Easements and Access Surveys

When access to a property is not clearly defined, small questions become expensive ones — a driveway that crosses a neighbor's land, a utility corridor that limits where a structure can sit, a parcel that may be landlocked. An Easement and Access Survey is a legally recognized record relied on by attorneys, title companies, courts, and real estate professionals to establish where access exists, over which parcels, and on what legal footing.

Highland's surveys resolve questions such as:

1. Is there a documented easement on record?
2. Where is access currently occurring, and over which parcels?
3. Is this an easement by necessity? If so, which parcel bears servitude, and which holds dominant access rights?
4. What legal documentation supports or challenges existing claims?

Every parcel must have legal access — the question is never whether access exists, but where it runs and how it is defined. And every one of those answers rests on the boundary beneath it: an easement cannot be located, and a prescriptive or implied right cannot be measured, without first establishing where the line is. Highland retraces that boundary, then establishes the recorded and implied easements against it — under land-use and boundary law, and documented so the finding holds when it is questioned.

What Is an Easement and Access Survey?

An Easement and Access Survey is a specialized record of survey that includes detailed data about:

• Existing recorded easements (e.g., utility corridors, driveways)
• Prescriptive or implied access points
• Potential areas of legal contention or servitude

These rights may be invisible on the ground, but they significantly affect how a property can be used, developed, or sold. For example, a buried utility line may grant the city access for maintenance, or a driveway might cross a neighbor's land under an unrecorded prescriptive right.

Why You Need One

Easement surveys are relied on by:

• Attorneys and legal teams
• Title companies and underwriters
• Courts of law (litigation, defense, or prosecution)
• Buyers, sellers, and investors

These surveys are essential for:

• Property entitlements and permits
• Ensuring continual and legal access
• Increasing clarity and property value

Without one, you risk unknowingly violating property rights, facing legal action, or stalling real estate transactions. With one, you protect your interests, gain leverage in disputes, and ensure future development or sale can proceed smoothly.

Legal Questions Highland's Surveys Help Answer

What's Included in the Survey Process

Here's how Highland conducts each Easement and Access Survey:

Common Issues That Require an Easement and Access Survey

How Highland Resolves Them

Highland establishes where easements exist and, just as important, where they do not — each conclusion tied to the record and the evidence that supports it. That documented clarity lets the client:

• Defend a position: the survey is documented to hold up in negotiation or in court.
• Proceed on established rights: the legal right to enter and use the property is established, not assumed.
• Protect future development: where access and easements run — and where building is constrained — is known before design begins.
• Support real estate transactions: a sealed, documented survey gives buyers, title companies, and lenders a clear record of the property's access.

Because an Access Right Is Only as Strong as the Boundary It Rests On

Easement and Access Survey FAQs

Here are answers to some of the most common questions about Easement and Access Surveys:

Ready to Get Started? Let's Talk.

Whether you're preparing for a project, resolving a boundary concern, or need legally defensible documentation to protect your property rights, Highland is here to help. Contact Highland today or schedule a consultation to get started.