Your neighbour reckons the Colorbond fence sits a hand-span onto their side. You reckon it doesn’t. Neither of you can point to a peg, because the last one disappeared when the driveway was redone. A re-establishment survey is how a South Australian owner gets the boundary marks back, and it’s usually the first step before anyone argues about a fence, draws up a shed or signs a contract.
This guide covers what the survey is, what happens on site, what the pegs prove and how to get a written quote. Torrens Survey Co is advertising, not a surveying firm. It holds no surveying licence and doesn’t carry out surveys. Tell us what the survey is for and we put you in touch with an independent Licensed Surveyor, who quotes and contracts with you directly.
Re-Establishment Survey or Identification Survey? Same Job, Two Names
Owners say “re-establishment”, “re-pegging”, “pegging out” or “boundary marking”. Surveyors and regulators tend to say something narrower. The Survey Regulations 2020 define an identification survey as a cadastral survey of the existing boundaries of land, for a job where the law doesn’t require a plan to be lodged at the Lands Titles Registration Office. In everyday terms, that’s the closest legal label for a re-establishment survey: the boundary already exists on the title, and the surveyor works out where it sits on the ground and marks it.
Your quote might use either word, and firms don’t always use them the same way. Ask the surveyor to say in writing what the quote covers.
Who can do it isn’t a grey area. The Surveyors Board SA says that in South Australia only licensed surveyors can undertake a boundary survey or place a survey mark that defines a property boundary. The Survey Act 1992 backs that up: under section 14 only a licensed surveyor (or someone they supervise) may place a survey mark. The Board adds that surveys by unlicensed practitioners have no legal standing (Surveyors Board SA).
It’s also not a feature and level survey (what is on the block and how the ground falls), a land division survey (the plan that creates new allotments) or a set-out survey (marking where new work goes). Our boundary survey guide sorts out which is which.
Not sure which one your situation needs? Tell us what the survey is for and get a written quote from an independent Licensed Surveyor. The form comes first, and if you’d rather talk it through, you can call (08) 5550 3814.
How Boundary Re-Establishment Works on Site
Every job varies with the block, but the logic is consistent. The surveyor starts with paper: your certificate of title, the registered plan and, where they exist, plans from neighbouring blocks. Then they go looking for evidence on the ground, such as old survey marks, kerbs, fence lines and the corners of buildings. They measure between those points and compare the results with the dimensions on the plan.
From that, the surveyor forms a professional opinion of where the boundary corners are and places new marks. That’s the “re-establishment” part. The work is then recorded. The Surveyor-General’s guidelines describe surveyors publicly recording identification surveys by lodging a Plan for Information Purposes, which is certified as carried out in accordance with the Survey Act 1992 but is not examined by the Lands Titles Registration Office.
A newer estate with clear plans and surviving marks is a different exercise from a 1950s street where fences have been moved twice and the neighbours have redeveloped. Where the evidence is thin, a good surveyor tells you so and explains what they relied on.
Two practical points. First, this job needs specialist measuring equipment and a Licensed Surveyor’s judgement, so a tape measure and the dimensions on your title won’t get you there. Second, the Survey Act (section 46) lets a surveyor enter land at a reasonable time for survey work, which can mean stepping onto the neighbour’s side. A friendly heads-up to the neighbour makes that easier for everyone.
Three Situations Where Adelaide Owners Commission One
These are typical situations, not case studies, and the details are deliberately generic. None of them tells you where a boundary is. Only a Licensed Surveyor can do that, and only after working on your block.
A leaning Colorbond fence in Salisbury. Picture a 1970s brick home on a block of roughly 700 m2, with 30 metres of side fence leaning and due for replacement. One owner wants to rebuild it, and the neighbours aren’t sure it stands on the line. Under the Fences Act 1975, the cost of any survey reasonably required for the fencing work counts as a fencing cost. The Legal Services Commission’s advice is that if you both want the survey you can share the cost, but if not, the person who arranges the survey pays for it.
The Act also sets the timetable. A neighbour has 30 days to serve a cross-notice after a Form 1 notice, and absent agreement their share of an adequate fence is one-half of the minimum cost of erecting it. The Legal Services Commission also notes a court is unlikely to order a fence moved if it strays only a little from the boundary. Worth knowing before either side digs in. Our Fences Act guide walks through the notices.
