ALTA Survey Table A Items: Complete 2026 Guide
Quick Answer
ALTA Survey Table A items are optional add-ons to an ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey. The 2026 standards include 20 Table A items covering things like flood zone classification, utilities, zoning information, and vertical relief. Lenders and title companies specify which Table A items they require for each transaction. Each item adds to the survey cost.
If you are involved in a commercial real estate transaction in Florida, your lender or title company will likely require an ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey. The ALTA survey follows standardized minimum requirements, but it also offers a menu of optional additions called "Table A" items. Understanding these items helps you control costs and ensure you get the survey coverage you need. Before ordering your ALTA survey, review our ALTA survey requirements checklist to make sure you have all necessary documents ready.
What Are Table A Items?
Table A is a list of optional survey items that go beyond the minimum requirements of the ALTA/NSPS standards. They were created because different transactions have different needs — a warehouse purchase may need underground utility information, while a vacant land transaction may need vertical relief and the distance to the nearest intersecting street.
The party requesting the survey (usually the lender or title company) selects which Table A items they want included. The surveyor then provides a quote that includes the base ALTA survey plus the selected Table A items.
Complete Table A Item List (2026 Standards)
The 2026 ALTA/NSPS standards (effective February 23, 2026) list 20 numbered Table A items, plus Item 21 for anything else the surveyor and client negotiate:
| Item | Description | Cost Impact |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monuments placed (or a reference monument or witness) at all major corners of the boundary, unless already marked or referenced nearby | Low |
| 2 | Address(es) of the surveyed property, if disclosed in documents provided to the surveyor or observed during fieldwork | Minimal |
| 3 | Flood zone classification from federal Flood Insurance Rate Maps (or the state or local equivalent), by scaled map location and graphic plotting only | Low |
| 4 | Gross land area (and other areas if specified by the client) | Minimal |
| 5 | Vertical relief with the source of information, contour interval, datum, and originating benchmark | Moderate |
| 6(a) | List zoning classification, setback, height, floor area and parking restrictions on the map — but only as set out in a zoning report or letter the client provides | Low-Moderate |
| 6(b) | Graphically depict those setback requirements, where the client-supplied report states them plainly enough that no interpretation by the surveyor is needed | Moderate |
| 7(a) | Exterior dimensions of all buildings at ground level | Low-Moderate |
| 7(b)(1) | Square footage of the exterior footprint of all buildings at ground level | Moderate |
| 7(b)(2) | Square footage of other areas as specified by the client | Moderate |
| 7(c) | Measured height of all buildings above grade at a location specified by the client | Low |
| 8 | Substantial features observed during fieldwork — parking lots, billboards, signs, swimming pools, landscaped areas, substantial areas of refuse | Low |
| 9 | Number and type of clearly identifiable parking spaces on surface lots and in parking structures, plus striping of those spaces | Low |
| 10 | As designated by the client, the relationship and location of certain division or party walls with respect to adjoining properties | Low-Moderate |
| 11(a) | Evidence of underground utilities from plans and/or reports provided by the client | Low |
| 11(b) | Evidence of underground utilities from markings obtained through a private utility locate request | Moderate-High |
| 12 | Governmental agency survey-related requirements as specified by the client (for example HUD surveys, or surveys for leases on BLM-managed land) | Moderate |
| 13 | Names of owners of adjoining properties according to current tax records | Low |
| 14 | Distance to the nearest intersecting street | Minimal |
| 15 | Permission to show certain features using imagery, subject to a written agreement on the imagery source and date and a note on the face of the survey | Low |
| 16 | Evidence of recent earth moving work, building construction, or building additions observed during fieldwork | Low |
| 17 | Proposed changes in street right of way lines, where the controlling jurisdiction makes that information available, plus observed evidence of recent street or sidewalk work | Low-Moderate |
| 18 | Plottable offsite (appurtenant) easements disclosed in documents provided to or obtained by the surveyor | Moderate |
| 19 | Professional liability insurance in a stated minimum amount, in effect throughout the contract term | Minimal |
