ALTA/ ACSM Surveys (Land Title Surveys)

An ALTA survey is generally required to be provided along with other documents while undertaking a commercial real estate transaction and is often used as part of the Title Certificate application and/or insurance.

Nationwide Surveying is a Southern California land surveying company and provides Land Title surveys and other survey and mapping services to Southern California residents and businesses.

What is an ALTA Survey?

A land survey done according to the standards set forth in the ALTA/ACSM Land Title Survey Specifications is known as an ‘ALTA Survey’. Here, ALTA refers to The American Land Title Association, and ACSM means The American Congress on Surveying and Mapping. The sole aim of ALTA surveys is to promote standards and nationwide uniformity in land survey information.

Being highly detailed, ALTA land surveys are of great benefit to:

• Lenders and Corporations
• Title companies
• The general public
• Professionals such as architects, engineers and contractors

Besides setting stringent standards for land surveys, The American Congress on Surveying and Mapping along with The National Society of Professional Surveyors, Inc., also drafted ‘Accuracy Standards’ to deal with issues such as Minimum Angle and Positional Uncertainty, Closure and Distance Requirements for the ALTA/ACSM Land Title Surveys.

Why Use an ALTA/ACSM Survey?

ALTA/ACSM Land Title Survey usually drafted for commercial real estate, as it provides comprehensive information required by the title company to insure the title to the property. A typical Commercial ALTA/ACSM Land Title Survey includes the full names of all the concerned parties, namely the seller, buyer, Title Company, lender, and insurance company.

However, home-owners also need to submit ALTA surveys. Thus, it is crucial that the surveyor and the title insurance company work in close association, as both rely heavily on each other’s work pertaining to matters affecting land ownership.

An ALTA survey, also known as a ‘Due Diligence Survey’, clearly shows:

• Improvements and Easements
• Rights-of-Way
• Ownership areas
• Encumbrances
• Encroachments (if any)
• A property’s boundaries
• Other vital aspects pertaining to land ownership.

A set of ‘base’ specifications is provided in the body of the standards/ specifications that all ALTA surveys must meet. This is followed by a comprehensive 'Table A', which includes several ‘Optional Items’ that may be required for a particular land survey. These specific optional items should be discussed thoroughly between the client and the surveyor as the entire table cannot be applied to one single survey.

Our Services

In addition to meeting all nationwide ALTA/ACSM guidelines, we also meet Californian state standards to provide our clients with a comprehensive land survey that will be well-received by title insurance companies.