Field notes / Homeowner guide
Reading survey, title and soils documents for a new-home brief
A survey, a title report and a geotechnical report each answer a different question, and each one has edges: what it covers, what it leaves out and who is qualified to interpret it. This guide shows how to read those edges so the right question reaches the right professional before design hardens. It does not interpret your documents or say whether a parcel can be built on.
Written · KB Remodeling
Public resource by KB Remodeling · The link and this general checklist contain none of your private answers or notes.
Method and how to cite
Method: original KB Remodeling synthesis of the official sources listed, checked on the dates shown in the guide. It describes questions and records to gather; it is not legal, engineering or permit advice and does not decide any project.
KB Remodeling. Reading survey, title and soils documents for a new-home brief. https://kb-remodeling.com/resources/survey-title-and-soils-documents (written 2026-10-13)
Written:
The short answer
Use a document-reading map: known information, missing information, question for the professional, effect on the brief. A boundary and topographic survey informs where and how the house can sit; a title report shows recorded interests such as easements that your attorney or title officer interprets; a geotechnical investigation gives engineering findings that your engineers carry into design.
Who this applies to
Owners preparing a brief for a new house, replacement house or large addition. The lot guide remains the purchase sequence and the hillside guide the hazard overview. Nothing here is legal advice about easement rights or an engineering recommendation.
01 · When it applies
Who produces each document, and who interprets it
California's Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists explains in its consumer guides which services require a licensed land surveyor, engineer or geologist, and how to select one and put the agreement in writing. Its geology guide describes geologists' site-characterization work. Use those guides to confirm the right licensee is producing each document and to check the license.
Authorship and interpretation are separate. A surveyor maps boundaries and features but does not decide who holds an easement right; a title officer reports recorded documents, and an attorney advises on what they mean; a geotechnical engineer interprets subsurface findings for design, and your structural engineer and architect apply them.
| Document | Produced by | Interpreted for your project by |
|---|---|---|
| Boundary survey | Licensed land surveyor | Surveyor; architect applies it to the plan |
| Topographic survey | Licensed land surveyor (or as the agency requires) | Architect and civil engineer |
| Preliminary title report | Title company | Title officer and your attorney |
| Recorded easement or agreement | Recorded by the parties; copies from the county recorder | Your attorney |
| Geotechnical report | Licensed engineer/geologist as required | Geotechnical engineer; structural and civil engineers apply it |
Ask yourself
- Is each document prepared and signed by the appropriate licensee?
- Who on the team is responsible for interpreting it for the design?
02 · What to ask for
Survey: reading map
Read a survey for its scope before its lines. Note what kind of survey it is, when the fieldwork was done, the area it covers, what features and elevations it shows, and any notes about record conflicts. An older survey may not reflect later fences, retaining walls or grading.
| Known from the survey | Missing or not covered | Question for the surveyor | Effect on the brief |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boundary lines and monuments found | Whether neighbors agree on the line | Were any discrepancies with record descriptions noted? | Setback planning starts from the surveyed line, not the fence |
| Topography and spot elevations | Areas outside the survey limits; subsurface | Does coverage include the driveway and drainage paths? | Grade, stairs, driveway slope and retaining walls |
| Trees, structures, utilities visible at the surface | Buried utilities not located | Which features were located and which were not? | Early utility and tree questions for the designer |
| Date of fieldwork | Changes since that date | Is an update needed for permit drawings? | Schedule and budget for a new or updated survey |
03 · What to ask for
Title, easements and access: reading map
A preliminary title report lists recorded items affecting the property, often with exceptions referencing separate documents. The report itself does not attach every referenced document or explain its effect; request copies of each referenced easement, covenant or agreement. In Los Angeles County, the Registrar-Recorder publishes definitions of recorded document types, which helps you name what you are asking for.
