What we verified in “Land surveys, property lines and easements”

Statements and where we checked them

The statements with rules, figures or dates, with the exact place in the source and the date we checked them.

1. According to the consumer guide of California's Board for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (BPELSG), licensed land surveyors can, among other things, prepare legal descriptions and maps for subdividing land, do boundary line adjustments, replace lost corners, set boundary markers or monuments, retrace boundaries for fences and other purposes, locate or retrace any property line, right-of-way or easement, prepare deed descriptions and determine boundary discrepancies; and a survey that does not determine property lines, made only for geological or landscaping purposes, does not require a licensed land surveyor.

   Sources 1 · California BPELSG, Consumer Guide to Professional Engineering and Professional Land Surveying, 'Professional Land Surveying Services': 'perform boundary line adjustments'; 'replace lost or obliterated property corners'; 'set boundary markers or property corners, also known as monuments'; 'retrace boundaries for fences and other purposes'; 'locate, relocate, establish, reestablish, or retrace any property line or boundary of any parcel of land, right-of-way, easement'; 'prepare legal descriptions and information shown with the description of any deed'; 'determine boundary discrepancies'; 'A survey that does not determine property lines, but is made only for geological or landscaping purposes, does not require a licensed land surveyor' · Checked October 31, 2026

2. According to the same California guide, it is unlawful to do or offer land surveying without a land surveyor license (with an exception for certain civil engineers licensed before 1982); maps, plats, reports and descriptions must carry the signature, seal and license expiration date of whoever prepared them; you can check the license and any complaints or discipline on the Board's site; the law requires a written contract describing the services, how fees are charged and paid, the surveyor's name, address and license number, how additional services are handled and how the contract is terminated; and it makes sense to ask for references on similar projects and what the price includes.

   Sources 1 · California BPELSG Consumer Guide: 'It is unlawful for anyone to do land surveying or offer to do land surveying unless he or she is currently licensed as a land surveyor'; 'Civil Engineers licensed before January 1, 1982'; 'contain the surveyor's or civil engineer's signature'; 'seal or stamp'; 'the expiration date of the license'; 'verify that the professional is currently and properly licensed'; 'find out if there have been any complaints or disciplinary actions'; 'The law requires all licensed engineers and land surveyors to use a written contract'; 'A description of the services'; 'basis of compensation'; 'The name, address, and license number'; 'Ask for local references on similar projects'; 'What will his or her services cost?' · Checked October 31, 2026

3. According to the California guide, if a home was damaged by an earthquake, wind, flood or fire, a survey may be needed to relocate the property boundaries, and you should contact the city or county building department, public works department and county surveyor's office, which will tell you whether you need a new survey before repairs.

   Sources 1 · California BPELSG Consumer Guide, 'Natural Disasters': 'It is also possible that a survey would need to be done to relocate your property boundaries'; 'Contact your county or city Building and Safety Department, Department of Public Works, and County Surveyor's Office immediately'; 'if you need to have your property resurveyed before the repair work can be started' · Checked October 31, 2026

4. According to the county surveyor's office of Stanislaus County, California, an easement is a legal or equitable right acquired to use another's land for a special purpose, such as utilities or a driveway; the county office, as a public agency paid with public funds, cannot survey privately owned land, so a private licensed land surveyor must be hired; not all properties have surveys, and some parcels were created with just a deed description; a recorded survey, if any, can be found in the county's recorded map index; deeds are kept at the county recorder's office; corners may be marked with various kinds of monuments or nothing at all, and if no survey was done there are probably no monuments; and if you disagree with your neighbor about the property line, you should contact a licensed land surveyor, and the county offers a free mediation service.

   Sources 2 · Stanislaus County Department of Public Works, Surveying FAQ: 'An easement is a legal or equitable right acquired to use another's land for a special purpose, such as utilities or a driveway'; 'The County is a public Agency, paid for by public funds, therefore cannot survey privately owned land'; 'A private Licensed Land Surveyor must be hired for this'; 'Not all properties have surveys. Some parcels were created with just a deed description'; 'it can be located online at the Counties Recorded Map Index'; 'All deeds are filed and maintained at the County Recorder's Office'; 'Property corners can be marked with any one of numerous types of monuments, or nothing at all'; 'If no survey has been done then there are probably no monuments'; 'you should contact a local Licensed Land Surveyor'; 'there is a free service that Stanislaus County provides through the Mediation Center' · Checked October 31, 2026

5. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), US Topo maps are not legal documents, and the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) sections, townships and ranges shown on them are not legally authoritative; that data comes from Bureau of Land Management (BLM) information.

   Sources 3 · USGS FAQ, Are Public Land Survey System (PLSS) section lines on US Topo maps a legal record?: 'US Topo maps are not legal documents and the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) representation is not legally authoritative'; 'derived from GIS data from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)' · Checked October 31, 2026

6. On the CFPB's sample Loan Estimate, the survey fee appears in section C, 'Services You Can Shop For'.

   Sources 4 · CFPB, Sample Loan Estimate (adjustable-rate loan), page 2: 'C. Services You Can Shop For'; 'Survey Fee' · Checked October 31, 2026