What should you give a land surveyor before a commercial project? Give enough information to identify the property, define the requested scope, arrange access, and plan around real deadlines. The more clearly the owner, developer, lender, title team, engineer, architect, or contractor communicates the need, the more effectively the surveyor can recommend the work.
Quick answer: Provide the address and parcel information, legal description and available title documents, project purpose, existing plans or surveys, required deliverables, site-access contacts, known constraints, and target dates. Also identify lender, title-company, engineering, contractor, or jurisdiction requirements before fieldwork begins.
Start With the Property and Project Purpose
A commercial purchase, Salt Lake City redevelopment, civil-design project, utility corridor, building expansion, and construction-layout request can require different survey services. Begin with the property address, parcel number or other identifier, legal description, and approximate limits of the requested work.
Then explain the intended use: acquisition due diligence, financing, title review, concept planning, engineering design, construction, closeout, or another purpose. Cook Surveying’s land-surveying and geomatics services support commercial teams with ALTA and boundary surveys, topographic and design work, construction layout, land development, easement work, aerial mapping, and related services.
Share Available Title and Property Documents
For boundary, ALTA/NSPS, easement, or transaction-related work, title information can be essential. Provide the current title commitment, legal description, Schedule B items, recorded documents referenced in the commitment, and available lender or title-company instructions.
For an ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey, the 2026 standards emphasize a clear written request, identification of the client and payment responsibility, and early definition of requested Table A items. A prior title commitment or survey may be useful background but should not be assumed to satisfy a current transaction need.
Give the Surveyor a Complete Commercial Intake Package
Before requesting a proposal, gather what is available:
•Property address, parcel information, legal description, and project limits.
•Current title commitment, referenced documents, prior surveys, plats, and easement exhibits.
•Project purpose, intended use, and the decision the survey must support.
•Concept, civil, architectural site, utility, grading, or construction plans.
•Required certification language, files, coordinate information, and deliverables.
•Owner, developer, lender, title, engineer, architect, contractor, and project-manager contacts.
•Site-access contacts, work-hour limits, safety rules, active-site conditions, and restrictions.
•Purchase, closing, design, permitting, construction, or other decision deadlines.
| Information to provide | Why it matters |
| Title commitment and recorded documents | Supports transaction, boundary, and easement review |
| Prior surveys, plats, aerials, and plans | Provides project background and available site information |
| Required deliverables and certifications | Aligns the work with intended users |
| Contacts, access, and safety information | Supports safe, efficient fieldwork |
| Schedule and decision dates | Helps define the appropriate work sequence |
Explain the Scope Instead of Asking for “a Survey”
Explain what the survey must support. A lender may require an ALTA/NSPS survey and specific certification language. A civil engineer may need a topographic base with a certain coordinate system and file format. A contractor may need construction staking for a particular phase. An owner may need as-built information for selected final improvements.
Salt Lake City’s commercial and multifamily checklist illustrates how broad a development package can be, including civil, site, architectural, structural, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing plans as well as property, site, parking, utility, topographic, grading, and slope information. The surveyor does not need every item, but available files help define the work accurately.
Arrange Access and Identify Site Conditions
Share the site owner or tenant contact, gate codes, escort needs, work-hour limitations, safety procedures, active-construction conditions, known hazards, and restricted areas. For ALTA/NSPS work, the current standards state that clients are responsible for helping secure property access. More broadly, access delays can affect fieldwork, scheduling, and available observations.
Share the Real Schedule
A commercial deadline is more than the day the final PDF is needed. The scope may require document review, research, fieldwork, mapping, certification, comments, revisions, or coordination with title, lending, engineering, or construction teams.
State the purchase deadline, closing date, design kickoff, Development Review Team meeting, construction start, or other decision point when requesting a proposal. Salt Lake City requires an address and current zoning, conceptual site plan, and project description for applicable Development Review Team meetings. Sharing those milestones helps the surveyor recommend the best sequence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a title commitment before asking for a proposal?
Not always. A surveyor can discuss a preliminary scope without it, but a current title commitment and referenced documents are important for many commercial boundary, ALTA/NSPS, easement, and transaction-related assignments.
What if I do not have complete plans yet?
Share what you have and explain the project stage. A concept plan, aerial image, proposed use, and timeline can help the surveyor recommend early boundary, topographic, or due-diligence work.
Can I reuse a previous survey?
A prior survey may be useful background, but it may not meet current transaction, title, lender, design, construction, or jurisdiction needs. Provide it for review rather than assuming it is sufficient.
Give the Surveyor the Information Needed to Start Well
So, what should you give a land surveyor before a commercial project? Provide property information, available title and project documents, intended use, required deliverables, contacts, access details, and the real timeline. Early, organized communication helps Utah commercial teams receive a scope that fits the project decision.
Cook Surveying & Associates serves developers, contractors, utilities, public agencies, and commercial clients from Salt Lake City. To discuss the information needed for your next Utah project, call (801) 364-4051 or email contact@cook-surveying.com.
References
[1] National Society of Professional Surveyors — 2026 ALTA/NSPS Standards
[2] Salt Lake City Building Services — Commercial / Multi-Family Login Checklist
[3] Salt Lake City Planning Division — Schedule a Meeting with Staff
