Lender Survey Requirements Compared
Every commercial lender wants an ALTA/NSPS survey, and almost none of them want the same one. The differences that cost money are not the Table A item counts — they are the survey age limits, which decide whether you can re-use an existing survey or must commission a new one inside a fixed window. This page compares 7 programs on both.
The Short Version
| Program | Loan types | Table A items | Survey age limit | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fannie Mae Multifamily | Conventional Multifamily, DUS, Small Loan | 14 | 360 days before recording | 2026-07-29 |
| Freddie Mac Multifamily | Conventional Multifamily, Small Balance, Targeted Affordable Housing | 14* | 90 days before Note date | 2026-07-29 |
| SBA 7(a) Loan | 7(a) Standard, 7(a) Small, SBA Express, Export Express | 14 | Per title company requirements | not re-checked |
| SBA 504 Loan | 504 Standard, 504 Refinance | 14 | Per title company requirements | not re-checked |
| HUD/FHA Multifamily | 223(f), 221(d)(4), 223(a)(7), 232, 241(a) | 19 | 90 days for new surveys | not re-checked |
| CMBS (Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities) | Conduit, Single-Asset Single-Borrower | 15 | Typically 180 days | not re-checked |
| Conventional Commercial | Bank Portfolio, Credit Union, Life Company | 11 | Varies by lender | not re-checked |
* Item count is indicative, not enumerated by that lender — see the per-program notes below. "Verified" is the date we last read the lender's own guide; blank means the profile has not been re-checked at source and should be confirmed before you rely on it.
Survey Age Is the Expensive Difference
A Table A item adds scope to a survey you are already commissioning. A survey age limit can force you to commission one you already own — a full $3,000–$8,000 you had not budgeted, plus two to three weeks of schedule.
The spread across these programs is wide. Fannie Mae accepts a survey dated within 360 days before recording, and explicitly allows an existing survey inside that window to be recertified to the lender, title company and Fannie Mae. Freddie Mac requires the survey to be dated within 90 days of the Note date — four times tighter, and in practice a commission-fresh-every-time rule. CMBS lands in between at roughly 180 days.
If you are choosing between agency executions on an otherwise similar deal and you already hold a recent survey, that difference alone is worth pricing.
What Every Lender Requires
These 11 Table A items appear in all 7 profiles. Treat them as the floor for any commercial survey — omitting one will fail somebody's review:
What Actually Differs
These are the items that vary between programs. This is where scoping errors turn into second site visits, so confirm them against your specific lender before the surveyor mobilises:
| Table A item | Fannie Mae | Freddie Mac | SBA 7(a) | SBA 504 | HUD/FHA | CMBS (Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities) | Conventional Commercial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Vertical Relief | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · |
| 6b Zoning Setbacks Depicted | ● | ● | · | · | ● | ● | · |
| 7b1 Building Square Footage | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · |
| 7c Building Height | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · |
| 10 Party Walls | ● | ● | · | · | ● | ● | · |
| 11a Underground Utilities (Client Plans) | · | · | ● | ● | ● | ● | · |
| 17 Street Right-of-Way Changes | · | · | ● | ● | ● | · | · |
| 18 Offsite Easements | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | · |
Where Items Can Be Dropped
Two lenders publish explicit conditions under which a required item may be omitted. Using them is free money — an omitted item is scope you do not pay for:
Fannie Mae Multifamily
- Item 1 (Monuments) — may be omitted when: Property has lot and block legal description
- Item 10 (Party Walls) — may be omitted when: No party walls exist
Freddie Mac Multifamily
- Item 1 (Monuments) — may be omitted when: Property has lot and block legal description
- Item 10 (Party Walls) — may be omitted when: No party walls exist
Program Notes
Each profile in its own words, with the caveats that matter:
Fannie Mae Multifamily 360 days before recording
Guide section 305.02 requires an as-built survey meeting the ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey requirements under the 2026 Minimum Standard Detail Requirements, sufficient for the title company to delete the standard survey exception. It should be dated within 360 days before recording the Security Instrument. An existing survey dated more than 360 days before the title policy effective date must satisfy the title company's requirements for deleting the standard survey exception; one dated within 360 days but not prepared for this loan may be recertified to the lender, the title company and Fannie Mae. The title company may require a 'no new improvements' affidavit from the borrower.
