A survey isn't legally required to buy a house in New Jersey, and some lenders don't insist on one — but most NJ real estate attorneys recommend it, and title insurers generally won't cover boundary and encroachment problems without a current survey. It's the only thing that confirms the house, driveway, fence and shed are actually on the lot you're paying for. The buyer typically orders it during attorney review, and it takes about a week.
What a survey does at a closing
The deed describes the property in words and bearings. The survey puts that description on the ground and shows what's actually there: the house, garage, driveway, fence, shed, pool, deck and any easements or rights-of-way — and whether all of it sits inside the lines. It's how you find out before closing that the neighbor's driveway is two feet onto your lot, or that the shed you like is in a utility easement.
Your attorney reviews it. Your title company uses it to decide what they'll insure. And you keep it for every fence, pool, addition and permit for as long as you own the house.
Who orders the survey, and when
In New Jersey the buyer usually orders and pays for the survey, typically right after attorney review ends and alongside the home inspection. Your attorney or title agent will often recommend a surveyor; you can also hire one directly. Ordering early matters — a survey that turns up an encroachment is far more useful with three weeks left than three days.
What kind of survey a closing needs
- Title survey (most common). Locates the boundaries and all improvements, notes visible easements and encroachments, and is certified to the buyer, lender and title company. This is what your attorney means by "the survey."
- Boundary survey. Focuses on establishing the lines and setting corner markers. Often combined with the title survey if the corners are missing.
- ALTA/NSPS survey. The commercial standard, with a detailed table of items the lender and title insurer require. Used for commercial and some multi-family purchases, not typical single-family homes.
- Elevation certificate. A separate document, not a survey, but frequently needed at the same closing on shore properties in a flood zone. We do both on one site visit. See our elevation certificate guide.
Can you close without one?
Often, yes — and some buyers do to save money or time. The trade-off is that title insurance policies commonly except "matters that an accurate survey would disclose," meaning boundary and encroachment problems become your problem after closing. On a lot with a shared driveway, a fence of uncertain age, waterfront or bulkhead frontage, or an older subdivision, that's a real risk. On a new-construction lot with fresh pins, it's a smaller one. Ask your attorney; most will tell you to get it.
How long it takes and what it costs
A residential title survey in Ocean or Monmouth County is typically about a week from order to sealed plat, and we regularly turn them faster for tight closing dates. Cost depends on lot size, the quality of the deed and prior surveys, and how hard the corners are to recover. Try the cost calculator, or send us the address and closing date for a quote.
Where we do this most
We survey residential closings throughout the shore and inland towns of Ocean and Monmouth County, and across South Jersey: