What Does a Property Survey Tell You Before You Buy?

You see a fence around the backyard and naturally assume it marks the property line. A driveway appears to lead straight to a detached garage, so you assume both are fully on the property. A shed sits behind the home, and you expect it to belong to the parcel you are buying.

Those assumptions are common, but they are not always correct. What appears to mark a boundary may not match the surveyed property line. A property survey can help you better understand the land and improvements before you purchase.

What Is a Property Survey?

A property survey is prepared by a qualified or licensed land surveyor. It identifies or depicts information about a parcel of land.

The exact information depends on the type and scope of the survey. Not every survey includes the same measurements, structures, easements, or other details. Your real estate agent, lender, settlement professional, title company, or attorney can help explain what may be needed for your transaction.

What Can a Property Survey Show?

Depending on the survey and the surveyor’s scope of work, it may show:

• Property boundary lines
• Lot dimensions
• The location of the home
• Fences and other visible improvements
• Driveways and parking areas
• Detached garages, sheds, barns, and workshops
• Possible encroachments
• Easements or rights-of-way included in the survey information
• Access concerns
• Other features requested as part of the survey

This information can be especially helpful when considering Eastern Panhandle properties with acreage, private or shared driveways, detached garages, workshops, sheds, barns, fencing, or neighboring farmland.

For more information about land survey standards and common boundary concerns, the American Land Title Association’s land survey information is a helpful resource.

Why a Fence May Not Be the Property Line

A fence can be a useful visual marker, but its location does not necessarily establish the legal or surveyed boundary.

A fence may have been installed before the current owner purchased the property. It may have been placed for convenience, to contain animals, or to follow an older understanding between neighbors. It may also have shifted over time.

Do not assume that all land inside a fence belongs to the property. Also, do not assume that land outside the fence is excluded from the property. A survey may provide a clearer picture.

What a Survey May Reveal About a Driveway

Driveways deserve careful attention. A driveway may be entirely on the property, shared with a neighbor, or connected to an easement or right-of-way.

This matters because access to a home may depend on more than what you can see from the street. A survey may show the location of the driveway, while recorded documents may provide additional information about access. Buyers should ask questions rather than make assumptions about how the driveway may be used.

If the home has a private well or septic system, you may also want to review our resource about buying a home with a well and septic system, along with the survey and other property records.

Check the Location of Garages, Sheds, and Other Structures

A survey may help show how close a structure sits to a property line. This can be important for homes with detached garages, workshops, barns, sheds, additions, or other outbuildings.

A structure that appears safely inside the yard may be close to a boundary. On an acreage property, the location of several improvements may be harder to judge by sight alone. Buyers may wish to ask whether any structures were added after the survey was completed.

Our article about garages and workshops may also help you think through how these spaces fit your plans and priorities.

What Is an Encroachment?

An encroachment may occur when a fence, shed, driveway, or part of another improvement extends across a surveyed boundary.

For example, a neighbor’s fence may extend slightly onto the property you are considering. A shed may sit partly over the boundary line. A driveway may cross land owned by someone else.

Finding a possible encroachment does not automatically mean you should abandon the purchase. It means you should ask questions and seek guidance from the appropriate professionals. The surveyor, title company, settlement professional, or attorney may help explain what information should be reviewed.

What a Property Survey Does Not Replace

A property survey is not the same as:

• A home inspection
• A property appraisal
• A title search
• Title insurance
• A zoning or permit review
• Legal advice

A home inspection focuses on the condition of the home and its systems. An appraisal helps estimate market value for lending purposes. A title search and title insurance address ownership records and certain title risks. A zoning or permit review may help determine whether improvements meet local requirements.

You can learn more about the difference between a home inspection and an appraisal. Your inspection should not be treated as a substitute for a survey.

Is a Property Survey Always Required?

Survey requirements can vary based on the property, lender, title company, settlement provider, location, and transaction. A survey may be more important for some properties than others, but there is no single rule that applies to every purchase.

Ask your real estate agent, lender, settlement professional, or attorney what may be needed for your particular transaction. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s information about title insurance and closing services can also help you prepare questions about closing services.

Questions to Ask Before You Buy

• Is a recent survey available?
• What type of survey is it, and when was it completed?
• Have any fences, driveways, additions, garages, sheds, or other improvements been added since it was completed?
• Are there any recorded easements or rights-of-way affecting the property?
• Is the driveway shared?
• Do any visible improvements appear close to a boundary?
• Should I speak with the surveyor, settlement professional, title company, lender, or attorney?

Property Survey FAQ

Can I rely on the seller’s old property survey?

An older survey may provide useful information, but changes to the property or adjoining land may affect how useful it is today. Ask the appropriate professionals whether it meets the needs of your transaction.

Is a fence the same as a property line?

Not necessarily. A fence may be near the boundary, but its location does not automatically establish the surveyed property line.

Does a home inspection include a property survey?

No. A home inspection and property survey have different purposes. An inspection looks at the home’s condition. A survey addresses land boundaries and other information within the surveyor’s scope.

Who can explain an easement or possible boundary issue?

Start by asking your real estate agent to help identify the right questions. A surveyor, title company, settlement professional, lender, or attorney may need to explain different parts of the issue.

A property survey can give you important information, but it may not answer every question by itself. The Kable Team can help you identify what to ask and coordinate with the surveyor, lender, settlement professional, title company, home inspector, or attorney involved in the transaction. When you are ready to explore a home in Charles Town, Ranson, Harpers Ferry, Shepherdstown, Kearneysville, Martinsburg, Inwood, Bunker Hill, or nearby areas, contact The Kable Team.