ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys in Saint Paul: Standards, Time, Requirements, and Due Diligence Considerations

When a commercial real estate transaction moves toward closing in Saint Paul, an ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey is one of the first documents lenders and title companies put on the requirements list. If you’re a buyer or lender who hasn’t ordered one before, the process raises a lot of practical questions:

• What exactly does the survey cover?
• How long does it take?
• What do I need to provide to get it done?

We’re answering all these questions.

Here’s everything you need to know about getting an ALTA/NSPS Land Survey in Saint Paul, MN.

What Standards Govern an ALTA/NSPS Survey?

The ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey is governed by minimum standard detail requirements set jointly by the American Land Title Association (ALTA) and the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS).

These standards are updated periodically, with the most recent revision taking effect in 2026, and they define what the surveyor must research, map, and certify.

Why National Standards Matter

Because ALTA/NSPS standards are uniform across the country, lenders and title insurers in Saint Paul can rely on the same document framework as those in any other state.

That consistency is precisely why the survey is a standard requirement in commercial transactions.

What These Standards Require

At a minimum, every ALTA/NSPS survey must show:

• Boundary lines
• Easements of record
• Rights-of-way
• Improvements
• Encroachments
• Access points
• Evidence of possession

Beyond the minimum, clients can request additional items from a standardized Table A.

The table is a list of optional deliverables that includes utilities, flood zone classification, parking counts, and building setbacks.

Your lender or title company will typically specify which Table A items are necessary.

What Are the Requirements for Ordering One?

Before surveyors can complete an ALTA/NSPS survey, they need specific documents from you.

Required Documentation

Here’s a list of documents you must provide:

• A current title commitment or title search: This gives the surveyor the legal description of the property and a list of recorded easements, encroachments, and other title exceptions they need to locate and map.

• The deed or legal description: If a title commitment isn’t yet available, the current deed is the minimum the surveyor needs to begin boundary research.

• Any existing surveys: Prior surveys of the property help the surveyor identify historical boundary information and flag discrepancies early.

• Lender or title company requirements: If your lender has specified particular Table A items or has their own certification language, provide that documentation upfront. Waiting until the survey is nearly complete to introduce new requirements adds time and cost.

Zoning and Municipal Considerations in Saint Paul

Saint Paul has its own zoning ordinances, setback requirements, and easement structures that affect how survey data gets interpreted and applied. 

Working with a surveyor familiar with local municipal standards, rather than one who treats every jurisdiction identically, reduces the risk of compliance gaps that surface during title review or permitting.

How Long Does an ALTA/NSPS Survey Take?

Turnaround time depends on several variables, but most commercial ALTA surveys in the Twin Cities take two to four weeks from the time the surveyor receives all required documents and access to the site.

What Affects the Timeline

How long ALTA/NSPS Land Surveys in Saint Paul take depends on several factors:

• Property size and complexity: Properties with multiple buildings, shared access agreements, or extensive easement networks typically require additional research and field verification, while a single-tenant retail building on a straightforward parcel usually moves faster.

• Document availability: If the title commitment is delayed or the legal description requires additional research to resolve ambiguities, fieldwork can’t begin until those issues are cleared.

• Table A items: Some optional items, like utility location or flood zone determination, require coordination with third parties and extend the timeline accordingly.

• Municipal research: Pulling recorded documents from Ramsey County and the City of Saint Paul adds time, particularly for older properties with complex ownership histories.

Coordinating With Your Closing Timeline

If you’re working toward a specific closing date, communicate that date to your surveyor at the time of engagement. A surveyor who knows your deadline can flag early whether the timeline is achievable given the scope and document availability, rather than discovering a conflict a week before closing.

Due Diligence Considerations

The ALTA/NSPS survey is one of the most important due diligence documents in a commercial transaction because it makes visible what the deed and title search alone cannot confirm.

What the Survey Can Reveal

Boundary disputes, encroachments from neighboring properties, undocumented access easements, and improvements that cross setback lines are all conditions that affect property value, insurability, and intended use. Discovering any of these after closing creates legal and financial exposure that is difficult and expensive to resolve.

How Lenders Use Survey Findings

Lenders review ALTA survey findings alongside the title commitment to assess risk before committing to financing. An encroachment or easement that limits the property’s use, reduces its marketable area, or creates title defects can affect loan approval, loan-to-value calculations, or the conditions attached to the commitment. Addressing these issues before closing, while there’s still room to negotiate or require remediation, protects both the buyer and the lender. This is one reason lenders often require an ALTA/NSPS survey before issuing final loan approval.

Using the Survey Beyond the Transaction

Once the transaction closes, the ALTA survey remains a useful document. It serves as a baseline for future development, permitting, and boundary disputes, and lenders often retain it as part of the permanent loan file.

Work With a Surveyor Who Knows Saint Paul

Completing an ALTA/NSPS survey in Saint Paul accurately means navigating Ramsey County records, local municipal standards, and the specific conditions that show up in Twin Cities commercial properties.

At Demarc Land Surveying and Engineering, we have been providing land surveying services in Saint Paul and across the Twin Cities for over 60 years.

Contact us to learn more about our ALTA/NSPS survey process and see how we can help move your transaction forward.