Buying a home in Aledo brings enough decisions. Figuring out property surveys should not slow you down. If you have questions about what a survey shows, when you need one, how much it costs, or how it affects your loan and title insurance, you are not alone. In this quick guide, you will learn the essentials for Parker County so you can move from contract to close with confidence. Let’s dive in.
What a survey is and why it matters
A property survey is a professional drawing and description that shows your lot’s boundaries, corners, and improvements like the house, driveway, and fences. It also maps visible encroachments and recorded easements or rights-of-way that can limit where you build or place a pool. In Aledo, this matters for both platted subdivision lots and rural acreage with unique easements.
A survey does not determine who owns minerals, and it does not fix title problems on its own. Deeds and title searches cover legal ownership and mineral reservations. You use the survey to confirm what you are buying and to help your lender and title company clear the path to closing.
When you need a survey in Aledo
Most buyers need a current survey to satisfy their lender and title company. Sellers sometimes have a prior survey, especially in newer subdivisions, but older or rural properties often require an update. Even if a lender accepts an older survey, you still want to confirm nothing changed on the ground since the original date.
Title insurance often lists standard survey exceptions unless the title company reviews a current survey. Removing or narrowing those exceptions can improve your protection and may require specific endorsements. Ask your title agent what they need and how the survey will impact the commitment’s Schedule B items.
Survey types you will likely see
Different properties and loans call for different survey scopes. Here are the most common types for Aledo buyers:
- Basic boundary survey: Confirms corners and lines, shows improvements, encroachments, and recorded easements. Typical for residential lots.
- ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey: A comprehensive standard often required by commercial lenders and sometimes for higher-value residential loans. It itemizes easements and rights-of-way in greater detail.
- Mortgage inspection: A limited check used by some lenders to verify improvements sit on the parcel. It is not a substitute for a full boundary or ALTA survey if you need to resolve a boundary dispute.
- Topographic or site survey: Adds elevations, contours, and utility details for construction and major remodels.
- Subdivision plat: Recorded plats show lot dimensions, streets, and easements for platted neighborhoods. These are common in newer Aledo communities.
In rural Parker County, many parcels use metes-and-bounds descriptions. A surveyor reconciles those deed calls with monuments and any recorded maps to set the lines correctly.
What surveys reveal in Aledo
Surveys can surface items that affect how you use the property. Reviewing these early keeps your plans on track.
- Easements and rights-of-way: Utility and drainage easements, private access easements, and county or TxDOT rights-of-way can limit where you place structures or fences. Pipeline easements are common in exurban areas.
- Encroachments: Fences, sheds, driveways, or pools that cross a line may require an agreement, repair, or a title endorsement to protect you.
- Floodplain and drainage: Some Parker County areas include mapped floodplains or drainage easements. If flood data is shown, note how the home sits relative to flood zones.
- Well and septic: On rural tracts, surveys can note visible well and septic locations or setbacks if requested. These matter for future additions and permits.
- Access: A survey confirms legal access along public roads or recorded easements. Lack of legal access can delay financing.
- HOA and plat restrictions: Platted lots often carry setback lines and easements tied to the recorded plat. Your survey helps visualize those on the ground.
How surveys affect title, lending, and closing
Title companies rely on surveys to identify easements and encroachments that need to be listed as exceptions. You should review your title commitment’s Schedule B and compare those items to the survey. If you see a conflict, discuss options such as corrective instruments or endorsements.
Many mortgage lenders require a boundary or ALTA/NSPS survey before closing. If a lender will accept an older survey, they may still ask for a new affidavit or a mortgage inspection. Confirm the exact survey type early so you can order the right scope and avoid delays.
Some issues can be insured over with endorsements, while others require action before close. Your agent, lender, title company, and surveyor should coordinate so you know what the survey shows and what steps are necessary.
Step-by-step: your Aledo survey plan
Use this simple workflow to keep your purchase moving.
Before making an offer
- Ask the seller for any existing survey, subdivision plat, or surveyor certificate.
- Review the legal description and look for obvious changes on the ground since the survey date.
- If the property is near creeks or low areas, note potential floodplain considerations for later review.
In your contract
- Specify who pays for the survey and the deadline to deliver it.
- Include a survey contingency so you can address encroachments, access, or easements.
- Confirm your lender’s required survey type: boundary, mortgage inspection, or ALTA/NSPS.
After going under contract
- Order the survey immediately to protect your timeline.
