Some homeowners get a bit of shock when they see the price of a boundary survey.

Fair enough, it sounds simple…come out and measure a fenceline or two, mark a few points, job done, right??? Well we wish it was that easy, but the truth is there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes on a cadastral boundary survey than people realise.

We get asked this a lot which is why we thought we’d explain the process, costs involved, equipment and qualifications required and work that goes into to locating and pegging a legal boundary and producing a identitification survey.

We get to work before we even leave the office
Every job starts with digging into history…literally. First, we research, purchase and then review old survey plans, title documents, easements, and council records to work out where the records say your legal boundary actually sits. Then we run a series of calculations to help us find those points again out in the real world. This ‘pre-calc’ prep work is critical, and without it, we’re flying blind on site. The research phase and pre-calculations take a few hours by themselves.

On-site work takes time…and a lot of gear
A typical boundary survey can take between 5 hours on a good day up to 8+ hours, depending on the size, slope and historic records determining the complexity of your suburb, block and individual site. We don’t just look at one side of your fence, we survey the entire block around you, meaning you often don’t see us much during the first few hours at your property. Often we’re searching for old boundary markers (pegs, screws and pins etc) that are buried under years of dirt, rocks, new walls or hidden in garden beds. We might need to dig them out, verify them, or replace them with new ones.

You’ll see us walking around with robotic total stations, tripods, targets, prisms and laptops, making on-the-spot adjustments to the plan based on what we uncover. It’s part detective work, part science, and yes, it’s pretty tech-heavy. A full setup of our survey gear will cost anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000 per surveyor. We do not leave until new pegs and stakes are in place and you can start envision the true boundary lines taking shape. All of this work is undertaken by trained and qualified cadastral surveyors.

Back in the office, the work continues
Once we’ve packed up from site, the drafting and documentation phase begins. We process the data, begin drafting your identification plan, and prepare any necessary paperwork for lodgement with the Department of Resources. We have a quality assurance process in place meaning that more than one surveyor reviews the work that has taken place, with edits made based on feedback and quality assurace standards set. If there is proof of encroachments to neighbours (e.g like a retaining wall or fence on the wrong side of the boundary), we prepare the required letters, certificates and notices too.

So what are you actually paying for with a boundary identification survey?
We often like to pre-warn homeowners and builders about potential costs, as we get often get told that “it’s just a simple fenceline ” or “it’s only 2 or 3 pegs”…. That may be true, but a full boundary verification procedure will still need to take place. 

When you get a quote for a boundary survey you’re not just paying for someone to show up with a fancy tape measure, you’re engaging registered cadastral surveyors and professionals who carry legal responsibility for marking your boundary correctly. Cadastral surveyors undertake years of research and mentorship before they are allowed to apply for their ‘cadastral endorsment’, and even then, they must prove themsevles to experienced board members that they are up to this important task.

As we pointed out, there’s site research and calculations, fieldwork, technology use, data processing, drafting and official paperwork to lodge, along with a good dose of accuracy and accountability thrown in for good measure.

Still got questions? We’re always happy to explain the process so feel free to give us a call at Survey My Block we’ll talk you through it.