Land surveyors in Atlanta: licensed Georgia Professional Land Surveyors across metro Atlanta, quoted
Land surveyors in Atlanta are licensed as Professional Land Surveyors (PLS) by the Georgia Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors Board under O.C.G.A. Title 43 Chapter 15. The Atlanta specific trap is the city tree ordinance: a "boundary tree" is defined by whether a neighboring tree's root save area crosses your property line, you cannot remove one without the adjoining owner as co-applicant, and violations run to $500 per tree and up to $60,000 per acre where the tree count cannot be determined. Only a licensed surveyor can lawfully establish the line that definition depends on. A residential boundary survey typically costs $500 to $1,100. Surveyors.io verifies every license against the state roster and returns up to three quotes within about 24 hours.
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What a Georgia land surveyor license means, and how to check one
Georgia licenses surveyors as Professional Land Surveyors (PLS). O.C.G.A. 43-15-2(11) defines a professional land surveyor, registered land surveyor or land surveyor as an individual qualified to engage in the practice of land surveying who holds a current license issued by the board. The seal legend is fixed by statute: O.C.G.A. 43-15-22(a) requires the seal to bear the licensee's name, license number and the legend Professional Land Surveyor.
A naming detail most competitor pages get wrong: under O.C.G.A. 43-15-3(a) the old State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors was continued in existence as the Georgia Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors Board. The board's administrative rules in Chapter 180 still carry the legacy name, so you will see both. The board seats six professional engineers, two professional land surveyors and one public member.
Practice is restricted and enforced. O.C.G.A. 43-15-7(b) makes it unlawful for anyone other than a professional land surveyor to practice or offer to practice land surveying in Georgia, and 43-15-30(a) makes that a misdemeanor. Section 43-15-30(f) separately criminalizes holding out using the words "Professional Land Surveyor" or "Land Surveyor" without complying, and 43-15-30(g) makes each day or occurrence a separate offense.
Sealing carries personal accountability. O.C.G.A. 43-15-22(c) bars a licensee from sealing a plat unless they have assumed responsibility for the accuracy and adequacy of the work, and 43-15-22(d) treats sealing another person's work without daily direct supervisory control and thorough review as a fraudulent act of misconduct. Verify any Atlanta surveyor through the Georgia board's license lookup before you hire. On Surveyors.io we verify each surveyor against the Georgia roster, keep a certificate of professional liability insurance on file, and pull a profile the moment a credential lapses.
The Atlanta hook: the boundary tree problem
Atlanta's tree protection ordinance is the strictest thing most Atlanta homeowners collide with, and it quietly turns into a boundary question.
Atlanta Code 158-101(a) bars removing, destroying or injuring any tree on public property, or any tree with a diameter at breast height of six inches or more on covered private property, without a permit. Then 158-26 defines a boundary tree as a tree on adjacent property whose root save area intrudes across the property line of the site under consideration.
Two consequences follow from that definition. Under 158-105(b) boundary trees must be included in the site plan, and the on-site portion of a boundary tree's root save area must be enclosed in tree protection fencing. Under 158-101(i)(2) an application cannot be for removal of a boundary tree unless the adjoining property owner is a co-applicant on the permit.
So whether a tree is a boundary tree, and therefore whether you need your neighbor's signature before touching it, turns entirely on where the property line falls relative to that tree's root save area. Establishing that line is the practice of land surveying under O.C.G.A. 43-15-2(11), which only a licensed PLS may lawfully perform.
The exposure is real. Atlanta Code 158-34 sets a fine of no less than $500 for a first violation and $1,000 for each subsequent violation, with each tree treated as a separate violation. Where the commission cannot determine the exact number of trees, it assumes a density of 1,000 inches DBH per acre and imposes a fine of $60,000 per acre, prorated below an acre. Each day a violation continues may be treated as a separate offense, removed trees must additionally be replaced or recompensed, and liability extends to the owner and to any architect, builder, contractor, agent or tenant who commits or assists in the violation.
One honest clarification, because this gets overstated online: the ordinance does not require the tree survey itself to be prepared by a licensed surveyor. Section 158-101(j) expressly allows a sketch and says it need not be performed by a registered surveyor or landscape architect. The tree sketch can be informal. The property line it is measured against cannot be guessed, and that is where the surveyor comes in.
A second trigger sits next to it. Section 158-105(a) requires the site plan to carry topographic information at two-foot contour intervals and to delineate a construction limit line. Single-family lots of record are exempt from the topographic requirement only where no grading, cut, fill or other change in topography will occur, so the moment you grade for a pool, addition or driveway the topo requirement attaches. Section 158-106 then requires a preconstruction conference on site with the city arborist, who inspects to verify the accuracy of the permit application data.
