Common questions about land surveying services in Sydney, answered by our professional team
Land survey costs in Sydney vary depending on the type of survey, property size, and complexity. Here's a general guide:
Contact us for a free, detailed quote for your specific property.
Several factors influence the cost of a land survey in Sydney:
We provide transparent, upfront quotes with no hidden fees. Our quotes include all survey work, plan preparation, and standard deliverables. Additional charges may apply for:
We'll always discuss any potential additional costs before proceeding.
Survey turnaround times depend on the type of work:
The field work itself typically takes 2-4 hours depending on property size.
Subdivision approval timelines vary depending on the type and complexity:
These timeframes include council or NSW Planning Portal approval, condition clearance, and NSW LRS registration. Delays can occur if conditions are difficult to satisfy.
Yes, we offer expedited services for urgent projects. Same-day or next-day site attendance is often possible depending on our schedule and your location in Sydney. Rush processing of survey plans can also be arranged. Additional fees apply for urgent services. Call (02) 5114 2551 to discuss your urgent requirements.
While our standard operating hours are Monday to Friday, we can arrange weekend surveys for urgent projects or where site access is restricted during weekdays. Weekend surveys may incur additional fees. Contact us to discuss your specific requirements.
You don't need to be present during the survey, but we do need access to your property. Please ensure:
For boundary work, we may also need to briefly access neighbouring properties to locate survey marks. We'll coordinate this with you beforehand.
A boundary identification locates and marks your property corners based on existing survey marks and title information. It shows you where your boundaries are.
A full boundary survey (or re-establishment) is a more comprehensive survey that re-establishes the legal boundaries and may involve placing new permanent survey marks. Re-establishments are typically required for:
A detail survey (also called feature or topographic survey) captures all existing features on a property including:
Architects and engineers use this information for designing extensions, new buildings, or development projects. It's typically required before submitting a Development Application (DA) to council.
Torrens title subdivision creates separate land parcels with individual titles - you own the land and everything on it. It's used for traditional house blocks and is the most common type of subdivision.
Strata subdivision creates lots within a building or development where you own your lot but share common property (driveways, gardens, hallways) with other owners. It's common for apartments, townhouses, and dual occupancies.
Read more on our strata survey page.
An engineering survey supports construction and infrastructure projects. It includes:
Engineering surveys provide the spatial data engineers and contractors need for design and construction verification.
Construction setout is the process of marking the positions of planned structures on the ground so builders know exactly where to construct. This includes positioning:
Accurate setout is critical to ensure buildings comply with approved plans and council setback requirements.
While not legally required under the Dividing Fences Act 1991 (NSW), we strongly recommend a boundary identification survey before building a fence in Sydney. This prevents:
Many fence disputes end up requiring surveys anyway, so it's more cost-effective to survey first. A basic boundary identification for fence purposes typically costs $800-$1,500.
In New South Wales, only surveys conducted by a surveyor registered with the Board of Surveying and Spatial Information (BOSSI) are legally recognised for property boundary matters. Unregistered surveys cannot be used for:
Whether you can subdivide depends on your property's zoning under the Local Environmental Plan (LEP), lot size, and local council requirements. General guidelines:
Requirements vary significantly between councils. Other factors like frontage, access, and services also affect subdivision potential. Our team can assess your property and advise on options. Visit our subdivision survey page for more information.
If a survey reveals your fence is on the wrong boundary, options include:
We recommend getting a boundary survey before building any new fence to avoid these situations.
For a granny flat (secondary dwelling), you typically need:
If your granny flat triggers a strata subdivision (to sell separately), you'll also need a strata survey.
Modern land surveyors use a range of precision equipment:
All equipment is regularly calibrated to ensure accuracy meets NSW surveying standards.
Modern survey-grade GPS equipment achieves accuracy of 10-20mm horizontally and 20-30mm vertically under good conditions. Factors affecting accuracy include:
For higher precision work (construction setout, monitoring), we use robotic total stations which can achieve sub-millimetre accuracy.
We provide survey plans in various formats to suit your needs:
Let us know your preferred format when requesting a quote, and we'll include it in your deliverables.
We service all of Sydney and surrounding areas including:
We also service the Central Coast, Blue Mountains, and Wollongong regions. Contact us for a quote.
You can get a general idea of your boundaries from:
However, these are not accurate enough for construction or legal purposes. Only a licensed boundary survey can legally establish your exact boundary positions.
Yes, we provide free, no-obligation quotes for all survey work. To prepare an accurate quote, we typically need:
Call (02) 5114 2551 or submit an enquiry online for your free quote.
Our team is happy to answer any questions about your specific survey requirements.