Closing day has a lot of moving parts. Loan papers, title work, inspections and a stack of signatures. Somewhere in that pile sits a document that quietly protects your whole purchase. A mortgage survey checks that the property on paper matches the property on the ground. Lenders and title companies in Denver often want one before they fund a deal. For a developer buying land or a finished building, that survey catches problems while you can still walk away. Here’s the takeaway. Know what the survey looks at, and you’ll spot a deal-breaker long before you sign.

Property Lines Compared With the Home’s Recorded Legal Description

A mortgage survey starts by tying the land to its paperwork. Every property has a legal description recorded in county records. That description defines the parcel in words and measurements. The survey checks whether the real lot matches what those documents say.

This step confirms you’re buying what the contract describes. The surveyor locates the boundaries and compares them to the recorded description. The house and other structures get placed inside those lines. When the ground and the paper agree, the title company can write clean coverage. When they don’t, everyone learns about it before money changes hands.

Small mismatches happen more often than buyers expect. A deed may describe a parcel one way while the plat shows another. The survey flags that gap so the title team can sort it out. Catching it early keeps the closing on schedule.

Building Setbacks and Improvement Locations Across the Lot

The survey then looks at where everything sits on the lot. It records the position of the house, garage, driveway and fences. Each one gets placed against the property lines and the required setbacks. Setbacks are the minimum gaps the zoning code wants between structures and the lines.

This matters more than buyers realize. A garage built too close to a side line can break the setback rule. That problem becomes yours the day you close. A future addition or permit could get blocked by an existing violation. The survey shows these positions clearly, so you know what you’re taking on.

For a developer, this section carries real weight. You may plan to expand or rebuild after the purchase. The survey tells you how much room the current improvements actually leave. You plan your next move on facts instead of hopes.

Encroachments That Could Complicate the Real Estate Transaction

An encroachment is when something crosses a property line. The neighbor’s shed sits partly on your lot, or your fence runs onto theirs. A mortgage survey catches these overlaps before closing. Left unknown, they can stall or sink a deal.

Encroachments raise hard questions about ownership and use. A structure over the line can cloud the title. A lender may refuse to fund until someone clears it up. The title company might list it as an exception, which weakens your coverage. None of that is a surprise you want on closing day.

Finding the overlap early gives you room to act. You can ask the seller to fix it before closing. You can negotiate the price to reflect the problem. You can require an agreement that puts the arrangement in writing. Each option beats discovering the issue after you own it.

Easements and Rights-of-Way Affecting Property Use

A mortgage survey also shows the easements that touch the property. An easement is a recorded right for someone else to use part of your land. A right-of-way is a common type that allows passage or utility access. These affect how you can use and build on the parcel.

Several kinds show up on a typical property:

• Utility easements for power, water and sewer lines
• Drainage easements that carry storm runoff
• Access easements that give a neighbor or the public a path
• Shared driveway or parking rights

Build in the wrong spot and an easement can force you to tear the work out. A utility company keeps the right to reach its lines across your yard. For a developer, an easement running through the buildable area can reshape the whole plan. The survey puts these strips on the map so you plan around them from day one.

Survey Discrepancies That Surface During Closing Review

Sometimes the survey turns up something that doesn’t line up. A boundary sits a few feet off from an old survey. An improvement appears where no record shows it. These discrepancies come up during the closing review, and they need answers before you sign.

Title officers take these seriously. A gap between a prior survey and the new one raises a question about the true line. A fence, drive or building that conflicts with the record can hold up the title commitment. The closing team wants each item explained or resolved first. That protects you and the lender both.

Most discrepancies get cleared with a little work. The surveyor may recheck a measurement or research an older record. The title company may add or remove an exception once the facts are clear. You might need a corrected document recorded before closing. Handle these while you still have leverage, not after the keys change hands. A clean survey at closing is what keeps the purchase solid for years.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a mortgage survey?

It’s a survey that checks a property against its records before a purchase closes. It confirms the boundaries, the location of improvements, encroachments and easements. Lenders and title companies use it to make sure the land matches the paperwork before they fund the loan.

Is a mortgage survey required to close?

It depends on the lender, the title company and state practice. Many require one, and some accept other options for certain deals. Ask your lender and title company early so a missing survey doesn’t delay your closing date.

How is a mortgage survey different from an ALTA survey?

A mortgage survey is a simpler check tied to a specific closing. An ALTA survey is a detailed survey built to a national standard for commercial deals. Larger or commercial purchases usually call for the ALTA version instead.

What happens if the survey finds a problem?

You gain time to respond before closing. You can ask the seller to fix it, adjust the price or require a written agreement. A surveyor supplies the facts, and your title company and attorney help decide the fix.

Who orders and pays for the mortgage survey?

The buyer usually orders it as part of closing, though local custom varies. The cost often lands in your closing expenses. Confirm who arranges it with your title company so nothing falls through the cracks near closing.