Common Survey Types (AZ)

Question

Travis Thompson · Accepted Answer

Land surveys in Arizona serve many purposes — from defining property boundaries and supporting engineering design to monitoring construction and environmental change. Each survey type provides specific information for property ownership, development, infrastructure, or resource management.

Below is a comprehensive list of the most common land survey types used throughout Arizona:

📍 1. Boundary Survey

Determines exact property lines and corner locations based on deeds, plats, and monuments. Used for fence placement, title verification, and legal boundary disputes. Must be performed by a Registered Land Surveyor (RLS).

📑 2. ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey

Required for commercial transactions involving title insurance. Prepared under national standards set by the NSPS and the American Land Title Association (ALTA). Includes boundaries, easements, encroachments, improvements, and zoning details.

🌄 3. Topographic Survey

Maps natural and man-made surface features, elevations, and contours for use in engineering design, grading, and drainage plans. Essential for civil and architectural projects, and often required by municipalities such as the City of Phoenix Planning & Development Department.

🔩 4. Construction Staking (Layout Survey)

Translates design drawings into field marks showing where to build roads, utilities, and structures. Used by contractors to ensure projects are built according to engineering plans with precise tolerances.

📐 5. Subdivision Plat & Record of Survey

Defines new parcels, easements, and rights-of-way for development or lot combinations. Required under Arizona Administrative Code R4-30 and recorded with your County Recorder’s Office.

🌊 6. FEMA Elevation Certificate & Floodplain Survey

Determines building elevations relative to base flood elevations (BFEs). Supports insurance rating and Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) requests.

🛰️ 7. Geodetic Control Survey

Establishes precise horizontal and vertical control networks based on the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) and State Plane Coordinate Systems. Used for mapping, infrastructure, and GIS accuracy across large areas.

🏗️ 8. Engineering & Design Survey

Provides detailed topographic and utility information to support civil design. Includes grading, road alignment, and structural layout data for engineers and planners.

🧱 9. As-Built Survey

Documents the final built conditions of a project after construction. Verifies that utilities, structures, and improvements were built as approved.

🏞️ 10. Environmental & Wetlands Survey

Locates environmental boundaries such as wetlands, floodways, and protected zones for compliance with EPA and local environmental regulations.

⚡ 11. Utility & Infrastructure Survey

Maps underground and overhead utilities for design coordination and damage prevention. May include ground-penetrating radar (GPR) or subsurface utility engineering (SUE) methods.

🧭 12. Route & Transportation Survey

Used in the design and construction of highways, pipelines, and railways. Establishes alignments, profiles, and cross-sections for linear projects managed by agencies like ADOT.

🌋 13. Mining & Geological Survey

Supports mineral extraction, pit design, reclamation, and volume analysis. Common in Arizona’s active mining regions.

🌅 14. Hydrographic Survey

Measures water bodies such as lakes, rivers, and reservoirs for depth, sediment, and shoreline mapping. Used by engineers and environmental agencies for water management.

🏘️ 15. Site Plan or Plot Plan Survey

Combines boundary and topographic data to create permit-ready site plans for residential and commercial construction.

In Summary

Each survey type serves a unique role in Arizona’s property, construction, and development process — from establishing legal ownership to enabling safe, compliant design and construction. Working with a Registered Land Surveyor (RLS) ensures your data meets state standards and protects your investment.

Not sure which survey type fits your project? AZGPS offers free online estimates at azgps.org/get-a-quote — simply describe your project and we’ll help you choose the right service.

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