There are various reasons that may necessitate the need for records of survey, such as verifying the acreage of your parcel of land, checking for possible encroachments by adjoining properties, or for the development of your property.

Upon completion of a field survey, a land surveyor may file the record of survey with the appropriate county surveyor for review and approval in the county in which the parcel of land is located. A land surveyor is required to file a record of survey when the field survey when it is found that there is evidence of physical change, a discrepancy with prior record information, lines that are not shown on a prior map, or establishment of a lost corner.

In creating a record of survey, a land surveyor or civil engineer is providing their professional opinion on the physical land boundaries or property lines for a specific parcel of land. They are not however determining the physical ownership of those boundaries as only a court of law can make such a determination.