Who Is Responsible for the Survey When Buying a House

Who pays for a land survey — buyer or seller? The home buyer pays for a land survey, if they request one. Considered due diligence (much like a home inspection), a land survey lets the buyer know the details of the exact property they’re purchasing, including property boundaries, fencing, easements and encroachments.

Does the buyer or seller pay for a survey?

There is no legal requirement for either the buyer or the seller to pay for a land survey. In general, the party who wants the survey is the one who pays. For instance, if the seller wants the survey, then they must hand over the money, and likewise for the buyer.

Do house sellers have to provide a survey?

If you’re selling the property, you don’t need to provide a survey for the buyer. The only time you may want to look into having a survey done is if the property is being sold at auction. Sometimes circulating the report to potential bidders before the auction is a good idea, but this isn’t a necessity.