You have two land survey quotes for the same Adelaide block. One is well under the other, and it fits on half a page. Before you book the cheaper one, find out what it leaves out, because a land survey quote only means something once you know what the surveyor will hand over at the end.
That’s harder than it sounds. Adelaide surveying firms don’t publish prices for boundary, feature and level, contour or set-out surveys, and every firm page checked on 30 September 2026 says to ask for a quote. Surveyors quote each job, and the price depends on the block, the evidence on site and the survey type. So you can’t check a quote against a price list. You can only check it against a list of questions, and that’s what this article gives you.
If you already know what the survey is for, tell us what it is for and we’ll put you in touch with an independent Licensed Surveyor, who quotes you in writing and contracts with you directly. Torrens Survey Co is an advertising service. We hold no surveying licence, and the survey work is done by the surveyor, not by us.
Land Survey Quote Step One: Check Who Is Quoting
In South Australia, only licensed surveyors can undertake a boundary survey or place a survey mark that defines a property boundary. That’s the Surveyors Board SA’s wording on its public information page. The Board adds that boundary surveys must be conducted or supervised by a practising Licensed Surveyor, and that surveys by unlicensed practitioners have no legal standing.
So the first question isn’t about money. Ask who will conduct or supervise the survey, and whether that person is a Licensed Surveyor. A low quote from someone who can’t legally do the boundary work isn’t a bargain.
Checking takes a little effort. There’s no searchable online register, so you can email the Registrar at registrar@isasa.org.au, phone (08) 8212 0343, or look at the Gazette list “Licensed and Registered Surveyors in South Australia”, which is updated each July and January.
Registered Surveyors have expertise in areas other than land boundary definition, such as engineering, mining and hydrographic work, so don’t mix up the two titles. Our article on licensed versus registered surveyors goes through the difference.
What a Written Land Survey Quote Should Spell Out
When quotes arrive, look for these items and ask about any that are missing.
- The deliverable. Will you get marks in the ground, a plan, or both? An identification survey is not the same as a boundary survey. The Surveyor-General says the pegs on an identification survey simply represent the surveyor’s opinion as to the position of the boundary, and the survey is recorded publicly by lodging a Plan for Information Purposes. Ask which one you’re being quoted for.
- The scope. Is it the whole block or one side? Does it cover the fence line, the shed, the house wall, or only the corners?
- GST. Say plainly whether the figure is incl. or ex GST. Some published national guides state ex GST and others don’t say at all, so never assume. Ask for the total you’ll pay.
- What is not included. Extra site visits, lodging a plan, access problems and vegetation in the way are the usual gaps.
- What could change the price. If the surveyor finds the marks missing, the evidence unclear or the title different from what you were told, does the quote change? Ask what triggers a revised figure and who tells you before it happens.
- Start and delivery dates. Don’t treat any date as firm unless it is written into the quote. Timing depends on the surveyor’s diary and on what they find on site.
- The next person in the chain. For a fence, that may be a neighbour and a Form 1 notice. For a building, a designer or council. For a land division, a conveyancer or solicitor. Ask what the surveyor’s paperwork has to look like for that person to use it.
A quote that covers all seven is easier to compare than one that only states a price.
Comparing Land Survey Quotes Side by Side
Put two or three quotes in one table and the reasons for the price gap usually show up.
| Line to compare | What to ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Who conducts the survey | Is it a Licensed Surveyor, and can I confirm that with the Registrar? | Boundary surveys by unlicensed practitioners have no legal standing |
| Survey type | Boundary, identification, feature and level, contour or set-out? | The types produce different documents for different jobs |
| Marks and plan | Are marks placed, and is a plan supplied? | A plan without marks, or marks without a plan, may not settle a dispute or satisfy a designer |
| Extent | Which boundaries, structures or levels are covered? | A cheaper quote may cover a smaller area |
| GST | Is the total incl. or ex GST? | A price gap can vanish once GST is added to one quote |
| Exclusions | What is left out, and what does a second visit cost? | Add-ons decide the final bill |
| Variations | What would change the figure, and when would I be told? | Avoids a surprise after the work starts |
| Timing | What dates are written in the quote? | Verbal timing isn’t something you can hold anyone to |
National cost guides are not much help as a referee. Trade Heroes, a national guide updated on 6 March 2026 that does not state GST, gives a boundary survey at $900 to $2,500 and a feature and level survey at $800 to $2,200. EastWest Surveyors, a surveying firm’s national guide from 16 November 2025 that also does not state GST, puts feature and level and contour surveys together at $1,500 to $4,500. Those are national figures, not Adelaide prices. An Adelaide surveyor quotes your block.
The gap between them is the point: at the top end one is roughly double the other, which shows how much depends on the job. Use a guide as a rough check that a quote is in a believable region, not as proof that it’s fair. For set-out surveys there is no usable published figure at all, so the surveyor quotes it. For more on why prices vary, see what sets the price of a land surveyor in Adelaide.
Two Field Situations Where the Quote Question Changes
The same checklist gives different answers depending on the job. Here are two typical situations.
