Surveys are the hidden tax on selling Colorado land. A rural ALTA/NSPS survey on a 40-acre parcel in Fremont County runs $2,800-$6,500 and takes 4-8 weeks to schedule. If your buyer is financing, their lender will probably demand one. This page breaks down every Colorado survey type, who actually needs each, the statutory framework under C.R.S. Title 38, and — most importantly — how to skip the whole thing by selling directly to a cash buyer. Call 970-478-1022 and we will tell you in 5 minutes whether a survey is even necessary.
Professional Land Surveyors in Colorado are licensed under C.R.S. § 12-120-301 et seq. (the old Title 12, renumbered in 2019). They must be physically present to set monuments and certify a plat. Rural parcels require more travel, worse terrain, and more historical research — which is why Colorado surveys run significantly higher than in flat Midwestern states.
Re-establishes the corners from the original PLSS (Public Land Survey System) monuments set by the General Land Office in the 1800s. Required any time a buyer, neighbor, or fence dispute demands exact lines. Cost scales with acreage, brush density, and how far away the section corners are.
Not a true survey. An ILC shows improvements (structures, fences) relative to the property lines based on existing monuments — it is cheaper because the surveyor does not certify the lines themselves. C.R.S. § 38-51-108 specifies the required statements on an ILC. Title companies and lenders often accept ILCs for residential properties but not for raw land.
The gold standard. Combines boundary, easements, improvements, and title commitment items into one certified document. Required by most commercial lenders and some rural residential lenders. These are the surveys that blow up land deals on timeline alone.
Some lenders accept a simple "mortgage inspection" for low-risk deals. Not allowed on vacant land in most counties.
Our simple 3-step process makes selling your land fast and easy
Fill out our simple form or give us a call. Tell us about your property and what you're looking for.
We'll evaluate your property and present you with a fair, no-obligation cash offer within 24 hours.
Choose your closing date. We handle all the paperwork and cover closing costs. Get paid in as little as 7 days.
Gunnison County, 35 acres, ALTA requested by buyer's lender. Quote: $5,800, lead time 6 weeks. Owner couldn't afford the up-front cost. We bought the parcel at market price, no survey, closed in 19 days.
Fremont County, 5 acres, boundary survey. Quote: $2,400, lead time 4 weeks. Boundary was clear from the 1998 plat still on file. We accepted the existing plat and closed in 12 days.
Saguache County, 40 acres, adverse possession concern. Neighbor's fence ran 180 feet over the legal line. Survey would have cost $3,500 and opened a can of worms. We bought the parcel subject to the encroachment, priced the offer accordingly, and the seller walked away clean.
Related guides: selling raw land, mountain land, agricultural land, and selling without a realtor.
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Get answers to common questions about selling your land
No, there is no Colorado statute requiring a survey to sell land. Surveys are demanded by buyers, lenders, or title companies — not the state. A cash buyer can waive the survey requirement entirely, which is exactly what we do.
Boundary surveys run $1,500-$5,000 on rural parcels. ALTA surveys run $3,500-$10,000+. Prices scale with acreage, brush density, and distance to PLSS section corners. Mountain parcels cost more than plains parcels.
4-8 weeks from order to final plat is typical for rural parcels. High-demand counties like Summit and Eagle can take 10-12 weeks. This is a major reason traditional Colorado land closings drag on.
Sometimes yes. If the prior surveyor filed a Land Survey Plat under C.R.S. § 38-53-103, and monuments are still in place, many title companies will insure over it. Pull the plat from the county recorder before commissioning a new one.
An Improvement Location Certificate is a cheaper document showing structures relative to lines — regulated by C.R.S. § 38-51-108. ILCs are not a substitute for a boundary survey and most raw land transactions cannot use them.
The standard CREC contract form lets the parties negotiate. In practice, the buyer usually pays if their lender requires it, and the seller usually pays if they are trying to attract retail buyers. In our cash sales we skip the survey entirely.
Boundary issues include encroachments, missing monuments, overlaps, and adverse possession claims under C.R.S. § 38-41-101. Retail deals frequently die here. We buy as-is with known boundary issues and price the offer accordingly.
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