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A land surveyor is the only person who can tell you where your land legally ends. That sounds like a measuring job and it is not. A boundary in Australia is a legal fact recorded in a state cadastre and reconstructed from the evidence of earlier surveys, and the person entitled to reconstruct it holds a registration granted by a state surveying board.

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Queensland states the restriction as plainly as any jurisdiction. Under the Surveyors Act 2003, a person who is not a registrant must not carry out a cadastral survey, and a registrant who is not a cadastral surveyor must not carry one out either, each carrying a maximum penalty of 100 penalty units. Work may be done under the supervision of a cadastral surveyor where the supervision complies with the Board's guidelines. The Surveyors Board of Queensland puts the practical consequence in one line: only registered cadastral surveyors can perform a boundary survey, place a survey mark that defines a property boundary, and certify survey plans for lodgement with the government.

The everyday reason homeowners call one is far less grand. A fence is going in, a shed is going up against a side boundary, a neighbour has built something that looks close, or a council wants a contour plan before it will consider a development application. In every one of those cases the fence you are looking at is not evidence of anything, and finding that out before the concrete goes in is considerably cheaper than afterwards.

The survey products homeowners actually order

  • An identification survey, which locates the boundaries and shows where existing structures and fences sit in relation to them.
  • A boundary re-establishment or reinstatement survey, which reconstructs boundaries from the original survey evidence and marks them on the ground.
  • A contour and detail survey, which records levels, trees, services and existing buildings, and is the base drawing an architect or building designer works over.
  • A set-out survey, which marks the position of a new building, pool or retaining wall on the ground before construction begins.
  • A subdivision or plan of survey, which creates new lots and is the document lodged with the land registry.
  • A strata or building format survey, which defines lot boundaries by the structure itself rather than by pegs in the ground.
  • A survey report for a dispute, which is the identification survey plus a written opinion on an encroachment.

Registration: the restriction that makes the survey mean something

Cadastral surveying is restricted work in every Australian state and territory, administered by a state board rather than a national one. Queensland's provisions are representative and explicit. Section 75 of the Surveyors Act 2003 makes it an offence for a person who is not a registrant to carry out a cadastral survey, with a maximum penalty of 100 penalty units, and a separate offence with the same maximum for a registrant who carries out a cadastral survey without being a cadastral surveyor. A person may carry out cadastral surveys without being a cadastral surveyor if they do so under the supervision of one and the supervision complies with the guidelines.

The Surveyors Board of Queensland translates that into the three things only a registered cadastral surveyor can do: perform a boundary survey, place a survey mark that defines a property boundary, and certify survey plans for lodgement with the government. The Board keeps a register of surveyors assessed as competent, and describes a cadastral surveyor as responsible for accurately defining property boundaries and understanding the laws of land ownership.

Because the boards are state bodies, check the register in the state where the land is, not where the firm's office is. Ask specifically whether the individual attending your site is a registered cadastral surveyor or is working under supervision, and whose name will certify the plan.

Why the fence is almost never the boundary

Fences in Australian suburbs were, more often than not, put in by agreement, by eye, or along the line of the one that rotted before it. They drift. On an older subdivision it is entirely normal for a fence to sit a few hundred millimetres off the title boundary, and for that discrepancy to have been quietly inherited through several owners without anyone measuring.

That matters the moment something permanent is built to the fence rather than to the boundary. Setbacks in planning schemes are measured from the boundary. A shed that satisfies a side setback measured off a fence can fail it measured off the title line, and the structure, not the fence, is what has to move. The same logic applies to a pool, a carport, a retaining wall and a second storey.

An identification survey before you build is therefore not a formality. It converts an assumption into a documented position, and it does it while changing the design is still just an email rather than a demolition.

What a boundary survey involves, in order

  • Research first: the surveyor obtains the title, the registered plan and the earlier survey plans for your lot and the ones around it.
  • Field search for existing survey marks, which may be pegs, pipes, nails or marks in kerbs and may sit some distance from your property.
  • Measurement connecting those marks into a consistent framework, which is where a neighbouring lot's evidence can change your result.
  • Reconciliation of the field evidence with the plan dimensions, which is the judgement part of the job and the reason registration exists.
  • Marking the reinstated boundary on the ground, and recording the position of fences, buildings and any encroachment.
  • A plan and, where you have asked for one, a written report identifying encroachments either way.
  • Lodgement with the land registry where the survey creates or alters lots, certified by the registered cadastral surveyor.

Identification survey, contour survey and set-out survey

These three get confused constantly and cost very different amounts. An identification survey answers where the boundaries are and what sits across them. A contour and detail survey answers what the site looks like: levels, slopes, existing structures, trees, stormwater and service locations, and it is what a designer needs before drawing anything. A set-out survey answers where the new structure goes, and happens after the design is approved and before the builder digs.

A great many residential projects need all three at different moments, and a great many quotes only include one. If your builder has asked for a survey without saying which, ask what the survey is for: a bank or a conveyancer wants identification, a designer wants contour and detail, and a slab wants set-out.

Where a site is steep, heavily vegetated or has structures near boundaries, ordering identification and contour together in one visit is usually cheaper than ordering them separately three months apart.

Looking after the marks once they are in the ground

  • Photograph every peg and mark with a tape and a fixed reference the day it is placed, because pegs vanish.
  • Keep the survey plan with your title documents rather than in the project folder, since the next person who needs it is likely a future owner.
  • Tell your builder and your fencing contractor that the marks are survey marks, not setting-out aids to be moved for convenience.
  • Expect to pay for re-pegging if the marks are disturbed between the survey and the build; it is a site visit, not a reissue of the plan.
  • Give the neighbour a copy of the plan when the survey touches a shared boundary, which prevents the second survey a dispute would otherwise generate.
  • Never remove or relocate a survey mark that defines a property boundary yourself, because placing and defining those marks is restricted to registered cadastral surveyors.

