A mate with a total station offers to “shoot the boundary” on Saturday, and the pegs he leaves in your lawn carry no legal weight at all. If you’re hunting for a licensed surveyor SA owners can rely on, the first thing to know is that the law reserves boundary work for one group of surveyors, and “registered” is not the same thing.
This guide is for Adelaide owners facing a fence dispute, a building plan, a block split or a purchase. It explains what South Australian law says, how licensed and registered surveyors differ, how to check a surveyor before you pay and what to ask when you get a quote. Torrens Survey Co is advertising, not a surveying firm. It holds no surveying licence or registration and doesn’t survey.
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 and contracts with you directly.
What the law says: only licensed surveyors can define a boundary
The Surveyors Board of South Australia puts it plainly: “In South Australia, only licensed surveyors can undertake a boundary survey or place a survey mark that defines a property boundary.” The Board also says all property boundary surveys must be conducted or supervised by a practising Licensed Surveyor, and that surveys by unlicensed practitioners “do not have any legal standing”.
That rule sits in the Survey Act 1992 (SA). Section 14 says only a licensed surveyor, or someone working under a licensed surveyor’s supervision, may place a survey mark. Section 15 says a cadastral survey for a fee can only be done by or through a licensed surveyor. A cadastral survey is any process of determining the boundaries of land by measuring distances and angles.
Sections 16 to 18 go the other way. Nobody who isn’t licensed may hold themselves out as licensed, and the words “licensed surveyor” and “registered surveyor” are reserved. That’s why the wording on this site is careful: an advertising service isn’t a licensed surveyor and shouldn’t sound like one.
The SA Government makes the same point about property boundaries: the position of a boundary “can only be determined by a licensed surveyor”. A fence, a title diagram, a mapping website or an aerial photo can suggest where the line is, but none of them settles it.
Licensed surveyor SA vs registered surveyor: the difference
Both groups are professionally qualified, and both have met the training and examination requirements of the Surveyors Board. The difference is the field each one is qualified to work in.
According to the Board, Licensed Surveyors have specific expertise in identifying and measuring property boundaries. They undertake surveys and planning applications for land subdivision and community titles. Registered Surveyors have recognised expertise in areas other than land boundary definition, such as engineering, mining and hydrographic surveying.
There’s a wrinkle worth knowing. Under section 4(2) of the Act, a person who holds a licence is taken to be registered as well. So a Licensed Surveyor is also, in law, a registered surveyor, but a registered surveyor isn’t necessarily licensed.
| Licensed Surveyor | Registered Surveyor | |
|---|---|---|
| Main field (per Surveyors Board SA) | Property boundaries, land division, community titles | Engineering, mining, hydrographic surveying |
| Can define a property boundary | Yes | No, unless the person also holds a licence |
| Can place a survey mark that defines a boundary | Yes | No, unless the person also holds a licence |
| Practical experience needed to apply (Survey Regulations 2020, r 6) | At least 400 days in surveying, including at least 200 days in cadastral surveying | At least 400 days in surveying |
| Also counts as registered | Yes (Act s 4(2)) | Not applicable |
| Fit for a fence dispute, block split or missing pegs | Yes | Only if the person also holds a licence |
The table is a summary of the Act, the Regulations and the Board’s public information, not legal advice. If a job mixes boundary work with other measurement, ask the surveyor who quotes which parts fall under a licence.
Three jobs where the licence question decides the outcome
The following are anonymised examples of the kinds of jobs owners bring. They’re illustrations, not case studies. Every figure comes from a published source and is dated.
A 1960s brick home on a 900 m2 block in Campbelltown
The owners want to split the block and build a second home at the back. A builder they know says he can “get the survey sorted” cheaply through a contact. The real question is whether that contact is a Licensed Surveyor, because land division is boundary work.
The whole project is much bigger than the survey line. Sawley Lock O’Callaghan, an Adelaide surveying firm, says a standard one-into-two division in the metropolitan area costs “in the order of $30,000 - $34,000” (page modified 12 May 2025, GST not stated). That figure includes state and council fees, Land Services SA plan fees, surveyor and consultancy fees, conveyancer or solicitor fees and SA Water fees. The firm also warns that SA Water charges for water and sewer extensions can push the total up significantly, and that power and NBN connections are extra.
On the fee side, the open space contribution for Greater Adelaide in 2026-27 is $10,166.00 per new allotment, and a two-lot Torrens division creates one new allotment. Whether the block can be divided at all depends on the zone and the Planning and Design Code, so ask the surveyor or the council to check before you spend on plans. Land Services SA strongly recommends engaging a professional licensed surveyor and a conveyancer or solicitor for land division.
A leaning Colorbond fence in Salisbury
Both neighbours think the old fence sits on their side. One of them measures from the house wall with a tape and declares the fence is well over the line. That measurement proves nothing legally, and the original pegs are long gone.
Under the Fences Act 1975 (SA), the cost of any survey reasonably required for the fencing work counts as a fencing cost. The Legal Services Commission says that if you disagree about where a fence should go, a survey will show the precise location of the boundary. If you both want it you can share the cost, but if not, “the person who arranges the survey will have to pay for it”.
For a sense of scale, Trade Heroes, a national cost guide updated 6 March 2026, lists a boundary survey at $900 to $2,500 (GST not stated). That’s a national range, not an Adelaide price. Adelaide surveyors don’t publish prices for boundary surveys, so an Adelaide surveyor quotes your block.