What Georgia requires on a recordable plat
Georgia's plat statute, O.C.G.A. 15-6-67, was substantially rewritten effective 2017, and a surprising number of websites still publish the repealed pre-2016 text with its old sheet-size limits and contrasting-ink signature rule. Ignore those.
Under the current statute, plats and condominium plans must be submitted electronically to the clerk of superior court, at full size and in proportion to the stated drawing scale, with a three-inch-square box left blank in the upper left corner for the clerk's filing information. The plat must carry the county, municipality, land district and land lot, owner and subdivision names, dates of preparation and revision, page numbering, the scale stated and shown graphically, and the surveyor's name, address, telephone, registration number and the firm's Certificate of Authorization number. It must bear the seal of the registered land surveyor and a surveyor certification box containing one of four prescribed statements.
The certification for an ordinary homeowner survey is the retracement statement, which certifies that the survey retraces an existing parcel and does not subdivide or create a new one, and that the plat complies with the minimum technical standards in Chapter 180-7 and with the Georgia Plat Act. It also carries a capitalized disclaimer stating that recordation of the survey does not imply approval of the local jurisdiction, availability of permits, compliance with local regulations or requirements, nor suitability for any use or purpose of the land. Under 15-6-67(b)(2)(E), surveys bearing that retracement certification are entitled to recordation without further review or local approval. Under 15-6-67(c), no subdivision plat may be filed without approval of the applicable planning commission or governing authority.
The accuracy standard your Atlanta survey has to meet
Georgia is one of the states that still publishes hard numbers, which makes it easy to check what you paid for. Chapter 180-7 of the board rules sets the minimum technical standards for property surveys.
Rule 180-7-.03 requires angles and distances to be measured to an accuracy of not less than 1:10,000 in urban or suburban areas and 1:5,000 in rural areas. Allowable positional tolerance between property corners is 0.1 foot in urban blocks where buildings can be erected along the property line or where high land values warrant, which is the intown Atlanta standard, 0.25 foot in suburban subdivision interiors and suburban lots, and 0.50 foot in rural areas, with tighter tolerances required near major highway intersections, on congested sites and on the short dimension of long narrow parcels.
Rule 180-7-.07 requires two separate closure figures, both of which must be actual and not a generalization: the field closure precision calculated from the surveyor's actual measurements together with angular error and the method of adjustment, and a map closure stated as "this map or plat has been calculated for closure and is found to be accurate within one foot in ____ feet," independently calculated from the bearings and distances on the face of the plat. Where a substantial portion of the measurements were GPS-derived, Rule 180-7-.09 instead requires the plat to disclose which portions used GPS, the equipment manufacturer and model, single or dual frequency, the survey type and the precision achieved.
Monumentation is specified in Rule 180-7-.05. Monuments must be set at all boundary corners unless they already exist or are physically obstructed, in which case a reference monument must be set and tied by bearing and distance. Minimum length is 18 inches, the material must incorporate ferrous material so it can be found with a magnetic locator, and solid metal rods need a minimum cross-sectional area of 0.2 square inches. Every monument set must bear a durable cap with the Georgia registration number of the surveyor in responsible charge, or the firm name or Certificate of Authorization number. That is a detail you can verify yourself: go look at the cap.
The plat must also show bearings and distances of all boundary lines and the area, apparent encroachments, observed evidence of human burials or cemeteries, the names of adjacent owners on all lines with notation of documents reviewed, the character of any evidence of possession along the boundaries, and any overlaps or gores evaluated and reported. Rule 180-7-.07(d)(18) requires the surveyor to state what type of survey it is.
Three things Atlanta owners get told that are not true
"The plat in my closing packet is a survey of my lot." A recorded subdivision plat and a retracement boundary survey of your individual lot are legally distinct products, which is why Rule 180-7-.07(d)(18) forces the surveyor to state which one it is. A preliminary subdivision plat must even carry a note that it is not to be recorded and is not to be used to convey property. A subdivision plat does not include the corner-by-corner monumentation record for your specific lot required by Rule 180-7-.05, nor the encroachment and evidence-of-possession findings a retracement survey must report.
"Fulton or DeKalb County GIS shows my property line." County GIS and tax parcel layers are assessment and planning products, not surveys, and the counties say so in their own terms of use. A GIS polygon carries no surveyor seal, no closure statement under Rule 180-7-.07, and no monumentation record under Rule 180-7-.05, which are precisely the three things Georgia law relies on to make a boundary defensible. Under O.C.G.A. 43-15-22 a boundary determination carries legal weight only when a licensee has sealed it and assumed responsibility for its accuracy.
