I Already Have a Survey From the Previous Owner. Do I Still Need a New One?

An existing survey can sometimes be reused, but more often it can't, and it's worth understanding why before assuming it will save you time or money.

Surveys reflect conditions at the time they were completed. If a fence line has shifted, an addition was built, or an easement was added since the survey was done, the document no longer reflects reality, even though nothing about the survey itself was wrong when it was created.

Lenders and title companies also typically set their own requirements, often that a survey be no older than six months to a year, regardless of whether anything on the property has actually changed. An older survey that's still technically accurate can still be rejected simply for being out of date.

There's also a liability question. Most surveys are certified to the party who ordered them. If you weren't the one who commissioned the original survey, you may not be able to rely on it for legal or financing purposes even if it's recent and accurate, since the surveyor's certification doesn't automatically transfer to a new owner.

If you have an existing survey, it's worth having it reviewed before assuming it's sufficient. In many cases, an update is faster and less expensive than starting from scratch, but that depends on how much has changed and how the original survey was certified.