A license is the threshold, not the full scope
Virginia Code 54.1-406 requires a valid license to practice land surveying unless an exemption in the chapter applies. Verify the person responsible for the survey, then make the boundary, monument, and map deliverables explicit.
A regional exception can remove the corners
Virginia Code 54.1-407 permits a physical-improvements survey without a boundary survey or corner monumentation when the ordering party agrees in writing, but only in the counties and cities listed in the section and in the circumstances it describes.
This is highly relevant to buyers and owners around Northern Virginia and Fredericksburg. A physical-improvements survey completed under the written-agreement exception in Virginia Code 54.1-407 may omit the boundary and corner monumentation needed for a later fence or addition. Read the agreement and request boundary work separately if that is your real decision.
Virginia's independent cities change the records search
The Virginia circuit court system identifies the clerks that maintain local land records. An independent city is not part of the surrounding county for recording purposes, so search the circuit court for the actual city or county named in the deed rather than assuming the nearest county holds the plat.
Choose the product by what happens next
| Need | Confirm |
|---|---|
| Closing or refinance | Whether the requested product is limited to physical improvements and whether corners are omitted. |
| Fence, wall, or addition | Boundary survey, corner monumentation, and any line or offset stakes. |
| Subdivision or boundary adjustment | Local approval, plat, description, and circuit-court recording requirements. |
| Old city property | Correct independent-city land records, prior plats, and adjoining deed references. |
Verify before hiring
Use the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation license lookup to verify the responsible land surveyor. Then compare written scopes through the Virginia land surveyor directory.
This guide explains state procedure and does not provide legal advice about title or boundary rights.