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Surveying legal boundaries is a reserved profession. In Ontario, only licensed Ontario Land Surveyors can make legal boundary surveys, and in Quebec only members of the Ordre des arpenteurs-géomètres du Québec can prepare a certificate of location, stake out a boundary or carry out a formal boundary determination. Buyers, notaries, lawyers, lenders and municipalities all rely on their plans and reports.
This page explains the main types of surveys, Quebec's certificate of location, what to do when a boundary is disputed, why survey markers matter, and how the work unfolds.
Land surveying services for homeowners: boundary surveys, property reports, topographic surveys and stakeouts
Each survey answers a different question, so tell the surveyor why you need it: a plan made for one purpose may not serve another.
- Boundary survey: the surveyor researches deeds, registered plans and neighbouring surveys, finds or sets markers at the corners and shows where the lines run.
- Survey for a purchase, sale or mortgage: in Quebec, the certificate of location; in Ontario, often a Surveyor's Real Property Report showing the boundaries, easements and where the house, fences and other improvements sit.
- Topographic survey: existing elevations, trees, buildings and services, used as the base drawing for a grading plan, an addition or a new house.
- Stakeout: stakes or marks on the ground showing the property lines, or the exact position of a planned fence, pool, garage or addition, so the contractor builds in the right place.
- Site plan for a permit: a drawing that places the proposed building in relation to the lot lines and setbacks, which many municipalities ask for with a building permit application.
- Formal boundary determination: a process involving the owners on both sides of a line, used when the line must be fixed permanently or neighbours disagree.
Quebec's certificate of location and Ontario's real property report: what each document shows
In Quebec, the certificate of location is prepared by a land surveyor and consists of a plan and a report giving the surveyor's opinion on the property's current condition in relation to its titles, the cadastre and the laws and regulations that affect it. Québec.ca notes that it can reveal easements, flood zones, risk zones and municipal restrictions, that it is needed for any real estate transaction, and that the seller generally provides it to the buyer.
No law or regulation makes a certificate of location expire, the Ordre des arpenteurs-géomètres du Québec explains, but it must be redone once it no longer reflects reality: after an addition, a garage, a pool, a shed, a fence or a hedge, or when flood zones or municipal rules change. Lenders and notaries may also ask for a recent one, including when you refinance.
In Ontario, the Association of Ontario Land Surveyors describes the Surveyor's Real Property Report as showing whether easements or rights-of-way affect the property, whether fences, buildings, pools, additions and other improvements actually lie within it, and whether the deed describes it accurately. Lenders often require an up-to-date survey, and an old one may not show today's improvements.
When to hire a land surveyor: buying, selling, fences, pools, additions and new builds
The AOLS advises letting a licensed surveyor determine your boundaries before you build. Moving a stake is far easier than moving a finished fence or foundation.
- You're selling in Quebec and your certificate of location no longer matches the property, or you're buying and want to know what the survey shows before closing.
- Your lender or notary asks for an up-to-date survey or certificate for a mortgage or a refinancing.
- You plan a fence or hedge on or near the line; agree on the line with your neighbour first, and see the fences page for the construction side.
- You're adding a pool, a shed, a garage, a deck or an addition that must respect setbacks from the lot lines.
- You're building a new house and need a topographic survey for the design, a site plan for the permit and a stakeout of the foundation.
- A neighbour's fence, driveway or building seems to cross onto your land, or you can't tell where your lot ends.
Boundary disputes with a neighbour: surveys in Ontario and formal boundary determination in Quebec
A fence, a hedge or a row of trees is evidence a surveyor will consider, but it doesn't settle where the boundary is, and neither does a neighbour's opinion. Start with a survey from a licensed professional rather than tape measures and old plans.
In Ontario, the AOLS notes that surveyors can often resolve boundary disagreements and issue new plans and reports; where they can't, only a court or a Boundaries Act tribunal can make a final determination.
In Quebec, a stakeout gives the surveyor's opinion to the client who ordered it, but it doesn't fix the line for good. According to the Ordre des arpenteurs-géomètres du Québec, only a formal boundary determination, governed by articles 977 and 978 of the Civil Code of Québec and carried out by a land surveyor, fixes the limit between two adjoining lots permanently. It can be amicable when the owners agree, or judicial when a judge must decide; the resulting report is published in the land register and binds the owners and those who acquire the lots after them.
Survey markers and property pins: why you should never move or remove them
Survey markers can be iron or plastic bars, pins in rock or concrete, or crosses cut into stone or concrete, usually set with their tops near ground level. The AOLS stresses that original markers in their original location are the best available evidence of where a boundary is, and the Criminal Code makes it an offence to wilfully pull down, deface, alter or remove anything set up to mark a boundary line.
Treat them as part of your property record. Before digging for a fence, a pool or landscaping, ask the contractor to locate and protect the markers, and keep machines off them. If one is damaged, missing or seems to have shifted, have a surveyor verify or replace it rather than pushing it back in yourself.
How a land survey works and how long it takes: research, fieldwork and the final plan
Much of a survey happens before anyone arrives with a tripod, which is why results rarely come overnight.
- Order: explain the purpose, such as a sale, a fence, an addition or a dispute, and provide your deed, any old survey or certificate, and known issues.
- Research: the surveyor reviews titles, registered plans, the cadastre and neighbouring surveys, often spending considerable time before any fieldwork.
- Fieldwork: the crew locates existing markers, measures buildings and features, and sets new markers or stakes where needed.
- Analysis and drafting: the surveyor weighs the evidence, forms a professional opinion and prepares the signed plan and report.
- Timing: it depends on the firm's workload, the season, snow cover and frozen ground, the complexity of the records and, for a formal boundary determination, the neighbours' participation.
- Plan ahead: order the survey or certificate as soon as a sale, a refinancing or a project becomes likely, rather than close to a deadline.
Land Surveyors: frequently asked questions
How long is a certificate of location valid in Quebec?
No law sets an expiry date. It has to be redone when it no longer reflects the property, for example after an addition, a pool, a shed or a new fence, or when municipal rules or flood zones change, and notaries and lenders may want a recent one.
Who orders the certificate of location when a house is sold?
Québec.ca notes that the seller generally provides it to the buyer, so the seller usually orders it. Check what your promise to purchase says, and order early so it doesn't delay the notary.
Can I rely on an old survey to build a fence?
Be careful. The AOLS points out that a plan reflects a specific time and purpose and may not show today's fences or buildings. For a fence on the line, have a surveyor confirm or stake the boundary first.
Does my fence mark my property line?
Not necessarily. Fences are often built slightly off the line, and a surveyor treats one as evidence, not proof. A survey tells you where the line is, and in Quebec only a formal boundary determination fixes it permanently.
How do I check that a land surveyor is licensed?
In Ontario, the AOLS directory lists only Ontario Land Surveyors licensed to provide legal boundary surveys to the public. In Quebec, confirm with the Ordre des arpenteurs-géomètres du Québec that the professional is a member.
Sources
- Certificate of location — Gouvernement du Québec
- Lifespan of the certificate of location — Ordre des arpenteurs-géomètres du Québec
- Boundary determination — Ordre des arpenteurs-géomètres du Québec
- Staking — Ordre des arpenteurs-géomètres du Québec
- Boundaries and your land — Association of Ontario Land Surveyors
- FAQs — Association of Ontario Land Surveyors
- Monument protection — Association of Ontario Land Surveyors
- Find a survey company — Association of Ontario Land Surveyors
Written by the LokalMatch editorial team. Reviewed by Zubair Afzal on September 10, 2026. How we write and check our guides