ALTA Survey Providers
Find licensed land surveyors for ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys. 33 providers listed.
How to Choose an ALTA Survey Provider
An ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey is a comprehensive boundary survey that meets the standards jointly set by the American Land Title Association (ALTA) and the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS). It's the survey product commercial lenders and title insurers require to remove the standard survey exception from a title policy. Surveys completed on or after February 23, 2026 must follow the 2026 ALTA/NSPS standards, which introduced a new Table A Item 20 (encroachment summary table) and shifted adjoining-deed research to the surveyor.
Typical 2026 cost: $3,000-$8,000 for a standard commercial parcel. See ALTA Survey cost by state or use the ALTA Survey Calculator for a 30-second estimate.
When picking a surveyor, consider three things: (1) Licensure in the property's state (ALTA surveys must be sealed by a surveyor licensed in the state where the property sits); (2) Lender pre-approval status (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, HUD, SBA, and CMBS lenders typically maintain approved-provider lists); (3) Familiarity with the local AHJ (county recorder and city planning department conventions vary significantly and affect closing timelines). Use the ALTA Table A Configurator to see which Table A items your lender requires before requesting quotes.
National Providers (15)
National firms with multi-state office networks. Best for portfolio buyers, institutional clients, and deals where lender pre-approval matters.
Regional Providers (18)
Regional firms with deep local-AHJ familiarity. Best for in-state CRE transactions and buyers who prioritize personalized service and faster turnaround over multi-state coverage.
Are you an ALTA survey provider? Claim or add your listing →
What Is an ALTA Survey vs. Other Survey Types?
ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys differ from other survey products in three meaningful ways. First, they meet a nationally standardized scope (the 2026 ALTA/NSPS Minimum Standard Detail Requirements), which means a lender or title insurer receiving an ALTA survey can rely on a known deliverable rather than evaluating each surveyor's house style. Second, they carry a specific surveyor's certification in a format prescribed by ALTA and NSPS, which is what makes the survey acceptable for removing the title-policy survey exception. Third, they incorporate optional Table A items that the client (typically the lender) selects upfront — these add scope and cost beyond the base survey.
Boundary surveys identify property corners but lack the title research, certification, and Table A scope of an ALTA. As-built surveys show post-construction conditions. Topographic surveys capture elevation and feature data for design. See ALTA vs. boundary survey for the full comparison.
What changed in 2026? The 2026 ALTA/NSPS standards introduced a new Table A Item 20 (encroachment summary table), shifted adjoining-deed research from the title company to the surveyor, formalized technology-neutral fieldwork language (drones, LiDAR), clarified utility search distances, and adjusted other items. Net cost impact: typically +3% to +8% versus 2021-standard surveys. Read the full NSPS standards history for details.
National or Regional: Which Should You Hire?
This directory lists 15 national and 18 regional ALTA survey firms, together covering 51 states, with regional firms headquartered across 9 of them. The choice between them is usually decided by the deal, not by quality — both tiers seal the same standardized deliverable.
Choose a national firm when the survey is one of several across a portfolio and you need a single point of contact and consistent plat formatting; when your lender maintains an approved-provider list; or when the transaction spans states and you would otherwise coordinate several surveyors on one closing calendar.
Choose a regional firm when the property sits in one jurisdiction and turnaround is the binding constraint. Local surveyors typically hold existing relationships with the county recorder and city planning department, which is where ALTA timelines actually slip — the fieldwork is rarely the bottleneck. Regional firms are also more likely to have prior surveys on file for the parcel, which can materially reduce both cost and schedule.
One caveat that applies to both: some firms subcontract fieldwork outside their home market rather than sending their own crews. Ask directly whether the crew is in-house, because it determines who carries the professional liability and who you escalate to when a deadline is at risk.
Before You Request Quotes
Surveyors price from scope, so an incomplete request produces a padded quote or a revised one later. Have these five things ready and quotes become comparable:
- The title commitment, including Schedule B. The surveyor plots the Schedule B exception items; without it they cannot scope the title-related work at all.
- The legal description for the parcel, and the parcel or APN number.
- Your lender's required Table A items. These drive most of the cost variance between quotes. The Table A Configurator shows which items your lender program expects, and lender requirements compared covers all seven programs.
- Any prior survey of the parcel, even an old or non-ALTA one. Existing monumentation is the single biggest lever on fieldwork hours.
- Your closing date. Rush turnarounds are widely available but typically carry a 30–50% premium, so a realistic date is worth money.