A home inspection tells you about the house. A survey tells you about the land underneath it, and for most buyers that land is part of the largest purchase of their life. Georgia is a buyer-beware state, which puts the responsibility for due diligence on the buyer. In practice, land surveys are often skipped even though inspections are common, according to surveyors writing in Georgia REALTOR magazine.
What a Survey Can Tell You
- Legal description: It helps confirm the description on the deed is recorded accurately.
- Boundaries: It marks where your property starts and ends, which matters before you build a fence or add a pool.
- Encroachments: It shows where a fence, shed or driveway crosses a property line, which gives the current owner time to resolve it.
- Easements: It locates utility and other easements that can limit what you can build.
- Utility rights-of-way: It shows where lines run on or under the lot.
- Road access: It confirms unimpeded access to a public road.
Is a Survey Required in Georgia?
There is no universal Georgia law requiring a new survey on every sale. Whether you need one depends on your lender, the title company, your purchase agreement and the property. Many conventional loans on standard subdivision lots do not require one, while some loan types often do. Georgia law also does not say who pays, so it is negotiable. Surveyors report a typical cost of roughly $350 to $700 for a standard platted residential lot, per Find Land Surveyor. Costs vary by lot size and complexity, so get a quote.
If a survey does turn up a boundary problem, the title company may add an exception to the title insurance policy, require the issue to be resolved before closing, or decline to insure that part of the title. When a survey is completed during a sale, ask that a copy go to your closing attorney, who can explain any findings.
Two Stories From My Clients
The fence that was not on the line. A client learned during the transaction that the fence around the property sat about 10 feet inside the property line, which shrank the usable yard. The neighbor's belongings were on what the survey showed was the client's land, the neighbor was hostile and threatened a lawsuit, and after seeking legal advice my client chose to walk away from the contract.
The easement nobody found. A homeowner who is not my client bought without ordering a survey. Years later, the buyer under contract on the resale ordered one and found a city sewer easement running under the property. That buyer walked away, and the home had still not sold.
Before You Make an Offer
Ask your agent and lender early whether a survey will be required, and decide whether to order one even if it is not. Planning to sell instead? Start with a free home valuation. If you are weighing homes in Roswell, Alpharetta or Woodstock, I am happy to walk you through the due diligence steps.
This post is general information, not legal advice. Talk to your closing attorney about your specific transaction.