Enumerated directly in Guide section 305.02: items 1, 2, 3, 4, 6(a) and (b), 7(a), 8, 9, 10, 13, 16, 18 and 20.
Freddie Mac Multifamily 90 days before Note date
Guide Chapter 29.4(b) requires a survey meeting the then-current ALTA/NSPS minimum standard detail requirements, made, dated or revised by a licensed civil engineer or registered surveyor not more than 90 days prior to the Note date. Certification must be for the benefit of the Seller/Servicer, Freddie Mac and its successors and assigns, and the Title Insurance Underwriter where the underwriter requires it. A survey is required for every Mortgage unless specifically waived in the Letter of Commitment.
Freddie Mac does not enumerate Table A items — Guide Chapter 29.4(b)(i) states the Table A items need not be listed in the certification. The list shown here is the market-standard agency set (identical to Fannie Mae's enumerated list) and is indicative, not quoted from the Guide.
Exemption: Small Balance Loan (SBL) Mortgages do not require a new survey. Where the title policy takes exception for itemized survey or plat matters, the Seller/Servicer delivers an electronic copy of the referenced survey or plat instead.
Requirements beyond Table A:
- Substantial visible improvements beyond buildings — entrance or monument signs, parking structures including carports and garages, swimming pools, and recreational facilities such as clubhouses and basketball or tennis courts
- Indication of access to all public rights of way, such as curb cuts and marked driveways
- Parking areas with the type and number of parking spaces (striping need not be shown)
- Any setback requirements applicable to the property, including those imposed by zoning law, building codes, or recorded documents
SBA 7(a) Loan Per title company requirements
SBA requires ALTA survey sufficient to delete standard survey exception from title policy. Specific Table A items at lender/title company discretion. Item 11a recommended for commercial properties. Under the 2026 ALTA/NSPS standards, Item 20 (encroachment summary table) is typically required by participating SBA lenders.
SBA 504 Loan Per title company requirements
For ground-up construction, an As-Built ALTA Survey properly certified is required. Item 11b may be required for new construction. Under the 2026 ALTA/NSPS standards, Item 20 (encroachment summary table) is typically required.
HUD/FHA Multifamily 90 days for new surveys
HUD MAP Guide requires comprehensive ALTA surveys. Item 4 must include 100/500-year flood zone classification. Item 5 (vertical relief/contours at 1-foot intervals) often required. Item 11b may be required for new construction. Under the 2026 ALTA/NSPS standards, Item 20 (encroachment summary table) is typically required.
CMBS (Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities) Typically 180 days
Requirements vary by servicer/securitizer. Most follow Fannie Mae standards with addition of Item 11a for underground utilities. Under the 2026 ALTA/NSPS standards, Item 20 (encroachment summary table) is virtually universal across CMBS servicers.
No single published source — this program's requirements vary by institution and should be confirmed with your lender.
Conventional Commercial Varies by lender
Requirements vary significantly by lender. This represents typical minimum requirements. Confirm with specific lender. Under the 2026 ALTA/NSPS standards, Item 20 (encroachment summary table) is typically required by most commercial lenders.
No single published source — this program's requirements vary by institution and should be confirmed with your lender.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which lender has the strictest survey requirements?
By Table A item count, HUD/FHA Multifamily is heaviest at 19 items, against 11 for Conventional Commercial. But item count is the wrong measure of pain: the tightest real constraint is Freddie Mac's 90-day survey age limit, which prevents re-using an existing survey at all.
What is the difference between Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac survey requirements?
Fannie Mae enumerates 14 Table A items and accepts a survey dated within 360 days before recording, with recertification of an existing survey permitted. Freddie Mac does not enumerate Table A items at all, requires the survey to be dated within 90 days of the Note date, adds four content requirements outside Table A, and exempts Small Balance Loans from needing a new survey entirely.
Which ALTA Table A items does every lender require?
Items 1, 2, 3, 4, 6a, 7a, 8, 9, 13, 16, 20 appear in every profile tracked here. Those are the baseline any commercial survey should carry. The remaining items are what actually differ between programs, so they are where scoping errors and change orders come from.
Can I re-use a survey from a previous transaction?
It depends entirely on the lender. Fannie Mae permits an existing survey dated within 360 days of the title policy effective date to be recertified. Freddie Mac's 90-day window makes re-use impractical on most deals. CMBS and conventional lenders defer largely to the title company's requirements for deleting the standard survey exception.