Original research
Do you need a survey before installing a fence?
Sometimes the town requires one. More often, it is the cheapest way to avoid moving a fence later.
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Written by HyreYard Research Desk Research and fact checking
The short answer
You need a survey before installing a fence when your town’s fence permit requires one, and you should get one whenever you are not certain where the property line runs, which is most of the time. Rules vary by jurisdiction.
Belleair Bluffs, Florida requires a survey showing the property line and fence location with a fence permit. Franklin County, Georgia requires no fence permit but recommends consulting a surveyor if there is any question about the line.
An old fence, a hedge or a neighbor’s word is not a boundary. The old fence may itself be in the wrong place, and replacing it in the same holes repeats the error.
A fence built on a neighbor’s land or past a required setback can be ordered moved at your expense. Ask your building department first, then use the table below.
A licensed surveyor’s stakes are what the fence crew should measure from.
When a survey is required, advisable or optional
| Situation | Survey? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Town permit requires a survey | Required | The permit will not issue without it |
| Fence on or near the line, no corner markers found | Strongly advisable | Nothing else proves the line |
| Replacing an old fence in the same spot | Advisable | The old fence may have been misplaced |
| Neighbor disputes or has questioned the line | Strongly advisable | A survey is the evidence both sides accept |
| HOA requires fence set back from the line | Advisable | The setback is measured from the line |
| Fence well inside your lot, markers visible, recent survey on file | Often optional | You already have the information |
HyreYard’s judgment; your building department and HOA set the actual rule.
Which document counts
Boundary survey with corner stakes
A boundary survey by a licensed land surveyor locates and marks the corners on the ground. A boundary survey is what fence permits and line disputes usually call for.
Recorded plat or closing survey
A plat or the survey in your closing papers shows dimensions on paper. Paper alone may satisfy some permits, but without stakes in the ground the fence crew is still guessing. Ask the town whether an existing survey is accepted.
Mortgage inspection or GIS map
A mortgage location inspection or county GIS parcel map is not a boundary survey. GIS lines can be off by feet. Do not set posts from them.
From survey to post holes
Get the fence permit rule, setback, height limit, and whether a survey is required or an existing one is accepted.
Many HOAs require approval and set their own setbacks. See HOA landscaping rules by state.
Your closing papers may include a survey; corner pins may still be in the ground.
Tell the surveyor you are building a fence and ask for corners staked along the fence run, plus offset stakes if the fence will sit inside the line.
811 is free and utility locators mark buried lines before post holes are dug. Notice periods vary by state.
State in the fence contract that posts are set a stated distance inside the surveyed line. See questions to ask a fence contractor.
What to tell the surveyor
Say the survey is for a fence. The surveyor can then stake the run you care about rather than only the lot corners.
Mark or sketch where the fence goes, including gates and where it meets a neighbor’s fence or the house.
If posts will sit a set distance inside the line, ask for offset stakes at that distance so the crew does not measure from the line themselves.
Mention any old fence, hedge or shed that looks to be over the line. The surveyor can note it.
Ask for the drawing in a form your building department accepts, and keep a copy with the house papers.
Talk to the neighbor before the crew arrives
A survey settles where the line is, not whether the neighbor is happy. Show them the stakes and the fence plan before work starts. Some towns require the finished side to face out; check your code. Our fencing page connects you with local fence contractors.
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Questions
Can I put up a fence without a survey?
Does the fence company do the survey?
Can I use my old survey from closing?
How close to the property line can I build a fence?
Do I need a survey to replace an existing fence?
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