ALTA Surveys
An American Land Title Association (ALTA) land survey is made for a title company and/or lender with the survey and location data needed for the title company to remove the survey exception to the title insurance policy. For this purpose, a map is drawn to ALTA standards. ALTA surveys specifies the data to be shown on the survey including boundary lines, location of main building including improvements, location of ancillary buildings, identification and location of easements (access rights by service companies such as water, gas, telephone, railways, and other utilities) as described in the title report. ALTA surveys can be very complex surveys and can cost several thousands of dollars and take weeks or months to prepare, depending on the complexity of the site.
Meridian Surveys, Inc. starts by preparing a boundary survey of the subject property. Then after reviewing the title exceptions referenced in the title commitment, would add to the survey all locatable easements and encumbrances recited in the title commitment.