| 20 | A summary table on the face of the plat of observed potential encroachments, setback encroachments, and physical access or use of adjoining parcels without a documented easement | Moderate |
| 21(a), 21(b)… | Any additional items negotiated between the surveyor and client, including engineering design survey work | Varies |
Most Commonly Requested Items
For Florida commercial transactions, the most frequently requested Table A items are:
- Items 1, 2, 3, 4: Nearly always requested — these are basic property identification items
- Item 5 (elevations): Essential for properties in or near flood zones — most of coastal Florida
- Item 6(a) (zoning): Commonly requested by lenders to verify allowed use
- Item 11(a) (underground utility evidence from client records): Standard for developed properties
- Item 13 (adjoining owners): Helpful for due diligence
- Item 19 (insurance): Increasingly required by title underwriters
How Table A Items Affect Cost
Table A is where you control the cost of an ALTA survey. The base survey is a defined scope; every item you add to Table A adds research, field work or analysis on top of it. Ranked by how much work they actually add:
- Minimal impact (Items 1-4, 8, 9, 13, 14, 16, 19): Mostly things the crew records while already on site, or straightforward record research. Add these freely — they cost little and often prevent questions later.
- Moderate impact (Items 5, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 10, 12, 18, 20): Real additional field measurement, drafting or record research. Worth selecting deliberately rather than by habit.
- High impact (Item 11b, and anything negotiated under Item 21): Item 11b means locating underground utilities through a private utility locate request, which typically involves engaging a subsurface utility engineering firm as a subcontractor — the single largest cost driver in Table A. Item 21 covers whatever else you and the surveyor negotiate, including engineering design survey work, so it can add anything. If your lender has not specifically demanded these, ask whether they are needed.
The practical advice: get the Table A selections agreed between your lender, your title company and your attorney before you request quotes. The most common cause of an ALTA survey costing more than expected is not the surveyor — it is Table A items being added after the scope was priced, each one requiring the crew to return to a site they have already left.
For a detailed cost breakdown, see our ALTA Survey Cost Guide or our ALTA survey overview.
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Get a Free QuoteFrequently Asked Questions
What are ALTA Survey Table A items?
Table A items are optional additions to an ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey. The 2026 standards include 20 items covering monuments, flood zones, zoning, utilities, building dimensions, and other property details. The lender or title company specifies which items are required for each transaction, and each item adds to the survey cost.
Who decides which Table A items are needed?
The party requesting the survey — typically the lender, title company, or buyer — selects which Table A items they want included. Lenders often have standard lists of required items. Title underwriters may require specific items based on the property type and transaction. The surveyor can advise on which items are relevant, but the selection is made by the client.
How much do Table A items add to an ALTA survey cost?
It varies enormously by which items you select, which is exactly why they are optional. Basic items - monuments, address, flood zone, acreage - are largely recorded while the crew is already on site and add little. Moderate items such as vertical relief, zoning information and exterior building dimensions add genuine field or research time. The one that dominates is Item 11b (locating underground utilities through a private utility locate request, which usually means bringing in a subsurface utility engineering subcontractor), along with anything negotiated separately under Item 21. Agree your Table A selections with your lender, title company and attorney before requesting quotes, because items added after pricing mean sending the crew back to a site they have already left.
Are Table A items required for every ALTA survey?
No, Table A items are optional. The base ALTA/NSPS survey has its own minimum standards that are always included. Table A items are add-ons requested by the client. However, most commercial transactions require at least some Table A items — it is rare for a lender to order an ALTA survey without any Table A selections.
What changed in the 2026 ALTA/NSPS standards?
The 2026 standards (effective February 23, 2026) replaced the 2021 version. Key updates include revised item numbering, clarified requirements for several Table A items, updated technology references, and modified certification language. Surveys ordered after February 23, 2026 should comply with the new standards. Your surveyor should be familiar with the differences.