Cost
Nobody publishes this, which is annoying when you are trying to budget. Here are honest ranges and, more usefully, what actually moves them.
These are orientation figures for the southwest Missouri market, not quotes. Every parcel is different and the spread within each row is real.
| Survey type | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Boundary survey, platted subdivision lot | $600–1,500 | Good records, findable pins, simple shape. |
| Boundary survey, rural acreage | $1,200–3,500+ | Metes and bounds, brush, lost corners. Large tracts go higher. |
| ALTA/NSPS survey | $2,500–8,000+ | Table A items drive this more than acreage does. |
| Topographic survey | $1,200–4,000 | Depends on area, contour interval and how far past the boundary. |
| Elevation certificate | $400–800 | Often pays for itself if it supports a LOMA. |
| Construction staking | $500–1,500 per visit | Multiple mobilizations across a project. Budget for restaking. |
| As-built survey | $800–2,500 | Scope varies widely with what has to be documented. |
| Lot split / minor subdivision | $1,500–4,000 | Plus jurisdiction review fees. |
| Full subdivision plat | quote only | Engineering dominates the cost. Not a survey line item. |
Ranges reflect typical residential and commercial pricing in the Springfield area. Get two or three quotes.
The single biggest factor on a boundary survey. A 2005 platted lot with a recorded plat and surviving pins is quick. A 1948 metes and bounds description referencing a fence corner and a tree is a research project before anyone goes to the field. Checking the state repository first sometimes reveals a recent survey that makes the whole job cheaper. See finding Missouri survey records.
Recovering an existing capped pin takes minutes. Re-establishing a lost section corner from original field notes and proportional measurement is a different order of work.
More perimeter and more corners, more field time. An irregular tract with fifteen calls costs more than a rectangle of the same acreage.
Ozarks ground is not flat and is frequently wooded. Heavy brush, steep slopes and creek crossings all slow field work down. A mowed suburban lot is the easy case.
If features have to be located for setback compliance, that is additional scope, and on a commercial site in Springfield a geologist may be required alongside. See sinkholes and your property.
A lower number is often a smaller scope. Make sure every quote answers these:
The cheap quote worth questioning. If one bid is dramatically under the others, find out what is missing. Common answers: no corners set, no sealed drawing, no filing, or minimal record research. Those are not savings, they are a different product.
Send the address and what you are trying to accomplish.