When a survey has to be certified and lodged

There is a difference between a survey done for your information and a survey that changes the public record. An identification survey for your own peace of mind produces a plan you keep. A subdivision, a boundary realignment, an easement or a new strata scheme produces a plan that is certified and lodged with the land registry, and in Queensland only a registered cadastral surveyor can certify a survey plan for lodgement with the government.

That certification is why the registration restriction exists at all. A lodged plan becomes part of the state's cadastre and everyone who deals with that land afterwards relies on it, so the state limits who may add to it and provides a board that can investigate and discipline those who do it badly.

If your project involves creating a lot, moving a boundary or registering an easement, the surveyor is not the last contractor you engage. Bring them in at the concept stage, because the shape of what can be created often constrains the design rather than the other way around.

Land Surveyors: frequently asked questions

Can anyone with survey equipment mark my boundary?

No. In Queensland, section 75 of the Surveyors Act 2003 makes it an offence for a person who is not a registrant to carry out a cadastral survey, with a maximum penalty of 100 penalty units, and a further offence for a registrant who is not a cadastral surveyor to do so. Work may be done under the supervision of a cadastral surveyor where that supervision complies with the guidelines. The Surveyors Board of Queensland states that only registered cadastral surveyors can perform a boundary survey and place a survey mark that defines a property boundary. Every state and territory restricts this work through its own board, so check the register where the land is.

My fence is in the wrong place. Does that change the boundary?

No. A fence is a structure, not a boundary. The boundary is defined by the registered plan and reconstructed from survey evidence, and a fence that has sat a little off the line for forty years has not moved it. What the discrepancy does change is your setbacks: a shed, pool or carport positioned off the fence may not comply when measured from the actual boundary. That is the practical reason to get an identification survey before building rather than after, because the structure is what has to move.

What is the difference between an identification survey and a contour survey?

An identification survey locates the boundaries and shows where fences and structures sit relative to them. A contour and detail survey records the shape of the site: levels, slopes, existing buildings, trees and services. They answer different questions and are priced differently. A designer or architect needs the contour and detail survey to draw anything; a conveyancer, lender or neighbour dispute needs the identification survey. Many residential projects need both, and ordering them in a single visit is usually cheaper than two.

Do I need a surveyor before I build a fence?

Not always, but it is the cheapest time to find out. If both neighbours agree on the line and nothing permanent is being built against it, a fence can be replaced on the existing alignment without a survey. If the fence line is disputed, if the new fence is masonry or on a retaining wall, or if anything will later be built to that fence, get the boundary reinstated first. Fence disputes in Australia are settled against the title boundary, and once a masonry fence is in, correcting it is a demolition job.

Who can certify a plan for lodgement with the land registry?

In Queensland, only a registered cadastral surveyor can certify survey plans for lodgement with the government, according to the Surveyors Board of Queensland. That certification is the point at which a plan stops being your document and becomes part of the state's record of land, which is why the restriction exists. If your project creates a lot, realigns a boundary, registers an easement or sets up a strata scheme, the certified and lodged plan is the deliverable, and the surveyor should be engaged early because it often constrains the design.

The surveyor was measuring in my neighbour's yard. Why?

Because your boundary is reconstructed from evidence that frequently does not sit on your land. A cadastral survey starts with the registered plans for your lot and the surrounding ones, then searches for existing survey marks, which may be pegs, pipes, nails or marks in kerbs several properties away. The surveyor connects them into one framework and reconciles the field evidence with the plan dimensions. A survey that only looked inside your fences would be measuring the fences, which is exactly the thing you engaged someone to stop relying on.

Sources

  1. Surveyors Act 2003 (Qld), section 75
  2. Surveyors Board of Queensland: Cadastral surveyor

Written by the LokalMatch editorial team. Last reviewed 22 September 2026. How we write and check our guides

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What affects the cost of land survey

Prices depend on the details of your project. We only publish price ranges when they’re backed by real LokalMatch quote data or reliable sources. Until then, here’s what usually changes the price:

  • Type of professional and service needed
  • Size and complexity of the project
  • Level of detail in drawings or reports
  • Number of site visits and meetings
  • Number of design revisions
  • Help with permits or contractor selection

How to compare land surveyors before you hire

  • Match the professional to the job: an architect or engineer where the work requires one, a designer for layout and finishes, or an inspector for a condition report.
  • Ask whether they are licensed or certified for this type of work in your area, where that applies.
  • Review a portfolio or sample report that's similar to your project.
  • Get a written agreement that spells out the services, deliverables, number of revisions and how fees are charged.
  • Ask whether their drawings will be suitable for a permit application, and whether they'll help with it.

Questions to ask land surveyors before you hire

  • Are you licensed or certified for this type of work in my area?
  • What exactly will you deliver: drawings, specifications, a report or site visits?
  • How are your fees charged: a fixed fee, hourly or based on the project cost?
  • How many rounds of revisions are included?
  • Will your drawings be ready for a permit application, and will you submit it?
  • Can I see a sample of a similar project or report?
  • Do you carry professional liability insurance?

When to call a pro for land survey

  • Before removing or moving a wall that may be load-bearing
  • Before buying a home, to understand its condition
  • When a permit application needs drawings

Land survey permits and local rules

Some land survey work needs a permit or has to meet local bylaws. Rules vary by municipality, so ask your pro whether a permit is needed and who will apply for it — and check with your city or town if you’re unsure.

Permits and licensing

Guides about land survey

Services related to land survey

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