A leaning Colorbond fence in Salisbury. Two neighbours each believe the fence sits on their side, and one wants it replaced. Under the Fences Act 1975 (SA), the cost of any survey reasonably required for the fencing work counts as a fencing cost. That doesn’t mean the neighbour has to pay. The Legal Services Commission says that if both of you want the survey, you can agree to share the cost, but if not, the person who arranges the survey will have to pay for it.
So the quote question here is who’s footing the bill, and what the survey will show you. A new-fence Form 1 notice has to state the length, position, type, cost estimate and the share you are seeking. The neighbour then has 30 days to serve a cross-notice, and no reason is needed. If no objection comes in time, they’re taken to have agreed.
A written quote helps with that notice. It also helps to know that the Commission says a court is unlikely to order a fence moved if the deviation from the boundary is minor. Only the surveyor can tell you where the boundary is, so don’t assume the answer. Our page on boundary surveys and the article on the Fences Act and boundary fences cover the process.
A sloping block in Stirling. The designer needs existing levels before drawing a pole home. A development application for a new building needs a site plan drawn to scale that shows the boundaries and dimensions of the site, setbacks to the boundaries, and existing ground and floor levels where relevant, plus proposed finished floor levels and site levels. The regulation does not say who prepares that plan. A feature and level survey is the usual way to get the existing levels and boundary offsets.
The quote questions change accordingly. Does the survey cover the whole block or only the building area? Does it include offsets to the boundaries the designer needs? What format does the designer want the data in? Ask the designer first, then pass their list on. A steep, well-treed block may need clearing along sight lines, and the surveyor decides that on site, so ask whether the quote assumes it. The feature and level surveys page and the article on feature surveys for a development application explain what the plan needs to show.
If you want a written quote for either job, tell us what the survey is for and we will put you in touch with an independent Licensed Surveyor. The form is the quickest route, and (08) 5550 3814 is the second option.
When the Quote Is Only Part of the Bill: Splitting a Block
A 1960s brick home on a 900 m2 block in Campbelltown. The owners want to split it. The surveyor’s quote is one line in a much larger bill, and comparing it alone can mislead you. Whether a particular block can be divided depends on the zone and any overlays in the Planning and Design Code, which the surveyor or council checks. Nothing here says a block of this size can or cannot be divided.
What can be said is how the money is spread. Sawley Lock O’Callaghan, an Adelaide surveying firm, says on a page modified 12 May 2025 that a standard one-into-two land division in the Adelaide metropolitan area costs “in the order of $30,000 - $34,000”. That covers state and council fees, Land Services SA plan fees, surveyor and consultancy fees, conveyancer or solicitor fees, and SA Water water and sewer fees. GST isn’t stated. The firm warns that SA Water may charge non-standard costs for water or sewer extensions, deeper connection pits or dewatering, which could increase the costs significantly. Power and NBN connection are extra.
Some of those items are fixed by government and change each 1 July. For 2026-27, the open space contribution in Greater Adelaide is $10,166.00 per new allotment, and a two-lot Torrens division creates one new allotment. The contribution may be required for divisions of 20 allotments or fewer. The SA Water assessment fee is $480.00. Land Services SA charges $1,231.00 to examine a surveyed plan, $189.00 to deposit it, $112.00 for each title and a $188.00 Survey Act levy, plus a document fee. Which of these apply depends on your application, so don’t add them up into a single figure. The Sawley Lock estimate also pre-dates the 2026-27 fees, so treat it as a guide to scale, not a budget.
When you compare surveyor quotes for a split, ask each one:
- Does the quote cover preparing the plan, or also lodging it through the Electronic Plan Lodgement system?
- Who prepares the application? Land Services SA says a registered conveyancer or solicitor does, so that’s a separate cost.
- Which government and utility fees does the quote leave out?
- What happens to the quote if the council or SA Water asks for changes?
Don’t treat any timeline in a quote as a promise. Land Services SA says land division can take many months, sometimes even years. Our land division surveys page and the article on the cost to subdivide land in Adelaide go into the steps.
To get the survey part of a split quoted, send us the address and what you are planning. We’ll put you in touch with an independent Licensed Surveyor, who quotes you directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is one land survey quote so much cheaper than another?
Often the two quotes are not for the same thing. One may cover a smaller area, leave out placing marks or a plan, or state a price ex GST while the other includes it. Check that each quote comes from a Licensed Surveyor and compare them line by line before you decide.
How do I check a surveyor’s licence?
There’s no searchable online register. Email the Registrar at registrar@isasa.org.au or phone (08) 8212 0343, or look at the Gazette list of Licensed and Registered Surveyors in South Australia, updated each July and January. The Surveyors Board SA explains the rules on its public information page.
Can I use a national cost guide to judge my quote?
Only as a rough check. National guides give wide ranges, they don’t always state GST, and they’re not Adelaide prices. An Adelaide surveyor quotes your block, and two guides can disagree by about double at the top end for broadly similar surveys.
Who pays for the survey if my neighbour won’t share the cost?
According to the Legal Services Commission’s booklet Fences and the Law, if both neighbours want the survey they can agree to share the cost, but if not, the person who arranges the survey pays for it. Under the Fences Act, a survey reasonably required for the fencing work can count as a fencing cost. For a legal view on your situation, speak to a lawyer or the Legal Services Commission.