. Elevation certificates run 3 to 7 days, topographic surveys 1 to 2 weeks, ALTA/NSPS surveys 2 to 4 weeks, and subdivision plats 3 to 6 weeks of survey work plus county review. The fieldwork is usually hours; records research, drafting and crew scheduling take the rest.

A typical residential boundary survey costs $450 to $900. Across all types the national average is about $2,300, ranging from $400 elevation certificates to $10,000+ ALTA surveys on complex commercial sites. Acreage, terrain, records quality and corner condition move the price.

When a client hires a surveyor through the site, the surveyor pays us a success fee of 8% of the accepted quote, at least $15 and at most $250. Some firms also pay for an optional Pro plan. Clients never pay us, and we never mark up the surveyor's quoted price: you pay the surveyor directly.

No. Surveyors.io is a marketplace. Independent licensed surveyors list themselves, receive the jobs clients post and quote them. The surveyor you hire does the work and is responsible for it.

Surveyors write their own profiles, and each one passes an automatic check before it is published. The license number is shown as the surveyor provided it; we do not check it with the licensing board. Look it up on your state board's public lookup and ask about insurance before you hire; every state page explains where.

No. Surveyors see the scope of your job, never your name, email or phone number. You talk to them through messages on the site, and your details go to one surveyor only, the one you hire.

For a boundary survey: each corner gets a set pin or recovered monument, flagged so you can find it, and the sealed drawing shows bearings and distances for every line plus encroachments and recorded easements.

Legally it depends on your jurisdiction, practically yes if you cannot prove where the line is. A fence built off a guess becomes an encroachment, and moving it later costs far more than the $450 to $900 boundary survey would have.

A plat is the recorded drawing that legally creates lots (from a subdivision); a survey is the measurement work a licensed surveyor performs on the ground. Your parcel likely appears on a recorded plat, and a new survey re-establishes its lines from that record plus field evidence.

A licensed land surveyor first, for a boundary survey that establishes the facts, and a real-estate attorney if the disagreement survives the facts. A sealed survey is the standard exhibit in line disputes. We match you with the surveyor; legal advice comes from your attorney.

Yes, when flown under FAA Part 107 by a certificated remote pilot and performed under the state's surveying laws by or under a licensed surveyor. Ask a drone or LiDAR surveyor for both credentials before you hire.

Each surveyor who covers your area can send one fixed price with a turnaround, scope and deliverables. Ask them questions in the messages on the site before you decide. The contract is between you and the surveyor you hire.

Always. You compare the quotes, profiles and turnarounds and hire the one you want, or ask one surveyor directly from their profile. Nobody is assigned to you.

List your firm free: sign up with your email, write your profile with up to six counties (or statewide travel) and your survey types, and every job posted in your area reaches your lead inbox. Quoting is free; when a client hires you, you pay a success fee of 8% of the accepted quote, at least $15 and at most $250. Pro ($249/mo) is optional and adds featured placement and a first look. See the For Surveyors page.

All 50 states plus DC. Jobs go to the surveyors who list your county, and when none does yet, to surveyors in your state who travel statewide. A job no surveyor covers stays open for the ones who join.