Land Survey Costs in Washington County, Oregon (2026)
Washington County is Oregon's second-largest county by population and forms the western half of the Portland metro area. The county seat is Hillsboro, home to Oregon's largest concentration of semiconductor manufacturing. Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin, Sherwood, Forest Grove, Cornelius, and Banks round out the county's cities. The Tualatin Valley floor is flat to gently rolling, drained by the Tualatin River, with the Tualatin Mountains (West Hills) defining the eastern edge and the Coast Range foothills rising to the west. This combination of dense suburban development, active commercial growth, and an agricultural fringe toward Banks drives high and varied survey demand.
What Drives Survey Costs in Washington County
Dense Suburban Lot Sizes in Hillsboro and Beaverton
Washington County's suburban core is among the most densely developed in Oregon outside Portland proper. Hillsboro and Beaverton neighborhoods built in the 1970s through 2000s feature compact lot sizes, tight side yard setbacks, and utility easements running through rear lots. When surveying these properties, establishing correct lot corners in a dense subdivision with adjacent construction, existing fences, and underground utility conflicts takes more care than a rural parcel. Residential boundary surveys in Hillsboro and Beaverton typically run $800 to $1,600.
Hillsboro Tech Corridor Commercial Properties
The area around Intel's Ronler Acres and Jones Farm campuses in Hillsboro, and the broader semiconductor manufacturing corridor running through the city, represents a highly complex commercial surveying environment. Utility easements, access agreements, and site development records for these properties are extensive. ALTA/NSPS surveys for commercial properties in this corridor run $2,500 to $5,000 for mid-size parcels. Larger industrial and campus-scale properties exceed that range. Even smaller commercial properties on Cornell Road or Baseline Road in Hillsboro carry right-of-way complexities from years of road widening and access management.
Tualatin and Sherwood Riverfront Properties
The Tualatin River runs through the southern edge of Washington County, with significant floodplain areas in Tualatin, Durham, and Sherwood. Residential properties along the river corridor and in low-lying areas of the Tualatin Valley floor regularly face flood zone questions during sales and refinancings. Boundary surveys in these areas often need to be paired with elevation certificates for flood insurance purposes. The combined cost for both services from one firm is typically $1,100 to $1,900.
Forest Grove and Cornelius Mixed Parcels
Forest Grove and Cornelius are at the western edge of the urbanized Tualatin Valley, where agricultural and rural-residential properties sit adjacent to expanding suburban development. Parcels in this transition zone sometimes carry mixed descriptions, old easements tied to agricultural use, and boundary questions created when larger rural tracts were subdivided incrementally over decades. Boundary surveys here run $900 to $1,600 for most residential parcels.
Banks Agricultural Parcels Near the Urban Growth Boundary
Banks, in the western foothills of Washington County, is surrounded by agricultural and timber land outside the Portland metro urban growth boundary. Rural survey work near Banks involves larger parcels, older monuments, and terrain that begins to steepen toward the Coast Range. Agricultural boundary surveys near Banks run $900 to $1,800 depending on parcel size and deed complexity.
Typical Survey Costs in Washington County (2026)
| Survey Type | Typical Cost Range | Common Uses |
|---|---|---|
| Residential Boundary Survey | $800 to $1,600 | Property lines, home sales, fence placement |
| ALTA/NSPS Survey (Commercial) | $2,500 to $5,000 | Tech corridor and commercial transactions |
| Elevation Certificate | $350 to $600 | Tualatin River and Beaverton Creek flood zones |
| Topographic Survey | $1,500 to $5,000 | Grading, drainage, construction planning |
| Construction Stakeout | $900 to $3,500 | New construction, subdivision development |
How Oregon Licensing Applies in Washington County
Oregon requires all land surveyors to hold an active Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) license through OSBEELS under ORS Chapter 672. In a high-volume market like Washington County, some property owners encounter unlicensed survey services marketed at lower prices. Only a licensed PLS can produce a survey that is legally valid, recordable, and accepted by lenders and title companies. Every surveyor in our Washington County directory is sourced from OSBEELS state licensing records.
Tips Before Getting a Quote in Washington County
- Pull your parcel information from Washington County Assessment and Taxation before reaching out to surveyors. The online portal provides parcel dimensions, deed references, and prior recordings.
- In the Hillsboro and Beaverton markets, surveyor schedules fill quickly in spring. For projects with a closing or permit deadline, engage surveyors three to five weeks before you need the work completed.
- For commercial properties in the Hillsboro tech corridor, ask surveyors upfront about their experience with the Intel campus-area easement environment. Not all firms have the same depth of familiarity with that complex of a commercial record.
Find a Surveyor in Washington County
Our Washington County land surveyor directory lists licensed Oregon PLS professionals serving Hillsboro, Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin, Sherwood, Forest Grove, Cornelius, Banks, and all of Washington County.