7 Reasons to Choose an ALTA Survey

An ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey of a parcel or multiple parcels of land uses a set of national standards put forth by the American Land Title Association (ALTA) and the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS). 

ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys provide assurance against unseen factors that could affect how a property is used or valued. ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys, and the standards that guide them, have been used for decades to prevent costly issues. Depending on the project, choosing an ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey might be one of the best initial investment decisions an owner or developer can make. Here are seven reasons why:

1. Uniform Standard. The ALTA/NSPS standards are a uniform nationwide survey standard. These national standards make it easy for the title company to review the survey and issue title insurance for the property, which controls the financial risk for owners and lenders.
2. Encroachments/Easements Shown. Encroachments are when a property owner violates the property rights of their neighbor by building something on or over the neighbor’s land. If prepared sufficiently, an ALTA/NSPS Survey should show potential encroachments and plot recorded easements on the survey drawing. Whether a potential encroachment or physical condition constitutes an actual encroachment is a legal determination.
3. Familiarity. Almost all the parties in any deal – lenders, attorneys, surveyors, and title professionals – are familiar with the ALTA/NSPS Survey standards. Working together with this same survey standard allows them to “play off the same sheet of music,” so to speak.
4. Title Research. The surveyor has the advantage of having the deed research from the title commitment before issuing the final version of the survey. In other standards, this is not required.
5. Optional Table A Items. The ALTA/NSPS Survey standards include a list of optional items (Table A) that may be needed and ordered when the original survey is ordered. This may save money since the work is done at the same time as the boundary survey.
6. Title Exceptions. Title exceptions are matters that are not covered by the title insurance policy. Such exceptions deal with matters that may be found by an accurate survey of the property, such as encroachments. Exceptions limit the liability of the title insurer to the insured. Completion of an ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey allows the title insurer to remove those exceptions.
7. Consistent Scope of Work. Usually, the hardest part of any contract is determining the scope of work and how it will be completed. The ALTA/NSPS Survey standards provide a consistent scope of work that has been used for decades and is frequently reviewed and up