AEI’s Land Surveying Division is primarily focused on providing ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys as an integral part of any commercial real estate transaction.

What is an ALTA/NSPS Survey?

An ALTA/NSPS survey is an in-depth land map that details a property’s permanent improvements, utilities, and observable features, all of which are necessary requirements requested by lenders, title agents, buyers, and sellers during real estate due diligence to determine any potential risks and/or benefits.

Through a combination of boundary, title, and location surveys the ALTA/NSPS provides the maximum amount of land survey information for any commercial real estate transaction or purchase of vacant land for development. It is governed by the most recent “2021 Minimum Standard Detail Requirements for ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys” as adopted by American Land Title Association (ALTA) and National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS).

When is an ALTA/NSPS Survey Needed?

An ALTA/NSPS land survey is used for commercial real estate transactions and typically occurs when a buyer is seeking a loan to purchase a property or when a buyer, seller, owner, or lender is obtaining a comprehensive title insurance policy for the property. There is not a lender in the United States that will provide a commercial loan without an ALTA/NSPS Survey.

How Much Does an ALTA/NSPS Survey Cost?

The cost can vary anywhere from $2,500 to well into 5 digits, depending on a variety of factors such as the size, location, and types of improvements needed to the property, as well as selected Table A options.

For example, a smaller land parcel with a single building on site would be on the lower end, while a large apartment complex or sprawling golf course would run significantly higher. Or a similar size parcel with comparable improvements may differ in costs depending on which state the property is located in.

ALTA/NSPS Land Survey Requirements

ALTA and NSPS produce a joint document that is updated every 5-6 years, providing surveyors with minimum standards that must be followed when conducting a land survey. The current version came into effect on February 23, 2021. It distinctly and clearly lays out the necessary information required for a real property survey, plat, map or record to be acceptable for use by a title insurance company to insure the property’s title.

2021 ALTA/NSPS Survey must include:

• • the on-site fieldwork required pursuant to Section 5,
  • the preparation of a plat or map pursuant to Section 6 showing the results of the fieldwork and its relationship to documents provided to or obtained by the surveyor pursuant to Section 4,
  • any information from Table A items requested by the client, and
  • the certification outlined in Section 7.1

To learn more, see the 2021 Minimum Standard Detail Requirements for ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys.

AEI’S Approach to ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys

At AEI, we offer comprehensive land survey and mapping services performed by a team of professional licensed land surveyors with decades of experience. Our expertise in assessing and surveying your property enables you to meet the necessary requirements for a commercial real estate transaction, providing detailed and accurate information that helps identify potential risks and benefits of owning the property.

With a specialization in preparing and coordinating ALTA/NSPS surveys, we are able to provide you with insight into the meaning and intention of each and every Requirement and Table A option. We offer educational pieces that explain the most misunderstood facets of these stipulations, eliminating confusion and correcting years of misinterpretation and intent of the ALTA/NSPS Standards and Options.

Additional Surveys or Reports

In addition to an ALTA/NSPS land survey, a lender, insurance provider, or buyer may request other documents such as:

• Topographic Survey
• As-built Survey
• Boundary Survey
• Tree Survey
• FEMA Flood Elevation Certificate
• FEMA Flood Zone Determination Letter

Meet Our Professional Team of Land Survey Experts

Bryan Mitchell
Vice President of ALTA Services & Group Director

Bryan has worked in the Land Title Survey Industry since 2004 and has successfully coordinated these surveys between Licensed Professional Land Surveyors and Title Professionals for the past 17 years. Bryan joined AEI in 2017 so that AEI may better serve their clients by bringing these services in-house. Bryan is responsible for AEI market growth, fostering new relationships with other licensed providers outside of our in-house footprint, and ensuring timeliness of all deliverables. Bryan works in tandem with a team of Licensed Professional Land Surveyors that directly oversee all surveying deliverables from start to finish.

Doug Cruse
Vice President of Surveying – Southeast Region

Doug is a Professional Surveyor and Mapper of 36 years that is licensed in the states of; Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. CFedS through the Bureau of Land Management, Certified Photogrammetrist through the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, FAA sUAS Pilot, and a Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Level II Design Professional.

Eric Cantrell
Vice President of Surveying – Western Region

Eric is a Professional Surveyor and Mapper of 38 years that is licensed in the states of; California, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.

Don Johnson
Vice President of Surveying – Midwest Region

Don is a Professional Surveyor and Mapper of 37 years that is licensed in the states of; Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, North Dakota, and South Dakota.