- Hire a Texas-licensed Registered Professional Land Surveyor and request a stamped, signed survey and a digital file if needed.
- Share the survey with your agent, lender, and title company.
Review and resolve
- Walk through the survey with your agent and surveyor. Focus on easements, setbacks, encroachments, access, and any flood notes.
- If issues appear, choose a solution: seller repairs or moves a fence, an easement agreement is recorded, or you request a title endorsement.
- Put any agreed fixes in writing with clear deadlines prior to closing.
Costs and timelines in Parker County
Turnaround depends on parcel complexity and surveyor workloads. A straightforward residential boundary survey can take a few days to a couple of weeks. ALTA/NSPS surveys often take longer due to title research and additional requirements.
Costs vary by size, terrain, and scope. Small platted lots often fall in the few hundred to low four-digit range for a boundary survey or mortgage inspection. Acreage tracts with complex easements or access can cost more, and ALTA/NSPS work usually prices higher than a basic boundary survey. Always request a written estimate that explains what is included.
Common red flags and what to do
- Fence or structure over the line: Ask the seller to relocate or to grant an easement, or negotiate a price adjustment. Keep your survey contingency active until resolved.
- No legal access: Properties without recorded access are difficult to finance. Work with the seller to secure an access easement before closing.
- Unknown utilities or drainage easements: Verify the location and any building limits. Check whether relocation is possible and who bears the cost.
- Floodplain impacts: If the home or planned improvements touch a Special Flood Hazard Area, you may need flood insurance or an adjusted building plan.
- Replat or description conflicts: If plats and deed descriptions do not match what is on the ground, expect extra time for research or legal instruments.
Quick checklist for Aledo buyers
- Get the seller’s survey and plat before you write an offer.
- Set who pays for the survey in the contract and confirm the type your lender requires.
- Order your survey right after contract execution.
- Review the survey with your agent and surveyor. Look for easements, encroachments, flood, access, and well or septic notes.
- Resolve problems with repairs, agreements, or title endorsements before closing.
- Save the final survey with your closing documents. You will use it for permits, fences, or future projects.
Local nuances: subdivision vs acreage
In platted Aledo neighborhoods, recorded plats clearly show lot lines, building setback lines, and common utility easements. Your boundary survey ties those plat details to the actual improvements, which helps you plan pools, patios, or additions.
On acreage tracts around Aledo, metes-and-bounds descriptions and long boundary lines are common. You may see pipeline easements, private access easements, and fences placed by prior owners. A current survey helps you confirm access, understand where you can build, and avoid costly adjustments after closing.
The bottom line for Aledo buyers
A current, well-reviewed survey gives you clarity about what you are buying and how you can use it. It supports your title insurance, satisfies lender requirements, and reduces the risk of last-minute surprises. Order early, pick the right survey type, and work with your agent, lender, title company, and surveyor as one team to keep your closing on schedule.
If you want a coordinated path from pre-approval to a clean closing, connect with John Barton and The Clearfork Group. Our integrated brokerage and lending model helps you choose the right survey, align your lender and title needs, and close with confidence.
FAQs
Do I need a new survey to buy a home in Aledo?
- Often yes, since many lenders require a current survey. Closing without an updated survey can leave you exposed to unknown encroachments or easements unless covered by specific title endorsements.
Will a lender accept the seller’s old survey?
- It depends on the lender and whether the property has changed since the survey date. Some lenders accept older surveys with an affidavit, while others require a new boundary or ALTA/NSPS survey.
Who usually pays for the survey in Texas?
- It is negotiable in the contract. Many buyers pay when their lender requires a new survey, though sellers sometimes provide a recent survey, especially in platted subdivisions.
What problems can a survey uncover in Parker County?
- Common issues include fence or driveway encroachments, pipeline or utility easements that limit building areas, access easements across neighboring land, and potential floodplain impacts.
How long does a residential survey take in Aledo?
- A basic boundary survey can take a few days to a couple of weeks, depending on complexity and surveyor workload. ALTA/NSPS surveys often take longer due to extra research and standards.
How much should I budget for a survey?
- Platted residential lots often fall in the few hundred to low four-digit range for a boundary survey or mortgage inspection. Acreage tracts and ALTA/NSPS surveys typically cost more.
Can the title company insure over a survey problem?
- Sometimes, with endorsements or after corrective actions such as an easement agreement or boundary line agreement. Your title agent will advise what is possible for your specific issue.
