Are you familiar with the term “ALTA land surveying”? Today, we’re providing useful information for anyone that needs to learn the ‘lay of the land’ and ‘map out options’ for a property purchase, sale, development project, and/or site design.

First, let’s define our terms. The acronym ALTA stands for American Land Title Association. An ALTA land survey can only be completed by a registered, licensed surveyor in accordance with all American Land Title Association and American Congress of Surveying and Mapping standards. It’s these standards for quality and excellence that ensure the detailed survey is performed with the utmost care taken to meet all requirements.

Often, the sale of a piece of property will require an ALTA land survey to be completed. That’s because a detailed ALTA land survey goes far beyond just providing the boundary lines of a property. Instead, you get a very detailed look at additional features of the landscape inside the boundaries.

What an ALTA Land Survey will show:

• Easements, or special permissions for access
• Utility lines, both buried and overhead
• Roads and paths that cross the property
• Fences
• Additional boundaries
• Other structures on the property

This type of additional information is often critical for a property owner to be aware of, because it can help to reveal any existing issues that will need to be resolved before a property can be developed.

Due to the complexity of an ALTA land survey, they are most often ordered as part of the process to sell, purchase, and/or develop commercial properties. Additionally, ALTA surveys are often done as part of government contract work, and before any renovation work is done on historical preservation or renovation projects as part of the documentation process.

It is often the case that properties with very old or historic structures were surveyed last during an era without the technology that is available today. The same can also be said for vacant properties, which often have accurate outer boundaries but need an update on the interior area and an update to easement information.

This is a very important step for a purchaser to take, because an ALTA land survey can uncover any potential issues with encroachment, access, and boundary disputes that could cause issues and costly redesigns of a development planned for the site.

Just consider what a major and costly mistake it could be to buy a piece of property and begin work on a design, only to find that there is an unexpected access easement or disputed area that didn’t show up in public records. It pays to have all of the information ahead of any civil engineering, architectural design, and construction work that is slated to take place.

The McNeil Engineering team proudly provides ALTA land surveying for our partners. Our team has been called in to provide these comprehensive and detailed surveys in a variety of applications across the intermountain west, with local Utah projects including:

• Hospitals, such as The Orthopedic Speciality Hospital (TOSH) in Murray; Utah Valley Specialty Hospital in Orem; and the South Temple Medical Plaza in Salt Lake City.
• Schools, such as Westminster College in Salt Lake City; and North Star Academy in Draper.
• Commercial developments, such as the Wells Fargo Financial Center in Provo; the South Towne II Office Building in Sandy; and Commerce Center Building in Salt Lake City.

Not sure if you need an ALTA land survey for your project? Please visit us online, or give us a call directly. For more than 35 years, McNeil Engineering has provided leading-edge engineering work, the latest in technology, and excellent advice and budget services for projects in the community. We’re the go-to experts consulted by local and state governments for help with easements, and more. We look forward to serving you.