A property survey is an official map showing a property's legal boundaries, and whether you need one to close depends on your lender, your title company, and the property itself, not a single fixed rule. It's one of the more confusing parts of buying a home, since some buyers close without ever hearing the word, while others are asked to order one before their lender will approve financing. Here's what a survey actually is, what it shows, and how to know whether yours will need one.
What Is a Property Survey?
A property survey is a professionally prepared map that shows a property's exact legal boundaries, along with structures, fences, easements, and other physical features located on it. It's created by a licensed land surveyor, not a home inspector or appraiser, and it answers a different question than either of those does. Where an inspector checks the condition of the home and an appraiser estimates its value, a survey confirms exactly where the property lines actually sit and what sits on either side of them.
What Does a Survey Show That Title Insurance Doesn't?
Title insurance protects against ownership and legal claim issues, while a survey protects against physical boundary and encroachment issues, and the two cover genuinely different risks. A title search can confirm that a seller has clear legal ownership to convey, but it won't tell you if a neighbor's fence sits three feet onto the property, if a shed encroaches over a boundary line, or if an easement affects where you can build. That physical, on the ground picture is what a survey provides.
Do You Need a Survey to Close on a Home?
Not always. Many residential closings happen without a new survey, particularly for homes in established subdivisions where boundaries were already surveyed when the subdivision was originally platted. In those cases, a title company may be able to issue coverage based on an existing survey or a signed affidavit confirming no material changes have occurred since it was completed. Whether a new survey is needed generally comes down to what your specific lender and title company require, not a statewide rule.
When Is a Survey Most Likely Required?
A new or updated survey becomes more likely in a few common situations:
- The property is on a large, rural, or irregularly shaped parcel rather than a standard subdivision lot
- No prior survey exists, or the existing one is old enough that boundaries or structures may have changed
- The lender is financing new construction or a significant renovation
- The title company wants to issue extended or enhanced coverage without standard survey related exceptions
- There's a known or suspected boundary dispute, encroachment, or unclear easement on the property
What Happens If You Skip the Survey?
Skipping a survey when one isn't required rarely causes a problem, but it does mean any undiscovered boundary or encroachment issue could surface later, sometimes at an inconvenient time. A common example is discovering after closing that a shed or fence sits partly on a neighbor's property, or running into a boundary question when it's time to refinance, sell, or add a fence of your own. These issues are usually resolvable, but they're easier to handle before closing than after.
Should You Get a Survey Even If It's Not Required?
A survey isn't always required, but it's often a reasonable investment for buyers who want full clarity on exactly what they're purchasing, especially on rural, older, or unusually shaped properties. For a straightforward home in a well established neighborhood with a clean title history, many buyers reasonably choose to skip it. For anything with rural acreage, older boundary lines, or visible signs of a fence or structure near a property line, ordering a survey is worth the added cost for the certainty it provides.
What Does This Mean for Buyers in Spokane?
Whether a survey makes sense for your purchase depends on the specific property, the lender you're working with, and what your title company requires for coverage. Emiley and Zech at Rios and Co Real Estate can help you understand what to expect on a specific property and coordinate with your lender and title company if a survey turns out to be part of your closing process.
About the Authors
Emiley and Zech, Rios and Co Real Estate
Emiley and Zech are Spokane based real estate agents with Rios and Co Real Estate who guide buyers and sellers through every stage of a real estate transaction, including the sometimes confusing parts, like understanding when a survey, title insurance, or both are actually needed to close.
This article is for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Survey requirements vary by lender, title company, and property. For guidance specific to your transaction, consult your real estate agent, lender, or title company directly.
