The Land Surveyors
(865) 453-7970Request a quote

How a survey works, start to finish

Most people order one survey in their life. Here is what happens between the first call and the plat in your hand, and what makes it go faster.

  1. Wooden fence line along a pasture1

    Tell us about the property

    Fill in the request form, call, or walk into the office with your deed. We ask what the survey is for, so the job fits the need.

  2. Rolled building plans on a table2

    We research the records

    Deeds, plats and adjoining surveys from the Register of Deeds and our own files. Most of the answer is in the paper before we go out.

  3. Total station set up in the woods3

    Field work

    A crew finds or sets the corners, measures the lines and locates what matters: the house, the drive, the creek, the fence.

  4. Hands drafting on a plan with a pencil and scale4

    You get the plat

    A signed plat, copies to your attorney, lender or builder, and a plain explanation of what we found.

Rolled building plans on a table

What to have ready

  • The property address, and the parcel or tax map number from your tax bill or the county property search.
  • Your deed, and any old survey or plat, even a bad photocopy. It tells us which corners to look for.
  • Why you need the survey. A fence, a closing, a permit and a dispute each call for a different emphasis.
  • Any dates: closing, permit, contractor start.
  • Access notes: gate codes, dogs, a neighbor who should be told we are coming.

Do not have the deed? Give us the address. We pull the records.

About the pins and flags

When we are done you will see iron pins with caps at the corners, flagging tape on them, and sometimes stakes or paint along the line. Leave them in place. Moving or pulling a survey monument is against Tennessee law, and the next person to need the line (you, a buyer, a neighbor) will pay for them to be set again.

Pins are set to the evidence, not to where a fence is or where someone thought the line was. If the result is a surprise, we walk you through how we got there.

Wooden survey stake with pink flagging tape in a field

Request a quote

Tell us about the property. We look it up, call with any questions, and send a quote. No cost, no obligation.

Phone or email, whichever you check.
On your tax bill or the county property search. Skip it if you do not have it.

We reply by the next business day. For something urgent, call (865) 453-7970.