An ALTA survey is completed for the Title Company and/or Lender for the issuing of title or mortgage insurance. It has to meet the minimum precision and detail requirements established jointly by the American Land Title Association (ALTA) and the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM).
ALTA specifies the data to be shown on the survey and this includes boundary lines, location of the main building including improvements, location of ancillary buildings, the identification of easements (access rights by service companies such as water, gas, telephone, railways and other utilities). ALTA surveys are very complex surveys and can cost tens of thousands of dollars and take weeks to complete. For that reason most ALTA surveys are performed on commercial properties.
