Missing a closing date because your ALTA land survey wasn’t ready is an expensive mistake. It delays financing, pushes back occupancy and puts deals at risk right when they should be wrapping up.
Most developers underestimate the timeline. They order the survey too late and spend the final two weeks of a transaction chasing a stamped drawing.
Here’s what the timeline actually looks like and what can make it shorter or longer.
How Long Does an ALTA Survey Typically Take?
A standard ALTA survey takes two to four weeks from the date of engagement to the final certified drawing. That’s the range for a typical commercial property with no major complications.
Complex properties take longer. A large multi-parcel site, a property with multiple easements or a development with unclear title history can push the timeline to six weeks or more.
That two-to-four week window doesn’t include lender or title company review time after delivery. Build that into your schedule too.
What Happens During an ALTA Survey
Understanding the process explains why the timeline is what it is. An ALTA survey has three main phases.
The first is research. The surveyor reviews the title commitment, deeds, plat maps, easement documents and any prior surveys on record. This phase takes longer when records are scattered, old or incomplete.
The second is field work. A crew visits the property to take measurements, locate existing monuments and identify improvements, encroachments and visible utilities. Field work on a standard commercial parcel takes one to three days.
The third is drafting and certification. The surveyor compiles all data into a final drawing that meets ALTA/NSPS 2021 minimum standard requirements, then signs and stamps it. This phase typically takes one to two weeks after field work is done.
Factors That Affect the ALTA Survey Timeline
Property Size and Complexity
Larger properties take more time in the field. A five-acre commercial lot wraps up faster than a 40-acre mixed-use site. Properties with multiple structures, irregular boundaries or disputed corners require more care during field work and more time in the drafting phase.
Title Research and Document Collection
The surveyor needs the title commitment before research can begin. If the title company is slow to deliver it, the survey can’t move forward. Easement documents, recorded plats and prior deed descriptions also need to be gathered and reviewed. Properties with long ownership histories or missing records add days to this phase.
Table A Optional Items
ALTA surveys include a list of optional items called Table A. Each item the lender or buyer requests adds scope to the survey. Common additions include:
- Zoning reports and classifications
- Flood zone determination
- Utility markings and locations
- Parking space counts
- Height and square footage of improvements
Some Table A items require outside coordination. Zoning reports may need input from the local planning office. Utility markings require submitting a locate request and waiting for the response. Each addition adds time, sometimes more than developers expect.
Surveyor Availability and Current Workload
Even if the property is straightforward, a busy surveyor can push your start date back by weeks. Commercial surveyors with ALTA experience are often booked well in advance. Ordering early is the most reliable way to protect your closing timeline.
Local Government Response Times
Surveyors often need to pull documents from county recording offices, planning departments or utility providers. Some offices respond quickly. Others take a week or more to fulfill records requests. This is outside the surveyor’s control and hard to predict.
Weather
Bad weather delays field work. Heavy rain makes accurate measurements difficult and can make parts of a property inaccessible. This is especially relevant for properties with wetlands, drainage features or low-lying areas near water.
How to Avoid ALTA Survey Delays
Order early. The single most common cause of closing delays tied to ALTA surveys is ordering too late. Most experienced developers order the survey the same day they execute the purchase and sale agreement.
Deliver documents quickly. Give the surveyor the title commitment, any prior surveys and all relevant deed documents as soon as you have them. Every day they wait on documents is a day added to your timeline.
Confirm Table A items upfront. Know what your lender requires before the survey starts. Changing Table A selections mid-process restarts parts of the work and costs you time you probably don’t have.
Choose a surveyor with capacity. Ask directly how many active ALTA surveys they’re running and when they can start yours. A firm that can’t give you a clear start date is a risk to your schedule.
When Should You Order an ALTA Survey?
Order it the day you execute the purchase and sale agreement. Don’t wait for due diligence to wrap up. Don’t wait to see if the deal holds together.
A survey that comes back with an issue gives you information you need early. An encroachment or an easement conflict discovered before closing is a negotiating point. The same issue discovered on closing day is a problem with no good options.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fastest an ALTA survey can be completed?
Rush turnarounds are possible on simple properties. Some surveyors can deliver in seven to ten business days when the property is small, records are clean and no complex Table A items are required. Rush work typically costs more. Get a written quote before assuming speed is available.
What is a Table A item and why does it affect the timeline?
Table A is a list of optional items that can be added to an ALTA survey at the request of the lender or buyer. Items like zoning reports, utility locations and flood zone determinations require additional research or outside coordination. Each item added to the scope adds time to the process.
Does a lender always require an ALTA survey for commercial transactions?
Most commercial lenders require an ALTA survey before closing. The survey confirms property boundaries, identifies easements and encroachments and verifies that all improvements sit within the legal boundaries. Some smaller transactions may accept a simpler survey, but most institutional lenders and title companies require ALTA.
Can you reuse an old ALTA survey for a new transaction?
An existing ALTA survey can sometimes be recertified if it’s recent and the property hasn’t changed. Most lenders require a survey no older than six to twelve months. If improvements have been added, boundaries have changed or new easements have been recorded, a new survey is required regardless of how recent the old one is.
What do ALTA and NSPS stand for?
ALTA stands for American Land Title Association. NSPS stands for National Society of Professional Surveyors. Together they publish the minimum standards all ALTA surveys must meet. The 2021 version of those standards defines exactly what the survey must show and how it must be certified. A survey that meets these standards will be accepted by any lender or title company in the country.
Land Surveyors are professionals who make precise measurements to determine the size and boundaries of a piece of real estate. While this is a simplistic definition, boundary surveying is one of the most common types of surveying related to home and land owners. If you fall into the following categories, please click on the appropriate link for more information on that subject:
