Do I Need a Survey Before Buying Vacant Land in the High Desert?

You found five acres of vacant land in Joshua Tree, Twentynine Palms or Yucca Valley.

You pulled up the listing online.

There's a nice little outline showing the parcel.

You drove out to see it.

And now you're standing in the desert looking at:

bush → bush → dirt → dirt → another bush → mountain

So where exactly does your property begin?

That's where the subject of land surveys comes in.

A professional land survey isn't necessarily required every time someone buys vacant land in the California High Desert. But depending on the property, what you intend to do with it and how certain you need to be about the boundaries, a survey can be extremely valuable.

Most importantly:

An online parcel map is not the same thing as a professional boundary survey.

What Is a Land Survey?

A land survey can establish the location of a property's boundaries on the ground.

A licensed land surveyor uses legal descriptions, recorded maps, existing monuments, field measurements and other information to determine the location of property lines.

Depending on the services requested, surveying work may also help identify or map features such as:

• Property corners
• Roads
• Easements
• Existing improvements
• Fences
• Structures
• Topography
• Encroachments
• Other site features

The exact scope depends on the type of survey and why it is being performed.

If your goal is simply to understand where the four corners of your five-acre parcel actually sit in the desert, tell the surveyor what you're trying to accomplish so they can recommend the appropriate service.

Do I Have to Get a Survey Before Buying Vacant Land?

Not necessarily.

There isn't a blanket rule requiring every High Desert land buyer to obtain a new survey simply because they're purchasing vacant property.

But that's different from saying:

“I don't need to know where my property lines are.”

You absolutely should understand what you're buying.

The question is how much boundary certainty you need before completing the purchase and whether the existing records and physical evidence are sufficient for your intended use.

For some buyers, additional surveying work may make sense before closing.

For others, it may become important later when they're preparing to build.

When Can San Bernardino County Require a Property Survey?

San Bernardino County Building & Safety has specific circumstances in which a property survey may be required when existing lot corner monuments cannot be found or property lines cannot be verified.

Those circumstances can include construction close to a property line, disputes between adjoining property owners and other situations determined by the Building Official.

The County also requires property lines and applicable building setbacks to be established before certain foundation inspections when a survey is required.

So even if a survey isn't something you need merely to purchase the land, it may eventually become part of developing it.

That's an important distinction:

Buying the dirt and building on the dirt are two different processes.

Isn't the Parcel Outline on Zillow, Realtor.com or Google Maps Accurate?

This is one of my favorite vacant-land questions.

Online maps can be extremely useful.

I use mapping tools too.

They're great for getting a general sense of:

• Parcel shape
• Approximate location
• Nearby roads
• Surrounding development
• Terrain
• Distance from landmarks
• Nearby parcels

But an online parcel overlay should not be treated as a professional determination of your legal property boundaries.

That pretty polygon on your phone is useful for finding the neighborhood.

It is not permission to install a fence.

If knowing the exact boundary matters, you need more reliable information.

What About the Assessor's Parcel Map?

An Assessor's Parcel Map can be very helpful when researching vacant land.

It may show parcel configuration, dimensions and surrounding parcels and can help you understand how the property relates to nearby roads and lots.

But an assessor's map and a field boundary survey serve different purposes.

The map can help you research the parcel.

A licensed surveyor can locate property boundaries on the ground.

Those aren't interchangeable.

Why Is This Such a Big Deal With High Desert Land?

Because vacant desert land frequently doesn't give you the visual clues you're accustomed to seeing with a suburban house.

If you're buying a house in a developed neighborhood, you may see:

• Block walls
• Fences
• Sidewalks
• Driveways
• Landscaping
• Neighboring houses

Drive out to five acres in the desert and you may see:

Creosote bushes and optimism.

There may be no fence.

No driveway.

No address marker.

No obvious corners.

Possibly no named road.

And sometimes the dirt trail everyone has been driving on isn't exactly where you imagined the legal access would be.

That's why understanding location, boundaries and access is particularly important when buying vacant desert property.

Can I Find the Property Corners Myself?

Sometimes existing corner monuments or markers may be present.

You might see stakes, pipes, monuments or other markings.

But don't assume every piece of rebar sticking out of the desert is your property corner.

It could be.

It could also be something completely unrelated.

And please don't move or disturb potential survey monuments.

If the exact legal location of a boundary matters to your purchase or future plans, that's a job for a qualified professional.

What If the Seller Says the Property Was Surveyed Before?

Great.

Ask for the documentation.

Questions might include:

• When was it surveyed?
• Who performed the survey?
• Is there a survey map or other documentation available?
• Are the property corners still identifiable?
• Were monuments set?
• Has anything changed since the survey?
• Does the existing survey provide what I need for my intended use?

“Previously surveyed” is useful information.

It isn't the same thing as blindly assuming everything is still obvious on the ground.

What Does a Survey Have to Do With Building a House?

Quite a lot.

Before designing a homesite, you need to understand where the property actually is.

San Bernardino County's site-plan guidance requires property lines to be shown in relation to existing and proposed development. Site plans can also need to identify features such as structures, streets, rights-of-way, easements, driveways, wells and septic systems in relation to the property boundaries.

Think about everything that may eventually need a place on your land:

• House
• Garage
• Driveway
• Septic system
• Well
• Water lines
• Electrical equipment
• Solar
• ADU
• Workshop
• Fencing

Now add required setbacks and easements.

Suddenly knowing where the property lines are becomes considerably more important.

What Is an Easement?

An easement generally gives someone certain rights to use a portion of property for a particular purpose.

High Desert parcels can have easements involving things such as:

• Road access
• Utilities
• Drainage
• Shared access

This is another reason I don't want buyers looking only at acreage.

You aren't simply buying:

5 ACRES

You're buying a particular five acres with a particular legal description, access situation, parcel configuration and collection of recorded rights and restrictions.

Those details matter.

Does a Survey Prove I Have Legal Access?

Don't automatically assume that.

Property boundaries and legal access are related issues, but they aren't the same question.

A parcel can exist legally without the route you drove to reach it necessarily answering every question about legal access.

That's why I encourage High Desert buyers to investigate access separately.

If you're looking at a parcel reached by dirt roads, especially remote property, determine what access rights exist rather than relying entirely on:

“Well, Google Maps got me there.”

Google Maps can occasionally turn a land-showing appointment into a personal growth experience.

Ask me how I know.

Should I Get a Survey Before I Build a Fence?

If you intend to place improvements at or near a property boundary, this is exactly when knowing the boundary location becomes important.

A fence built several feet onto the neighbor's property isn't suddenly correct because:

“That's where I thought the line was.”

The same applies to structures, driveways and other improvements.

The more permanent and expensive the improvement, the less attractive guessing becomes.

What About a 5-Acre Parcel in the Middle of Nowhere?

It's tempting to think:

“It's five acres. Close enough.”

Maybe close enough is fine if your only goal today is standing on the land and enjoying the view.

It becomes less fine when you're deciding where to put a house, well, septic system, driveway, garage or fence.

And five acres can look surprisingly different on the ground than it does on a computer screen.

This is why I tell buyers:

Don't confuse having a lot of land with knowing where your land is.

Should I Pay for a Survey Before I Buy?

There isn't one answer that fits every parcel.

Consider what you're buying and what you intend to do with it.

A survey may deserve stronger consideration when:

• Property corners aren't identifiable
• Boundaries are uncertain
• There may be an encroachment
• Existing fences or improvements appear questionable
• You intend to build soon
• You intend to fence the property
• Access or road location raises questions
• The parcel has an unusual shape
• Existing structures are near apparent boundaries
• Neighboring owners disagree about a boundary
• Exact location is particularly important to your intended use

For a relatively inexpensive parcel you're buying simply to hold for the future, your immediate needs may be different.

That's why I don't automatically tell every land buyer:

“Spend money on everything before you buy anything.”

I want you to understand the risks and decide what due diligence makes sense for the particular property and your plans.

Who Can Perform a Property Survey in California?

Boundary surveying should be performed by a professional legally authorized to practice land surveying in California.

San Bernardino County's current property-survey guidance specifies a California Licensed Land Surveyor or certain California Licensed Civil Engineers authorized to perform surveying work.

If you hire someone, you can also verify professional licensing through the California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists.

Survey vs. Title Report: Do I Need Both?

They answer different questions.

A preliminary title report can provide important information about recorded ownership, easements, liens and other recorded matters affecting title.

A survey deals with the physical location and boundaries of the property.

One doesn't automatically replace the other.

When you're seriously considering vacant land, information from the title records, parcel maps, physical property and—when appropriate—a professional survey can work together to give you a much better understanding of what you're buying.

Before Buying High Desert Land, Know What You're Actually Buying

Vacant land can look simple.

There's no roof to inspect.

No HVAC system.

No kitchen plumbing.

No cracked tile.

Just dirt.

But that simplicity is deceptive.

Before buying land, you may need to understand:

Where is it?

Where are the boundaries?

Can I legally access it?

Where will the water come from?

What about power?

Will I need septic?

Can I build what I want to build?

That's why buying vacant land requires a different type of due diligence than buying an existing home.

Found Land in Joshua Tree, Twentynine Palms or Yucca Valley?

You don't have to find the property on Sell29.

Maybe you found it on Zillow.

Maybe you found it on Realtor.com.

Maybe you found it on Land.com.

Maybe you were driving around the desert, saw a sign and thought:

“I wonder what they're asking for that?”

Send me the listing or APN.

More importantly, tell me what you want to do with the land.

A parcel that makes sense for someone who wants recreational acreage may not be the same parcel I'd want someone considering for a future homesite.

Tell me the property characteristics you want—not merely the city you think you want.

I can help you identify the questions you'll want to investigate before deciding whether a particular High Desert parcel makes sense for your plans.

Looking for High Desert Land?

Tell me your budget, desired acreage, intended use and the property characteristics that matter to you.

[FIND MY HIGH DESERT LAND]

Dawn Anderson is a California real estate broker serving buyers and sellers in the High Desert. Information provided here is for general educational purposes and is not surveying, engineering, title, legal, geological or permitting advice. Property boundaries, legal access, easements, development requirements and other parcel-specific matters should be verified through appropriate records, San Bernardino County and qualified licensed professionals, including a California Licensed Land Surveyor when appropriate.