Ordering an ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey involves more than providing a property address and waiting for completion. How efficiently the project moves often depends on what you gather and confirm before placing the order.
For lenders, buyers, attorneys, title companies, investors, and transaction coordinators, an ALTA/NSPS land title survey checklist can make it easier to gather and confirm the property information, title documents, survey requirements, and access details the project may require.
CREtelligent’s ALTA/NSPS survey preparation guidance identifies late title commitments, scope changes, site access problems, and unclear legal descriptions as issues that can delay a survey project. Preparing key information early can help reduce unnecessary revisions and prevent avoidable delays.
Use the checklist below to organize what you may need before ordering an ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey.
Confirm the Property and Transaction Scope
Start by clearly defining what the survey needs to support. Before requesting a quote or placing the order, confirm:
- Property address and commonly used property name
- Transaction type, such as an acquisition, refinance, or development project
- Purpose of the survey
- Proposed closing date
- Required survey delivery date
- Lender and title company involved
- Parties expected to rely on the survey
- Property-specific requirements that could affect the scope
The project purpose matters because ALTA/NSPS survey requirements can vary by property, transaction, and parties involved.
Under the current standards, the survey request must specify that a 2026 ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey is required and identify any optional Table A items to be incorporated. The current standards became effective February 23, 2026.
Establishing the scope early can help the project team identify requirements before research and fieldwork begin.
Identify Every Parcel Included in the Project
One of the most important steps in ALTA/NSPS survey preparation is determining exactly what land to include.
A property address alone may not fully describe the land involved in a commercial transaction. Commercial properties can involve multiple parcels, separate tracts, parking areas, access rights, or other land interests that need to be considered as part of the project scope.
Gather available ALTA/NSPS survey parcel information, including:
- Parcel or assessor numbers
- Legal descriptions
- Tax records
- Recorded subdivision plats
- Main and adjoining parcels included in the transaction
- Outparcels
- Separate parking parcels
- Access tracts
- Beneficial or appurtenant easements relevant to the property’s access or operation
Parcel numbers and tax information can be useful when researching the property, but they do not replace the current record description needed for the survey.
For multi-parcel properties, confirm that you have identified all areas involved in the transaction. That may include buildings, parking areas, access points, or other portions of the property that support its operation.
Getting the parcel scope right at the beginning can help reduce the likelihood of additional research, fieldwork, or revisions later in the project.
Provide the Current Title Commitment
The title commitment is one of the most important documents needed for an ALTA/NSPS survey.
Under the 2026 ALTA/NSPS standards, the surveyor is to be provided with the most recent title commitment or, if one is unavailable, other title evidence acceptable to the title insurer. The standards also address the current record description and applicable recorded easements, servitudes, covenants, and other documents affecting or benefiting the surveyed property.
Provide the current title package and supporting documents available for the property, as applicable, including:
- Current title commitment
- Current legal description
- Relevant recorded easement documents
- Rights-of-way documents
- Applicable covenants or restrictions
- Recorded plats
- Deeds or other supporting property documents when necessary
The surveyor uses applicable title information and recorded documents when evaluating how the property’s physical conditions relate to recorded property interests. Providing current title information early can also reduce the need to address major document changes after substantial survey work is complete.
If the title commitment changes while the survey is underway, provide the updated version to the survey coordinator as soon as possible. New or revised title information may affect what the survey needs to address.
Confirm the Required Survey Certification
Another detail worth resolving early is who needs to be included in the survey certification. The standard 2026 ALTA/NSPS certification includes the insured, lender, insurer (if known), and other parties negotiated with the client.
Before the survey is finalized, confirm the parties that need to be included, such as:
- The insured
- Lender
- Title insurer
- Other parties negotiated as part of the survey requirements
Attorneys, title professionals, lenders, and other transaction stakeholders should communicate certification requirements early in the process whenever possible. Adding or changing certification parties late in the project may result in additional revisions close to the requested delivery or closing date.
Select the Necessary ALTA Survey Table A Items
Not every transaction requires the same level of survey detail.
ALTA/NSPS survey Table A items are optional survey responsibilities and specifications that can be selected according to the needs of the property and transaction. They supplement the minimum requirements of an ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey.
Depending on the project, Table A selections can address information such as:
- Flood-zone classification
- Gross land area
- Topographic or vertical-relief information
- Zoning information when the required zoning report or letter is provided
- Building dimensions or specified building measurements
- Parking information
- Underground utility information
- Adjoining property information
- Certain off-site or appurtenant easements
The appropriate selections depend on the transaction.
A lender may have its own survey requirements, while a development project may require information that would not be necessary for a more straightforward transaction. More Table A items do not automatically make a survey better. The goal is to select the information the transaction actually requires.
