How Your Property’s Terrain Impacts Your Survey Cost 

09/16/2026 10:16 AM       Mark Goodman

There are many different factors that will impact the cost of your ALTA survey, and the specifics of the commercial property you are acquiring is a big one. Below, we take a closer look at how the shape and size of your commercial property impacts the cost of your ALTA survey. 

The cost of a survey is dependent on a variety of factors, but because a surveyor typically has to walk, navigate or at least get to a location in order to completely assess the full extent of the land, it should come as no surprise that a property’s shape and size will impact the cost of the survey. 

• Size - Larger properties will take more time to navigate and map, so more acreage will lead to increased survey costs. Larger properties inherently cost more to assess. 

• Terrain - It’s not just the size of the land that impacts a survey’s cost, it also depends on how easy it is to navigate the terrain. A surveyor will have a much easier time navigating paved roads and flat ground than more difficult terrain. Rocky terrain, areas with heavy slopes or properties with marshes or wetlands will be more challenging for the surveyor to easily access, and that challenge is baked into the price of the survey. 

• Location - The location of your property will also impact the cost of the survey. In general, rural surveys are less expensive to conduct than suburban or metro markets. Major urban area markets like San Francisco, Chicago, New York City and Washington D.C. will carry their own premium, but the Twin Cities can also carry a premium compared to smaller metro markets across the state. 

Property size, shape and location aren’t the only factors that will dictate the cost of your ALTA survey, but they are some of the easier factors to understand when you’re assessing different potential commercial properties. 

For more information about securing commercial property or conducting the necessary inspections during the due diligence stage, connect with the team at Commercial Partners today at (612) 337-2470.