Many easements are described in words rather than drawn. Ask your surveyor whether recorded easements can be plotted, and ask your attorney what each one permits or restricts. Do not let a sketch of an easement stand in for advice about rights.
| Known from the report | Missing or not covered | Question for title officer or attorney | Effect on the brief |
|---|---|---|---|
| List of recorded exceptions | The underlying documents | Can you provide copies of each referenced document? | Document request list before design starts |
| Easement described in words | Its location on the ground | Can the surveyor plot it? | Possible no-build or access areas on the plan |
| Covenants or recorded restrictions | Whether they are enforced or still effective | What does this mean for the planned house? | Design limits to confirm before schematic design |
| Legal access stated or not | Physical access for construction | How does the parcel reach a public street? | Driveway, staging and utility trench routes |
Source for this section
04 · What to ask for
Geotechnical investigation: reading map
The California Geological Survey maps seismic hazard zones and, in Special Publication 117A (2008), sets out guidelines for evaluating and mitigating seismic hazards for projects in those zones. A state map shows whether an investigation question exists; it does not answer it. The site investigation itself is commissioned from a qualified engineer or geologist, and the local building department decides what it must contain.
As an owner, read a geotechnical report for its limits and handoffs rather than its numbers: where borings or tests were done, what was not explored, which recommendations depend on the final design, and which items the engineer expects to observe during construction. Leave the design values to the engineers who apply them.
| Known from the report | Missing or not covered | Question for the geotechnical engineer | Effect on the brief |
|---|---|---|---|
| Locations investigated | Conditions between and beyond them | Does the investigation cover the planned house location? | Possible added investigation if the footprint moves |
| Recommendations stated as conditional | Final design they depend on | Which items must be revisited once the design is set? | A review step in the design schedule |
| Construction-phase observation items | Who pays and schedules them | What will you need to observe or test during construction? | Budget and schedule lines for observation |
| Report date and scope | Whether the agency will accept it as-is | Will an update or addendum be needed for the permit? | Permit timeline question, not a guarantee |
05 · An example
How the three maps feed one brief
Fictitious, generalized scenario: an owner has a ten-year-old survey, a title report listing an access easement by reference and a state map showing a landslide zone near the rear of a lot. The survey map raises an update question; the title map produces a request for the easement document and a question for the attorney; the geotechnical map adds an investigation that covers the planned footprint. The brief records three open items with named owners, and the architect's pricing packet notes which drawings depend on them.
No answer is assumed in the brief. Each open item stays open until the responsible professional answers it in writing.
Ask yourself
- Which brief items are waiting on a document answer?
- Who owns each open item, and by when?
What these documents do not do
| Document | It does not |
|---|---|
| Survey | Decide easement rights or zoning compliance |
| Title report | Show easement locations on the ground or advise on their meaning |
| Geotechnical report | Approve a permit or replace structural design |
| State hazard map | Determine site conditions or buildability |
A scenario to consider
Fictitious, generalized scenario: an owner assumes a fence marks the boundary. The survey shows the line elsewhere, and a recorded easement plotted by the surveyor crosses the planned garage. The owner raises both with the attorney and architect before schematic design.
Planning scenario
Bring this to your conversation
- Confirm each document's author holds the appropriate license
- Record the date and scope of each document
- Request copies of every document referenced in the title report
- Ask the surveyor which easements can be plotted
- Ask the geotechnical engineer which recommendations depend on final design
- Log every open item with an owner before design proceeds
One more question
Can this guide tell me whether my lot is buildable?
No. Buildability depends on agency review and on professionals interpreting your actual documents. This guide helps you prepare the right questions for them.
Official references
Check professionals · PDF · English source
California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists — A Guide for ConsumersUse this for: Identify the engineering, survey or geological professional to consult about the site.
Check professionals · Web resource · English source
BPELSG — Consumer guide to geological servicesUse this for: Confirm which geological services need a licensed geologist and how to set up the agreement.
Research the property · Web resource · English source
Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk — Document types and definitionsUse this for: Distinguish recorded property documents from building permits and inspection records.
Research the property · Web resource · English source
California Geological Survey — California Seismic Hazard ZonesUse this for: Discuss seismic hazard mapping and required site investigation with qualified professionals.
Research the property · Web resource · English source
CGS — Special Publication 117A (2008)Use this for: Background on how seismic-hazard-zone investigations are evaluated; your engineer and agency decide what applies.
For requirements specific to your property, consult the local reviewing authority.
About this guide
Published by KB Remodeling from the official sources cited. It is not attributed to an individual author and does not claim review by an architect, engineer or attorney. We receive remodel, ADU, new-home and rebuild inquiries; scope, licensing and location are reviewed before any next step.