Before ordering, confirm which Table A items the lender, title insurer, buyer, or other project stakeholders require. CREtelligent provides resources covering Table A items for land surveys.
Coordinate Property Access
An ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey involves fieldwork, which means the survey team needs appropriate right-of-way and access to the property and other areas required for the agreed survey scope.
Before the scheduled site visit, provide:
- Primary site contact
- Property manager or tenant contact when appropriate
- Gate codes or access instructions
- Information about locked areas
- Tenant notification requirements
- Security or check-in procedures
- Known safety requirements
- Restrictions on days or hours when the property can be accessed
Some projects may also require access to adjoining properties or off-site easement areas. The current standards state that when such access is required, the client is responsible for securing permission for the surveyor to enter the applicable property or easement area.
Site access issues can disrupt fieldwork, so it’s worth coordinating these requirements before the site visit.
Share Existing Surveys and Site Documents
Previous property documentation can provide useful background information and help the survey team better understand the site before fieldwork begins.
Useful materials may include:
- Prior ALTA/NSPS surveys
- Boundary surveys
- Recorded subdivision plats
- Site plans
- Development or construction plans
- Easement exhibits
- Utility plans or private utility information
- Zoning reports
- Deeds
- Other prior land due diligence documents
Providing an existing survey does not automatically eliminate the need for current survey work. A current ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey is completed according to the applicable standards and includes required records research, fieldwork, preparation of the plat or map, certification, and any agreed Table A scope.
Instead, treat prior surveys and site documents as supporting information that helps the surveyor understand the property’s survey history and identify matters that may require attention.
Confirm Lender and Title Requirements
Do not assume every lender or title company has identical ALTA/NSPS land survey requirements.
Before placing the order, confirm:
- Whether an ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey is specifically required
- Which Table A items must be included
- Whether particular zoning information is needed
- Who must be included in the certification
- Whether specific access or easement matters need to be addressed
- Whether additional lender-specific survey instructions apply
- Whether the title company has survey-related requirements that should be incorporated
Gathering these requirements at the beginning of the project can help reduce late scope changes.
This becomes especially important if transaction requirements change or a different lender becomes involved. Requirements introduced later may require additional survey work or revisions.
ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys provide standardized property information that can support lenders, title insurers, buyers, investors, attorneys, and other stakeholders during commercial real estate transactions. CREtelligent markets its ALTA/NSPS survey services to these types of CRE professionals nationwide.
Establish the Review and Revision Process
To make the review process more efficient, establish a review and communication plan before delivering the draft survey.
Consider identifying:
- Who will receive the draft survey
- Who is responsible for reviewing it
- Whether lender, title, buyer, and legal comments will be consolidated
- Who can approve requested changes
- Who will provide revised title documents
- Whether additional parties need to review the final survey
- Who should receive the completed deliverables
Whenever practical, consolidating comments before sending them back to the survey team can help reduce multiple rounds of overlapping or conflicting revisions.
The transaction team should also have a clear process for communicating material changes. Changes to the agreed survey scope can require additional work, so communicating them promptly is important.
ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys Checklist Before Ordering
Before placing your order, use this condensed ALTA/NSPS land title surveys checklist to confirm that the major project details have been addressed.
- Property address and property name verified
- Transaction purpose and survey scope confirmed
- Closing date and requested delivery date confirmed
- All parcels included in the transaction identified
- Parcel numbers and available tax information gathered
- Current legal descriptions provided
- Current title commitment supplied
- Relevant title exception and easement documents included, as applicable
- Required certification parties confirmed
- Lender and title company survey requirements reviewed
- Necessary Table A items selected
- Existing surveys and supporting site documents provided
- Site contact and property access arranged
- Special security or access restrictions communicated
- Draft survey reviewers identified
- Process for consolidating comments established
- Survey delivery timeline coordinated with the transaction schedule
The more of these details the project team can resolve before survey work begins, the better positioned it is to minimize preventable scope changes, missing documentation, access problems, and unnecessary revisions.
Order an ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey Through CREtelligent
Using an ALTA/NSPS land title survey checklist before placing an order can help the transaction team organize the property scope, parcel information, title documents, Table A selections, access requirements, and review expectations before survey work gets underway.
CREtelligent provides ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey services nationwide, supported by a national network of land survey professionals and experience coordinating commercial real estate due diligence projects.
Ready to get started? Request an ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey from CREtelligent, or contact us online to discuss your project and survey requirements.
You can also manage ALTA/NSPS survey orders through the RADIUS Platform for streamlined ordering, tracking, and access to completed due diligence.
