Why This Matters More On Raw Land Than You'd Expect
On a developed urban lot, boundaries are usually obvious — fences, driveways, and neighbouring structures all tend to line up with where the property actually ends. Raw and rural land doesn't offer those visual cues. A tree line, an old fence, or a trail that's been assumed to mark the boundary for decades may not actually match the legal boundary at all, and the only way to know for certain is a survey.
Is A Survey Legally Required To Buy?
In most cases, no — a survey generally isn't a legal requirement to complete a land purchase. That said, a lender or a title insurance provider will sometimes require one (or an existing survey plus a title insurance policy in lieu of one) as a condition of financing, so whether it's "required" in practice can depend on how the deal is being financed, not just on general property law.
Boundary Survey vs. Full Topographic Survey
A straightforward boundary (or real property report) survey confirms where the legal property lines actually sit and flags any encroachments. A fuller topographic survey goes further, mapping elevation changes, drainage patterns, and existing features across the parcel — more detail than most buyers need just to close a purchase, but genuinely useful if you're planning a build and need to understand the site before designing around it.
What It Actually Costs You To Skip One
The real cost of skipping a survey isn't the survey fee you saved — it's what you don't find out. An old fence that's actually 3 metres onto the neighbour's land, a shed built just across the line, or a right-of-way nobody mentioned can turn into a genuinely expensive dispute long after closing, when it's far harder and more expensive to resolve than it would have been to catch upfront.
When It's Especially Worth The Cost
A survey earns its cost fastest when a parcel has old or informal boundary markers, a fence line that looks like it might not match the legal description, any shared or ambiguous access or right-of-way arrangement, or a neighbouring structure sitting close enough to the apparent line that encroachment is a real possibility. If you're planning to put up new fencing of your own, see our article on fencing and boundary basics for why confirming the line first matters there too.
Reading A Plan Of Survey, At A Basic Level
A plan of survey typically shows the parcel's legal boundaries with exact measurements and bearings, the location of any monuments (markers) found or set at the corners, and any structures or encroachments the surveyor identified. You don't need to be able to produce one yourself, but being able to recognize the corner markers, compare them against what you see on the ground, and ask your surveyor directly about anything that doesn't line up is worth the ten minutes it takes.
The Bottom Line
A survey isn't mandatory for most purchases, but it's one of the lower-cost ways to remove genuine uncertainty about exactly what you're buying — and on rural and recreational land, where visual cues are unreliable and disputes are harder to untangle later, that certainty is usually worth more than the fee. When in doubt, ask a licensed surveyor whether your specific property is a case where it's worth it.