Fence and ADU requests start in different places
A fence owner needs confidence about the line and enough physical marking for the installer. An ADU designer may need improvements, setbacks, easements, grades, utilities, trees, and a digital base map. The same parcel can produce two very different proposals.
California's consumer guide to engineering and land surveying recommends defining services in a written agreement. For budgeting, decide what question the survey must answer, what will be marked, and what plan or record must be delivered.
When county filing enters the estimate
The current Professional Land Surveyors' Act requires a Record of Survey in listed circumstances, including certain material discrepancies, alternate boundary positions, and establishment of points or lines not shown on an existing record. The Act also specifies map content and county submission procedures. It does not mean every site visit produces the same filing.
A Corner Record is another California document. The Board directs it to the appropriate county rather than the Board. Ask which record, if any, the assignment is expected to trigger and whether examination, filing, monument, and return-trip costs are included.
Build the scope around the decision
| Decision | Scope to discuss |
|---|---|
| Fence or wall | Boundary retracement, corners, line intervals, offsets, and map. |
| ADU, pool, or addition | Boundary basis, improvements, topography, utilities, easements, datum, and designer requirements. |
| Neighbor disagreement | Complete evidence review, marking, defensible documentation, and communication limits. |
| Commercial title | Title commitment, exception documents, current ALTA/NSPS requirements, Table A items, and deadline. |
| Flood or coastal permit | Exact agency product, vertical datum, mapped zone, structure, shoreline information, and instructions. |
California conditions that expand fieldwork
Hillsides: steep access, brush, retaining walls, and limited instrument positions can affect the field plan.
Dense development: narrow side yards, gates, utilities, and close improvements can make a small lot demanding.
Older maps: ranchos, senior conveyances, and monument history can require more analysis than parcel area suggests.
What a complete proposal should tell you
- Parcels and records included.
- Boundary, topographic, or improvement measurements included.
- Corners, lines, offsets, or construction points marked.
- Map, CAD file, description, certificate, or record delivered.
- Expected Record of Survey or Corner Record.
- Field window, delivery date, county charges, and change process.
Send a design-ready request
Project: [fence, ADU, pool, sale, dispute, title, flood]
Decision: [one sentence]
Documents: [deed, prior map, title report, plans, permit comments]
Site: [slope, vegetation, gates, improvements]
Needed on site: [corners, line stakes, offsets]
Needed in the file: [signed map, topo, CAD, description, certificate]
Deadline: [date]
Please state expected filing, county charges, schedule, and exclusions.
Verify the credential
Use the Board's license lookup to verify the responsible professional. The lookup explains California credential categories, including limited land-surveying authority attached to some older civil engineering licenses.