Most lenders require a survey before agreeing to negotiate a loan.  The purpose of the survey is to determine the exact area of the land being purchased, to identify any existing encroachments and easements and to determine compliance with setback and other zoning requirements.  The survey is usually at the buyer’s expense, unless a discrepancy is found between the new survey and the original one.  Should a discrepancy be found, the seller may be required to remedy the condition and pay for the survey. 

The three major types of surveys are the geodetic or government survey, which measures the shape and size of the earth; the cadastral survey, used to determine the boundaries of parcels for defining ownership (used also in the tax assessment process); and the topographic survey, used to measure the features of the earth’s surface and the location of roads.