Buying property seems straightforward until it isn’t. Everything might look good on paper, but hidden issues can surface at the worst time. One of the main tools used to catch those issues is the ALTA survey. It’s often seen as just another item on a long checklist, yet skipping it can lead to confusion, delays, or expensive legal problems down the road.

ALTA surveys help buyers and lenders by revealing the exact physical and legal boundaries of the property. When people skip this step, either to save time or money, they’re often left scrambling when problems appear during closing. Here’s why what seems like a shortcut early on can turn into a costly setback later.

What an ALTA Survey Actually Covers

ALTA surveys go well beyond what a basic boundary survey offers. This kind of survey isn’t just for marking off where one property ends and another begins. It builds a full picture of the land, improvements, and legal rights connected to the property.

Here’s what you can expect an ALTA survey to show:

• All visible improvements, such as buildings, driveways, fences, and utility connections

• Access paths, especially private roads or shared driveways

• Encroachments, like a neighbor’s fence or shed that crosses a boundary

• Recorded easements, which are the legal rights others may have to use parts of your property

This level of detail can help everyone involved in the deal understand what is actually being bought and sold. Title companies and banks often require it when handling higher-value or commercial property transactions.

For our Florida clients, we also include flood zone identification and location of utility easements as part of an ALTA survey, matching specific state lending and title requirements.

Buying Property Without One: Real Risks to Know

Skipping the ALTA survey might feel harmless if everything looks fine from the street. But many issues lie beneath the surface or aren’t shown on standard documents. These can become big problems when it’s too late to back out of the deal.

Here are a few risks that show up often:

• A utility line running underground that the buyer didn’t know existed

• A shared driveway where no clear agreement exists

• A fence that’s built over the property line, turning into a problem only during a sale or future development

All these can slow down closing or even stop it in its tracks. Buyers may have to cover unexpected fixes or deal with heated disputes. Months after moving in, a surprise notice from a utility company or a zoning office isn’t how anyone wants to remember their purchase. A detailed survey up front could help avoid those headaches.

How ALTA Surveys Help with Title Insurance and Financing

Clear surveys help protect the people lending money and issuing title coverage. When banks fund a loan, they want full confidence that the land and any buildings are legally clear for the buyer to own and use. That’s where ALTA surveys come into play.

They help identify possible risks that a title search might not fully explain, such as:

• Legal access to roads or alleys

• Conflicts between the legal description and the actual use of the land

• Overlapping claims, like easements that interfere with buildable areas

If these aren’t identified early, title insurers might refuse to approve coverage. Lenders may delay final approval. Buyers can be caught waiting for fixes that stretch closing well beyond what was planned. An ALTA survey lets everyone move forward with better confidence and fewer surprises.

Differences Between Residential and Commercial Situations

Not all property deals are alike. The kind of issues that show up depend heavily on whether you’re buying a house or something bigger, like a warehouse or office site.

For residential buyers, typical concerns include:

• Structures like fences or patios crossing over lot lines

• Problems with drainage or shared access that weren’t disclosed

• Septic and well setbacks that don’t match up with local rules

In commercial deals, things can get more complicated:

• Shared parking that doesn’t have formal agreements

• Overlapping utility easements that limit development

• Access points blocked by physical barriers or heavy traffic zones

Each type of deal carries its own risks. But in both cases, finding out too late can mean paying for legal help, delays with zoning, or redoing parts of a structure. The ALTA survey gives a cleaner look at what a buyer is stepping into, especially when the paperwork doesn’t tell the full story.

If you’re a residential buyer, you may discover that a neighbor’s deck actually sits over your boundary or that a septic field is too close to a lot line. In commercial situations, an access roadway that seems to connect properties might actually cross through an unrecorded easement. Either situation can create legal confusion later, or make getting a title policy more complicated. Understanding these subtle but serious issues before you close can save months of sorting out old agreements or handling unhappy neighbors.

When Skipping the Survey Seems Like a Shortcut

It’s understandable why people skip ordering a survey. Maybe the seller says it’s not worth it. Maybe the land looks flat and empty. Sometimes the sale moves fast, and nobody wants to slow things down. But that shortcut can create its own set of delays later.

Here are the most common situations where this happens:

• A family selling inherited land says they’ve “never had any problems”

• The property looks newly developed, so buyers assume boundaries are accurate

• A builder or investor is in a rush to meet a seasonal deadline, especially during early-year planning like January in Florida

What gets left out during a fast transaction can come back as a problem. Unrecorded easements, confusing lot lines, or shared driveways with no agreement can turn a clean sale into a puzzle. Taking the extra step with an ALTA survey might seem like a slower route, but it usually ends up saving time.

While it is tempting to keep the transaction moving, skipping surveys can leave buyers with surprises that might have been fixed at the beginning with just a little more patience. Experienced buyers know that any uncertainty at closing often leads to headaches and, sometimes, big bills after the fact.

See the Whole Picture Before You Buy

Property changes hands much more smoothly when everyone has the full picture. ALTA surveys give buyers, lenders, and title professionals that extra set of facts that can fill the gaps. Without that detail, deals that look good on the surface can fall apart in layers.

We use modern GPS and robotic equipment for surveys, helping make sure each survey meets both ALTA national standards and local zoning requirements for Florida properties.

Even in places like Florida, where land doesn’t deal with frozen ground issues common elsewhere, early-year buys (often wrapped around winter planning) can still run into surprises that were never visible from a casual walkaround.

Getting a survey early on gives more than peace of mind. It lets everyone move through the closing process with fewer stops, fewer calls for corrections, and a better sense of what they’re really getting. Skipping that small step only feels faster until the problems show up.

Ready to Avoid Surprises in Your Florida Transaction?

Buying property in Florida is a big decision, and we know how important it is to have all the facts before closing. Delays, boundary issues, and access problems can arise when details are missed, but our thorough ALTA surveys are made to uncover hidden issues early. At Will’s Service Group, we’re here to help you move forward with confidence and fewer surprises. Connect with us when you’re ready to discuss your next steps.