Finding a Land Surveyor in Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia presents surveying challenges found nowhere else in Pennsylvania. A city where row houses share party walls, lot lines date to colonial-era surveys, and Center City commercial real estate turns over at a pace that keeps title companies and surveyors constantly busy requires specific local expertise. Knowing how to find the right surveyor for your specific project saves time, money, and frustration.
Philadelphia County has 23 surveying businesses. Not all are equally suited to every project type. Here is how to find and evaluate the right one for your situation.
Verify the License First
Pennsylvania's Professional Land Surveyors Act, 63 P.S. section 148, requires anyone performing land surveys to hold an active license from PELSB, the Pennsylvania State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists. Verify any surveyor's license at pals.pa.gov before engaging them.
This step is non-negotiable. An unlicensed survey has no legal standing. A licensed survey carries the surveyor's professional seal and full legal accountability.
Where to Find Philadelphia Surveyors
The Pennsylvania Council of Land Surveyors at pcls.net maintains a member directory. Member firms have committed to Pennsylvania's professional surveying community and adhere to the organization's standards.
The Philadelphia Department of Records also offers a useful angle: searching recorded subdivision plats and surveys at the city's property records portal shows which surveying firms have active records filed in Philadelphia. A firm with dozens of recorded plats in South Philly has demonstrated local experience in a way that a general listing cannot.
Our Philadelphia County directory is another starting point, organized by location and service type for easier comparison.
Row House Surveys: What to Look For
Surveying a Philadelphia row house is more complex than a standard suburban boundary survey. Lots in South Philly, Fishtown, and Kensington are typically 14 to 20 feet wide. The boundary on each side is often a shared party wall, which the survey must document correctly.
When interviewing surveyors for a row house project, ask:
- How many row house surveys have you completed in this neighborhood or zip code?
- Do you research deeds at the Philadelphia Department of Records before quoting?
- Will your survey document party walls explicitly?
- What is your turnaround time for a standard city lot?
A surveyor unfamiliar with Philadelphia row house records may underestimate the research required and either underbid and do inadequate work, or overbid without understanding the actual scope. Local experience matters here more than in most markets.
Center City Commercial ALTA Surveys
Commercial transactions in Center City Philadelphia, particularly office towers, mixed-use developments, and Delaware River waterfront projects, require ALTA/NSPS surveys. These national-standard surveys document boundaries, easements, utilities, encroachments, and other matters that title insurers require before issuing coverage.
For Center City ALTA work, you want a firm with explicit commercial Philadelphia experience. Ask for references from similar commercial projects in the city. A firm that primarily does residential suburban work in Montgomery County is not automatically the right choice for a 10-story Center City office transaction.
Accessing Philadelphia's Historical Property Records
Philadelphia's property record system is complex by any standard. The Philadelphia Department of Records maintains current deeds, mortgages, and subdivision plats. The Philadelphia City Archives holds older historical documents, some dating to the 1700s.
For your own research, the Philadelphia property search portal at phila.gov/property lets you look up your address, find the current deed, and access some recorded plats. Having your deed and tax parcel number ready before calling surveyors speeds up the quoting process and lets the surveyor do preliminary research before giving you a number.
Complex Neighborhoods: South Philly, Fishtown, Kensington
Several Philadelphia neighborhoods have particularly complex lot histories that require experienced local surveyors.
South Philadelphia's street grid dates to the 1800s, with irregular block shapes and non-standard lot widths common in older sections. Fishtown and Kensington have seen heavy redevelopment pressure, which means surveys of older industrial or mixed-use parcels often turn up easements, encroachments, or deed gaps that require careful research.
For projects in these neighborhoods, ask specifically about the surveyor's experience with pre-20th century deeds and with the Philadelphia Department of Records' older record systems. Not all surveyors are equally comfortable with historical research.
What to Ask Before Signing
Before committing to any surveyor for a Philadelphia project:
- Confirm active Pennsylvania PLS license via pals.pa.gov
- Ask for a written scope of work and quote
- Clarify whether the quote includes party wall documentation (if applicable)
- Ask about turnaround time and rush availability if you have a closing date
- Confirm whether the deliverable includes a stamped and sealed plat
- Ask if the quote includes monument setting or just measurement
Find licensed surveyors serving all Philadelphia neighborhoods at our Philadelphia County directory.