A Mount Barker buyer checking the shed sits inside the title
The buyer has a site plan from a previous sale and a cheerful agent. The shed at the back looks a bit close to the fence. The Board recommends engaging a Licensed Surveyor when buying or selling, so you know about any encroachments.
The SA Government describes an encroachment as a structure that intrudes onto another person’s land by crossing the legal boundary, and says it can include buildings, driveways, eaves and balconies. Disputes about encroachments go to the Supreme Court, while fencing disputes go to the Magistrates Court. Under the Encroachments Act 1944, either owner can apply to the Land and Valuation Court.
An identification survey is the usual type of job here: a cadastral survey of existing boundaries where no plan has to be lodged. The Surveyor-General notes that the pegs “simply represent the surveyor’s opinion as to the position of the boundary”. Under the Board’s code, these surveys are publicly recorded by lodging a Plan for Information Purposes. Your conveyancer or lawyer takes it from there.
If any of these situations sounds familiar, tell us what the survey is for and we’ll pass it to an independent Licensed Surveyor to quote in writing. The form comes first, and you can also call (08) 5550 3814 if you prefer.
How to check a licensed surveyor in SA before you pay
There’s no searchable online register. That surprises people, and it’s the main reason the “he says he is licensed” problem exists. You have two ways to check.
First, contact the Registrar of the Surveyors Board. The Board’s public information page lists an email address (registrar@isasa.org.au) and a phone number ((08) 8212 0343), and the Registrar can tell you whether a surveyor is licensed or registered in South Australia.
Second, read the Government Gazette list, “Licensed and Registered Surveyors in South Australia”. It is updated each July after licence renewals and again in January to add newly Licensed Surveyors. The list marks some names as non-practising, so look for that word next to the name you are checking.
Three habits make the check worthwhile.
- Ask for the name of the individual surveyor, not just the company. A plan or document that must be certified by a surveyor has to be signed by a surveyor who is a natural person (Act s 47), so a person’s name and licence sit behind every job.
- Check that specific person on the list, whatever a website says. The Board advises checking that any surveying firm uses a surveyor licensed in South Australia and legally entitled to define your boundaries.
- Ask which type of survey is being quoted and which parts are boundary work.
The Board says it can investigate and prosecute unauthorised people who undertake property boundary surveys. As the owner, though, you’re the one left with an unusable survey and the bill.
Survey marks, pegs and what you must leave alone
A boundary survey usually ends with survey marks on the ground. By law you can’t move or remove a survey mark made by a licensed surveyor, so a peg that is in the way of your new fence needs a conversation with the surveyor, not a shovel.
Permanent survey marks are something else. They’re government reference points, not boundary markers. They must not be disturbed without approval of the Surveyor-General, and fines of up to $2,000 per mark can apply. The SA Government notes that they don’t mark the boundary corner.
Building close to a boundary is where mistakes get expensive. The Board says major discrepancies between boundaries and fencing aren’t uncommon and can be very difficult to fix. Surveying first costs money, but a slab or a retaining wall on the wrong line usually costs more to correct.
Asking for a quote: what to have ready and what to ask
Adelaide survey firms don’t publish prices for boundary, feature and level or set-out surveys. Surveyors quote each job, and the price depends on the block, the evidence on site and the type of survey. That’s why a written quote matters more than a rule of thumb.
Have these ready before you ask.
- The address and, if you have it, the certificate of title.
- What the survey is for: a fence, a building plan, a purchase, a block split or missing pegs.
- Any deadline that matters, such as a settlement date or a designer’s timetable.
- Whether the survey needs levels as well as boundaries. A development application site plan must show boundaries, dimensions, setbacks and existing levels where relevant, and a feature and level survey is the usual way to get those levels.
Then ask the surveyor four things: their name, whether they hold a current licence, what the quote covers and what it does not, and whether the result will be recorded on a plan. Those answers tell you more than the price does. Our boundary survey guide and quote checklist walk through the rest.
For the service pages, see boundary surveys and identification surveys. Ready when you are: describe your job here and an independent Licensed Surveyor can send you a written quote. Torrens Survey Co doesn’t survey, peg or lodge anything itself, and it can’t tell you where your boundary is.
For the official wording, read the Surveyors Board’s public information page and the SA Government’s guide to boundaries and fences.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a registered surveyor do a boundary survey in South Australia?
Not on that basis alone. The Surveyors Board SA says only licensed surveyors can undertake a boundary survey or place a survey mark that defines a property boundary. Registered Surveyors specialise in areas such as engineering, mining and hydrographic surveying. Because a licence holder is also taken to be registered, ask which one the person holds.
How do I check that a surveyor is licensed in SA?
Contact the Registrar of the Surveyors Board (registrar@isasa.org.au or (08) 8212 0343) or read the Government Gazette list of Licensed and Registered Surveyors, which is updated each July and January. There is no searchable online register. Check the individual surveyor’s name, not only the company’s.
What happens if I use someone who is not licensed?
The Board says surveys by unlicensed practitioners have no legal standing and may compromise the future development of your property. It can also investigate and prosecute unauthorised people who undertake boundary surveys. In practice, you could pay for a result that a neighbour, a council or a buyer’s lawyer won’t accept.
How much does a boundary survey cost in Adelaide?
Adelaide surveyors quote each job, and none of the firms we checked publish a boundary survey price. A national cost guide from Trade Heroes (updated 6 March 2026, GST not stated) lists $900 to $2,500, but that isn’t an Adelaide figure, so ask a Licensed Surveyor to quote your block. Our Adelaide cost guide explains what moves the price.