Survey Requirements in Texas Real Estate: What Buyers Need to Know
What Is a Property Survey?
A property survey is a legal document prepared by a licensed Texas surveyor that identifies the exact boundaries of a piece of land, the location of improvements (house, fence, driveway), and any encroachments or easements affecting the property.
In Texas real estate transactions, surveys are an important part of the closing process—but they're often misunderstood by first-time buyers.
Is a Survey Required in Texas?
Texas law doesn't require a survey for every transaction, but your title company and lender typically will. Specifically:
Lenders usually require an updated survey to issue a loan policy of title insurance
Title companies need a survey to identify boundary issues, encroachments, or easements that could affect the title
Buyers benefit from a survey to know exactly what they're purchasing
In some cases, the seller may have an existing survey that the title company will accept—particularly if it's recent and the property hasn't changed. This is negotiated in the TREC contract.
What Does a Texas Survey Show?
A typical Texas residential survey includes:
Property boundary lines with dimensions
Location of the house, garage, and other structures on the lot
Setback lines and building lines
Easements (utility, drainage, access)
Encroachments — when a structure crosses a boundary line
Flood zone designation (in some surveys)
Any recorded restrictions affecting the property
Who Pays for the Survey in Texas?
It's negotiable. The TREC One to Four Family Residential Contract has a section dedicated to surveys, with three options:
Seller provides an existing acceptable survey
Seller pays for a new survey
Buyer pays for a new survey
In practice, buyers often end up paying for a new survey if the seller doesn't have one. The cost in Texas typically runs $400–$700 for a standard residential lot, though larger or rural properties can cost significantly more.
How Long Does a Survey Take?
A new survey typically takes 1–2 weeks to complete, which is why the TREC contract gives the surveyor a specific number of days to deliver it. Make sure this timeline fits within your closing schedule.
What Is a T-47 Affidavit?
In Texas, a seller can often use an existing survey by pairing it with a T-47 Residential Real Property Affidavit. This is a sworn statement from the seller certifying that there have been no changes to the property (additions, new fences, etc.) since the existing survey was completed. The title company accepts the old survey plus the T-47 in lieu of a new survey.
This is a common cost-saving measure in Texas transactions.
What Happens If There's a Survey Problem?
If the survey reveals an issue—like a fence that encroaches onto a neighbor's property, or a structure built over a utility easement—you'll need to decide how to handle it:
Negotiate with the seller to resolve it before closing
Request a price reduction to account for the issue
Terminate the contract if the issue is a dealbreaker
Survey issues must be resolved before the title company can issue a clean title insurance policy.
How KAT Realty Handles Surveys for Texas Buyers
At KAT Realty, we handle the survey coordination as part of the transaction—negotiating who pays, tracking the timeline, and reviewing the results with you before closing. Our flat fee of $4,999 covers this and every other step of your home purchase in Texas.
Ready to buy in Texas without the guesswork? Contact KAT Realty and let's get started.
