Title, Survey & Easements

Welcome

Hello, and welcome. This is Super Structures General Contractors — a national general contractor headquartered in Powhatan, Virginia — here to help you and your clients build something that lasts. We're glad you're with us, and we look forward to connecting with you.

Let me tell you why Title, Survey & Easements pays off down the road. If you remember one thing, make it this: Confirm legal access and map every easement — they shrink your buildable land. Do this right and it shows up in your work, your reputation, and your paycheck.

You're buying not just dirt, but the rights that come with it. Confirm them.

Title

A title commitment from a title company shows who owns the property and what's attached to it: liens, mortgages, taxes, and recorded restrictions. Review the exceptions — these are things title insurance will not cover. Clear or understand each one before closing.

Survey (ALTA)

An ALTA/NSPS land title survey maps the exact boundaries, improvements, easements, and encroachments. It reveals whether a neighbor's fence crosses your line, where utilities run, and the true buildable area.

Easements

An easement is someone else's right to use part of your land — a utility line, a shared driveway, a drainage path. Easements can shrink your buildable area or dictate where you can't build. Plot them on the survey and design around them.

What to watch for

• Access: is there legal, physical access to a public road? (No access = no project.)
• Restrictive covenants (CC&Rs) limiting use.
• Setbacks and easements that reduce usable land.

Going Deeper (Intermediate)

Three linked checks at acquisition:

• Title — who owns it and what liens/encumbrances exist, via a title commitment.
• Survey — the boundaries, easements, and encroachments, via an ALTA survey.
• Easements — rights others hold across your land (utility, access, drainage) that can limit what/where you build.

Advanced / Pro-Level

Read the fine print that controls buildability:

• The title commitment's Schedule B exceptions list easements, CC&Rs, mineral rights, and liens — read every one.
• An ALTA/NSPS survey shows easements, setbacks, encroachments, and flood lines.
• Title insurance protects your ownership; clear clouds before closing.
• A single utility or drainage easement bisecting the site can sterilize developable area or force a redesign; access easements rescue landlocked parcels. Easements are a top hidden deal-killer.

Practice Challenge

The title commitment lists a 30-ft-wide utility easement running diagonally through the middle of the buildable area. Why could this change the deal? (Answer: you typically can't build over a utility easement, so it can carve out your best developable land, slash yield, and force a redesign — exactly why you read every Schedule B exception and order an ALTA survey before closing.)

In Practice

A buyer skips the survey and later finds a utility easement running through the only buildable area. The survey would have shown it before purchase.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Skipping the ALTA survey
• Not reviewing the title exceptions
• Missing easements that shrink buildable area

Takeaway: Confirm legal access and map every easement — they shrink your buildable land.

Educational content — not legal, engineering, or financial advice. Requirements vary by jurisdiction; always confirm with the local authority and your professional team.