"Georgia land surveys expire after five years." No provision of O.C.G.A. Title 43 Chapter 15, board rules Chapter 180, or O.C.G.A. 15-6-67 sets an expiration date on a land survey. Georgia law does the opposite: Rule 180-7-.07(b)(7) requires the surveyor to retain the plat with all field notes, computations, coordinate data and drawing files for six years. What actually changes is physical conditions on the ground, which is why the rules require the date of field work on the plat, and third-party freshness rules, where a lender, title insurer or a specific permit application demands a recent survey. That is a contractual or application requirement, not a statutory expiry. See how long a property survey is good for.
Bonus: "A survey is not valid unless it is recorded." O.C.G.A. 15-6-69 states that failure to meet the requirements of 15-6-67 and 15-6-68, or the recording of an improper plat by the clerk, shall not in and of itself affect or invalidate any legal description or legal instrument based on such plat. The technical standards apply whether or not a plat is presented for recording. An ordinary retracement survey of an existing lot may be recorded; it does not have to be.
What a survey costs in Atlanta
| Survey | Atlanta range | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Boundary survey, city lot | $500 to $1,100 | Fences, additions, disputes, closing |
| Boundary survey, wooded intown lot | $800 to $1,800 | Heavy tree cover slows field work |
| Boundary plus tree location survey | $1,000 to $2,500 | Tree permit and site plan submittal |
| Topographic survey, two-foot contours | $1,200 to $3,500 | Grading, pools, additions |
| Survey with recordable plat prepared | $150 to $400 added | When you want it filed |
| ALTA/NSPS survey | $2,000 to $7,500 | Commercial acquisition and lending |
Market ranges observed in metro Atlanta, not a published fee schedule. Heavily wooded intown lots run higher because vegetation slows field work, and the intown 0.1 foot positional tolerance under Rule 180-7-.03 is a tighter standard than suburban work. See the land survey cost guide for how pricing is built.
Atlanta survey questions, answered
Do I need a survey to remove a tree in Atlanta?
Often yes, indirectly. Atlanta Code 158-26 defines a boundary tree by whether a neighboring tree's root save area crosses your property line, and 158-101(i)(2) bars applying to remove one unless the adjoining owner is a co-applicant. The tree sketch itself does not require a surveyor under 158-101(j), but only a licensed Georgia surveyor can lawfully establish the property line that the boundary tree definition depends on.
What is the fine for removing a tree without a permit in Atlanta?
Atlanta Code 158-34 sets a fine of no less than $500 for a first violation and $1,000 for each subsequent one, with each tree treated as a separate violation. Where the number of trees cannot be determined, the city assumes 1,000 inches DBH per acre and imposes $60,000 per acre. Removed trees must also be replaced or recompensed, and each day of continuing violation may be a separate offense.
How accurate does a Georgia land survey have to be?
Georgia board rule 180-7-.03 requires angles and distances measured to an accuracy of not less than 1:10,000 in urban or suburban areas and 1:5,000 in rural areas. Positional tolerance between corners is 0.1 foot in urban blocks where buildings can be built to the line, which covers intown Atlanta, 0.25 foot in suburban lots and 0.50 foot in rural areas.
Does a survey have to be recorded in Georgia?
No, not an ordinary retracement survey of an existing lot. O.C.G.A. 15-6-69 provides that failure to meet the recording requirements does not in and of itself invalidate any legal description or instrument based on the plat, and the technical standards apply whether or not a plat is presented for recording. Subdivision plats and plats creating new parcels are different and do require recording plus planning approval.
Do Georgia land surveys expire?
No. Nothing in Georgia statute or board rules sets an expiration date on a land survey. Rule 180-7-.07(b)(7) actually imposes a six year retention duty on the surveyor. What changes is conditions on the ground and third-party requirements: a lender, title insurer or a specific permit application may demand a survey sealed within the last year, but that is their rule, not the law.
How much does a boundary survey cost in Atlanta?
A typical metro Atlanta lot runs about $500 to $1,100, with heavily wooded intown lots commonly $800 to $1,800 because tree cover slows field work. Adding tree locations for a permit submittal generally brings the total to $1,000 to $2,500. These are market ranges, not a published fee schedule.
Can I use Fulton County GIS to find my property line?
Not for anything that matters. County GIS and tax parcel maps are assessment and planning products with no surveyor seal, no closure statement and no monumentation record, and the counties disclaim survey accuracy in their own terms of use. Use GIS to find your parcel number and pull your recorded plat, then hire a licensed surveyor to establish the line.
How do I check that my Atlanta surveyor is licensed?
Look up the license through the Georgia Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors Board and confirm it is active. You can also verify the physical work: Rule 180-7-.05 requires every boundary monument set to bear a durable cap with the Georgia registration number of the surveyor in responsible charge, or the firm name or Certificate of Authorization number. Unlicensed practice is a misdemeanor under O.C.G.A. 43-15-30.
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