Survey Certification

A survey certification is a professional document, typically an ALTA/NSPS land survey, that maps property boundaries, improvements, easements, encroachments, and physical features relevant to the lender’s security interest. It confirms the location of buildings, parking, utilities, and access points relative to property lines and identifies matters not reflected in the title records. Survey certifications often include a lender reliance clause that permits the lender and title company to rely on the survey. The certification informs required endorsements, exception handling, and any remediation prior to closing.

Lenders order or require an ALTA/NSPS survey as part of due diligence to validate the title commitment and to identify discrepancies between legal descriptions and the physical site. Borrowers should coordinate with surveyors to ensure the survey reflects current conditions and includes requested standard and supplemental ALTA items. Where the survey reveals encroachments, easements, or zoning setbacks, the parties address these through title exceptions, endorsements, easement agreements, or remediation. The survey is also used post-closing for compliance, development planning, and insurance placement.

Survey certifications are important because they reveal physical realities that title searches may not show, such as unrecorded encroachments or discrepancies in boundary lines, which can materially affect collateral value and marketability. Accurate surveys reduce the risk of future disputes, help determine necessary title endorsements, and guide risk allocation between borrower and lender. For lenders, a reliable survey is a practical tool to confirm that the property meets underwriting assumptions and to define any contingencies that must be cleared before funding.