California
Land Survey in San Francisco, CA
Longmire & Co. coordinates land surveys for property owners, developers, builders, and attorneys across San Francisco. Whether you need a boundary survey before closing, a topographic survey to start design, or an ALTA/NSPS survey for a lender, we put the right licensed surveyor on the job and make sure the deliverable answers the question you actually need answered.
Why a land survey matters in San Francisco
A land survey is the only record of a property's physical reality that everyone — buyers, sellers, lenders, designers, contractors, and the county — will agree on. It establishes where the boundary lines actually fall, where the easements run, where the improvements sit relative to the line, and (when needed) what the ground actually does in three dimensions.
In San Francisco, the cost of skipping the survey almost always shows up later: a fence on the wrong side of the line, a driveway in an easement, a setback violation discovered at framing, a FEMA flood zone the title commitment didn't flag, or a lender that won't fund without an ALTA. A current survey, done correctly the first time, makes every one of those problems either go away or get priced in before money changes hands.
Most clients use the finished survey in two places: as part of the due diligence file before closing, and as the base drawing for design, permitting, or construction afterward. We make sure the survey you pay for can do both jobs.
Types of land surveys we coordinate
Most San Francisco projects are served by one of a handful of standard survey types. The right one depends on who is going to rely on the drawing and what they need to see.
A boundary survey establishes the legal corners of the parcel and any encroachments — fences, driveways, additions — relative to those corners. This is the survey most owners and buyers actually need and is usually the cheapest place to start.
A topographic survey adds the third dimension: contours, spot elevations, existing improvements, utilities, and trees. It's the base drawing your architect, civil engineer, or builder will design from. For most new builds and additions in San Francisco, this is the survey design work cannot start without.
An ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey is the comprehensive, lender-grade deliverable: boundary plus title-commitment review, easements plotted from the recorded documents, encroachments, and the Table A items the lender or buyer specifically requests. Most commercial and investment transactions in San Francisco require one.
Other common surveys we coordinate include FEMA elevation certificates, mortgage/location surveys, lot splits and subdivisions, construction staking, and easement exhibits. If you're not sure which one your situation calls for, that's the first thing the free quote conversation covers.
How the free quote works
Every engagement starts with a short conversation about the property and what you're trying to do with it. From there, we send the request to the licensed surveyors we work with in San Francisco, line up bids on a directly comparable scope, and come back to you with a written quote.
We give you a clear scope, a price, and a realistic timeline before any work begins. The price is the price — if the field crew finds something that legitimately changes the scope (an unexpected access issue, a deed call that won't close, a missing monument), we tell you in writing before adding to the bill.
On larger or more complex sites in San Francisco, we'll also review the deliverable when it comes back from the surveyor: confirming the title-commitment exceptions are plotted, the easements read correctly, the elevations tie to a usable datum, and the drawing will actually do what the next person down the line needs it to do.
If a survey isn't actually what your situation needs — sometimes the existing recorded survey, an updated title commitment, or a simple plat map is enough — we'll tell you that, too. There's no charge for the quote and no obligation to move forward.
Frequently asked
How much does a land survey in San Francisco cost?
It depends on the type of survey, the size and access of the parcel, and how much information already exists in the public record. A simple residential boundary survey in San Francisco usually starts in the low four figures; a topographic survey on a typical lot is higher; an ALTA/NSPS commercial survey is meaningfully more. The free quote we put together will have a firm price for your specific property — not a range.
How long does it take to get a survey done?
For most residential boundary and topographic surveys in San Francisco, two to four weeks from authorization to final drawing is typical. ALTA/NSPS surveys usually run three to six weeks because title-commitment review and Table A items add work. We'll give you a real schedule in the quote, not a placeholder.
Do I need a survey if there's already one on file?
Sometimes — but not always. If the existing survey is recent, matches what's on the ground today, and the lender or title company will accept it, that's often the right answer and we'll tell you so. If the survey is old, predates improvements that have since been added, or doesn't include what the current transaction requires, a new or updated survey is usually the better path.
What do you need from me to put together a quote?
The address or parcel ID is enough to start. If you have the recorded deed, a recent title commitment, or any previous survey, those help us narrow the scope and the price. You don't need a polished package — a one-paragraph description of what you're trying to do with the property is plenty.