What Is a Boundary Survey?
A boundary survey establishes the legal limits of a parcel of land. In Mississippi, it is prepared by a Licensed Professional Surveyor (PS) issued by the Mississippi Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Surveyors (MBPELS). The finished product is a plat or map signed and sealed by the PS showing exact dimensions, corner monuments, and any encroachments or easements found.
Boundary Survey Cost Ranges in Mississippi (2026)
| Property Type | Typical Cost |
|---|---|
| Urban residential lot (less than 1 acre) | $350 to $600 |
| Suburban lot (1 to 5 acres) | $500 to $800 |
| Rural parcel (5 to 40 acres) | $700 to $1,200 |
| Gulf Coast property (any size) | $700 to $1,500+ |
| Spanish land grant parcel | $800 to $2,000+ |
| Delta agricultural tract (40+ acres) | $900 to $2,500 |
Cost Factors Specific to Mississippi
Gulf Coast: Post-Katrina Boundary Reconstruction
In Harrison, Hancock, and Jackson counties, Hurricane Katrina in 2005 destroyed or displaced survey monuments across the coastline. Concrete monuments were washed away. Iron pins were bent, buried, or covered by debris. Surveyors working in the coastal counties must reconstruct many boundaries from deed records, historical aerial photography, and indirect calculation methods rather than simply locating existing pins. This research-intensive work adds cost compared to inland surveys where monuments are intact.
Spanish Land Grants
South Mississippi was part of Spanish West Florida until 1810, and some older properties in Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, and Pearl River counties carry Spanish land grant descriptions. These are irregular parcels that predate the PLSS township-and-range system. Researching them requires examining colonial-era land records that require specialized knowledge. Surveyors who regularly work in this area know these records; those who do not will spend more time and pass that cost on to you.
Delta Agricultural Land
The Yazoo-Mississippi Delta in northwest Mississippi is intensively farmed, and decades of deep tillage have buried or destroyed iron pins. Large agricultural tracts require extensive fieldwork to establish boundaries from PLSS section corners that may be widely spaced. Drainage ditch locations, levee lines, and field boundaries that have shifted over time complicate research further.
Pine Belt Timber Land
Forrest, Jones, and adjacent Pine Belt counties have dense pine forest that creates access challenges. Timber harvesting activity has also disturbed many older monuments. Surveys in active timber country require field crews who can work efficiently in dense forest.
PLSS Survey Systems in Mississippi
Mississippi uses two principal meridians. The St. Stephens Meridian covers most of the state. The Chickasaw Meridian covers portions of northeast Mississippi. Your surveyor researches the original GLO plats for your specific area before fieldwork begins.
Use the directory as a starting point, then confirm the responsible surveyor's current license before hiring.