When your insurance policy, mortgage, or property sale requires more than the bare minimum, you can turn to an ALTA/NSPS land title surveyor in Wilmington to get you the detailed assessment that you need. By following standard national guidelines, your surveyor can provide a draft that meets even the strictest requirements.
Read more about ALTA surveys in North Carolina and what sets them apart. If you have questions about getting your own evaluation or if you want a free estimate, you can always talk to a professional from Scalice Land Surveying, P.C.
What Is an ALTA/NSPS Survey?
To understand an ALTA/NSPS land title survey, it may help to first understand what a boundary survey is.
Boundary surveys measure the boundary lines of your property, where your structures are, and any encroachments or disputes that may exist between neighboring properties and yours. These are relatively basic surveys and are usually ordered for residential sales or small projects.
ALTA/NSPS land title surveys are anything but basic. Think of them as the more advanced, souped-up version of a boundary survey. An ALTA survey evaluates everything that a boundary survey does, plus more:
- Utilities
- Easements
- Ancillary structures
- Improvements
- Parking
Here’s the thing, though: you actually pick the details that you get from an ALTA/NSPS survey. Before your surveyor gets to work, they’ll need you to fill out ALTA Table A, which outlines what you need from your land assessment. Based on what boxes you check, your surveyor will evaluate certain details and forgo others.
Where boundary surveys are usually ordered for smaller transactions or projects, ALTA/NSPS land title surveys are usually ordered for commercial land deals or larger projects. One such situation is title insurance, which protects buyers and lenders from possible land defects. To agree on a policy, title insurers often need an in-depth assessment of your property.
How Is a Land Survey Done in North Carolina?
Land surveys are usually done in three distinct phases, and depending on how large your property is and how much detail you need, those phases could go quickly or require weeks. The three parts of the survey process are:
- Preliminary research, which involves going through historical documents and past surveys to get a good idea of what the surveyor is doing and any possible legal issues. You can help your land surveyor do this step faster by providing any documents you have and promptly filling out Table A.
- Fieldwork, which involves using survey equipment and techniques to measure and assess your land. The timeframe for fieldwork will depend on your property, including whether there is any difficult terrain or vegetation that the surveyor must traverse.
- Drafting, which involves crunching the numbers and computing the data that your surveyor collected. This will result in a detailed survey that shows you, your insurer, your lender, or any other interested party what they need to know.
ALTA/NSPS surveys are a bit different from other types of surveys in that, where other assessments are usually done to meet state or local requirements, ALTA surveys are held to national standards. That means your ALTA survey will meet the same guidelines as one done in any other state in the country.
Because they provide more details than the average land survey, Wilmington ALTA/NSPS land title surveys tend to take longer. However, because our survey crews use state-of-the-art equipment, they can do the job efficiently and get you your survey in a timely manner.
The Cost of an ALTA Survey in Wilmington
Every survey is different. Depending on how you fill out ALTA survey Table A and how large your property is, your ALTA/NSPS survey’s cost can range widely. There is no set price for land assessments, and the amount of work and time your surveyor has to put into your evaluation will ultimately decide how much it costs.
It’s worth noting that, because ALTA land title surveys in Wilmington take more time than other surveys, they do tend to cost more. However, in some circumstances, other parties could be responsible for paying for your survey. You should consult with your insurer, lender, or buyer to determine who is footing the bill.
The most reliable way to determine how much your next ALTA/NSPS land title survey could cost is to get a free estimate from a professional. We offer free consultations with our North Carolina land surveyors who can take into account your situation and your needs and tell you how much you’re likely to pay.
Get a Quote on an ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey in Wilmington
Before you hire your surveyor, you should know what you’re agreeing to. An expert at Scalice Land Surveying, P.C. can talk to you about your property and give you a quote on an ALTA/NSPS land title survey in Wilmington, NC.
Call us or contact us online to get your FREE estimate today. Our surveyors are licensed, reputable, and transparent about what they can do for you.