Blog · September 25, 2026 · Surveys
How to Find a Survey of Your Property Online
Maybe you are planning a fence, settling an estate or arguing with a neighbor about a hedge. Before paying for a new survey, it is worth finding out whether one already exists. Many do, and a growing number of counties put them online for free. Here is where to look, in the order most likely to pay off.
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Start with your own paperwork
The quickest source is often a folder in your closet. When a property changes hands, a survey is frequently prepared for the buyer, the lender or the title company. Look through:
- Closing packets from your purchase, especially the title company’s file.
- The mortgage file, since some lenders required a survey or a mortgage inspection drawing.
- Papers from the builder if the house is newer. Builders often commission a plot plan or foundation survey.
- Records from the previous owner, which sometimes stay with the house.
If you closed recently, the title company or closing attorney may have a copy on file and can often send it on request.
Check for a recorded plat
If your lot is in a subdivision, the subdivision plat was recorded with the county, and it shows lot dimensions, bearings and easements. It is not a survey of your specific house, but it is the base document a surveyor starts with. Your deed usually names the plat by book and page or by subdivision name and lot number. Many county parcel viewers link the plat directly from the property card. Hernando County, Florida, for example, tells residents to open the subdivision link on a parcel record to view the plat when one exists. Our guide to finding plat maps online covers this step in more detail.
Search county survey records
Many counties keep surveys filed by licensed surveyors, separate from deeds. Depending on the state, they may be held by the recorder, a county surveyor or a public works office, and some have been scanned and put online:
- San Diego County’s Survey Records System lets you search maps, plans and records on a map or by parcel number, address or record number.
- Clay County, Minnesota, publishes scanned plats, survey documents and corner certificates, plus an interactive viewer for section corner records.
- St. Louis County, Minnesota, runs a county surveyor records and research page for land survey records.
To find your county’s version, search the county website for “record of survey,” “survey index,” “county surveyor” or “corner certificate.” The county GIS viewer is also worth checking, since some add a surveys layer that shows filed survey outlines on the map. Find your county’s official viewer on the Platbookmapper map or in our state directory.
Ask the surveyor who did it
Surveys usually carry the surveyor’s name, seal and job number. If you know or can guess who surveyed your area, call the firm. Surveyors keep their field notes and drawings for years, and many will sell a copy of a past survey or update it for less than a full new job. When a firm has closed, its records are sometimes taken over by another local surveyor, so ask around.
Look at neighbors’ surveys
A survey done for the lot next door locates the shared line and often shows the corners you care about. Recorded surveys of neighboring parcels are public in many counties. Even an unrecorded one may be shared if you ask politely. Our article on finding adjacent owners helps you identify who lives where.
What to check when you find one
- Date. An old survey may not show a newer garage, fence or road widening.
- Who it was for. A survey prepared for a lender or buyer may carry a note limiting who can rely on it.
- Type. A boundary survey locates the lines and corners. A mortgage inspection or plot plan may only show improvements relative to assumed lines.
- Monuments. Note what corners were found or set, such as iron pins or concrete markers, so you can look for them on the ground.
Is it worth updating an old survey?
An existing survey does not have to be thrown out just because it is old. If the corners it describes are still in the ground and nothing along the lines has changed, the original surveyor or another licensed surveyor may be able to recover those corners and certify an updated drawing faster than starting from scratch. That tends to make sense when you are putting up a fence, adding a shed near a line or selling part of a lot. It makes less sense when landmarks have disappeared, a road has been widened, or neighbors disagree about where the line runs. In those cases, a full boundary survey that researches every adjoining deed is the safer choice, and you can hand the surveyor whatever old documents you found to speed up the research.
If no survey exists
Plenty of properties, especially older rural ones, have never been surveyed. In that case, the deed’s legal description, the plat and nearby surveys give a surveyor a head start. A county parcel viewer can help you understand the lot’s rough shape and size, but its lines are drawn for tax purposes and are not a survey. For fences, additions and disputes, hire a licensed surveyor. Our guides to what a land survey is and what drives survey cost will help you plan.
If the parcel is rural and described by section, township and range, corner records like the ones Clay County publishes can tell you which government corners have been located recently, which can make a new survey quicker.
Frequently asked questions
Can I find my property survey online for free?
Sometimes. Some counties publish recorded surveys, plats and corner records online at no charge. Others keep them at the recorder or county surveyor’s office.
Is a property survey public record?
Recorded surveys and plats are public in most places. Surveys that were never recorded belong to the client and surveyor.
Where do I get a copy of an old survey?
Check your closing papers, the title company, the county recorder or surveyor, and the surveying firm named on the document.
Can a parcel viewer replace a survey?
No. Parcel viewer lines are tax mapping, not surveyed boundaries.
Open the Platbookmapper county map Browse the county GIS directory by state
Not a survey. County GIS and tax parcel maps are assessment and planning layers. They are not a substitute for a recorded plat, deed, or licensed survey — especially for fences, setbacks, or boundary disputes.