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Real estate transactions generally need a land title survey to document important details influencing the ownership of the land, such as improvements, easements, rights-of-way and other elements. It provides evidence of any matters that may affect the title or value of the property that are included in record documents and that physically exist on the property.

An ALTA land survey is a survey that is generally required on commercial property transactions. Commercial properties include: restaurants, convenience stores, motels, shopping centers, warehouses, manufacturing plants, service stations, hotels, resort properties, individual retail units, automotive dealerships, office buildings and industrial complexes. In a commercial property transaction, a lender, title company or owner may require a land title survey which meets the ALTA/ACSM Minimum Standard Detail Requirements. Additionally, an ALTA survey shows improvements, easements, rights-of-way, and other elements impacting the ownership of land. It provides the title company with the information required to insure the title to the land and improvements to the high degree that a commercial development may require.

An ALTA survey is usually ordered by a lending institution when a piece of commercial property is being mortgaged or upon completion of a construction project in order to release the funds being secured by the project. Sometimes, a lending institution may require an ALTA survey for a residential mortgage too. Most residential parcels are not required to have this type of survey, though there are some cases that a Title Company will require this type of survey to be done.