A bluestone villa in Unley with a side wall on the title line. Picture an owner planning a rear extension. The designer needs the boundaries and dimensions of the site and the setbacks to each boundary on the site plan, and the planning regulations also call for existing ground and floor levels where relevant. When a wall sits on or very near the boundary, a few centimetres decide whether a setback works.
SA Government’s own description of an encroachment includes eaves and balconies as well as buildings and driveways, so overhangs matter too. A feature and level survey is the usual way to gather the existing levels and boundary offsets a site plan needs, and the re-established boundary is what those offsets are measured from. Ask whether one visit can cover both jobs.
A Mount Barker buyer checking a rear shed. Picture a buyer under contract on a house in Mount Barker, one of the growth areas the Greater Adelaide Regional Plan 2025 describes as averaging around 430 dwelling completions per year since 2017. The rear shed looks close to the fence, and the buyer doesn’t know whether it sits inside the block. The Surveyors Board recommends a Licensed Surveyor when buying or selling so you are aware of any encroachments.
Contracts have dates in them, so talk to your conveyancer early and ask the surveyor whether the work fits your timetable, because no one can promise it will. Easements are recorded on the title, so have your conveyancer read the title for them as well. The survey deals with the boundary, not the paperwork behind it.
What the Pegs Do and Do Not Tell You
New pegs feel final. They’re not a court decision. The Surveyor-General’s cadastral survey guidelines say pegs placed on identification surveys simply represent the surveyor’s opinion as to the position of the boundary and are subject to any errors of survey or judgement the surveyor may make. That’s not a reason to avoid the survey. It’s a reason to hire a Licensed Surveyor carefully and to read what they report.
What you do with the pegs matters too. SA Government says that by law you can’t move or remove a survey mark made by a licensed surveyor. If a peg is in the way of building work or a new fence post, talk to the surveyor first and don’t shift it. Permanent survey marks are a separate matter: they must not be disturbed without the Surveyor-General’s approval, fines run up to $2,000 per mark, and they don’t mark the boundary corner. Don’t treat a permanent survey mark in the footpath as your boundary peg.
If the survey shows a structure crossing the line, the next steps are legal ones rather than surveying ones. SA Government says encroachment disputes go to the Supreme Court, and section 4 of the Encroachments Act 1944 lets either owner apply to the Land and Valuation Court. The Surveyors Board is blunt that major discrepancies between boundaries and fencing aren’t uncommon and can sometimes be very difficult to rectify. For that stage, see a conveyancer or solicitor, and use SA Government’s boundaries and fences page as a starting reference.
If your marks have simply gone missing and nothing is in dispute, our note on what to do about missing survey pegs covers the first steps.
What Does a Re-Establishment Survey Cost in Adelaide?
Here’s the honest answer: no one can print you a number that’s safe to rely on. The South Australian firms we checked on 30 September 2026 don’t publish prices for boundary or feature and level surveys. Each says to ask for a quote. Surveyors quote each job, and the price depends on the block, the evidence on site and the type of survey.
Two national cost guides give a rough sense of the scale. They’re not Adelaide prices, and neither states whether GST is included.
| Source | What it describes | Figure it gives | Adelaide price? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trade Heroes national cost guide (updated 6 March 2026) | Boundary survey | $900 to $2,500 | No, national guide |
| EastWest Surveyors national guide (16 November 2025) | Boundary and identification survey | $800 to $2,500 | No, national guide |
| Adelaide surveyors | Re-establishment or identification survey | No published price | Quoted per job after they see the title and the block |
The two guides overlap fairly closely, which is reassuring, but a range that wide means the block and the evidence do most of the work. An Adelaide surveyor quotes your block, and that quote is the only figure that counts.
When quotes come in, compare what each one covers, not just the total. Does it include placing the marks, the plan that records the work and a written report? Does it say whether GST is included? What happens if the evidence turns out to be thin and more work is needed? A lower number that leaves those questions open isn’t necessarily cheaper.
How to Get a Quote and Check the Licence
Start by saying what the survey is for. A fence dispute, a building plan and a purchase all call for different things, and a surveyor who knows the purpose can quote the right job the first time. Then ask for the quote in writing, with the scope, the GST position and what is and is not included.
Licence checking takes an extra step here. There’s no searchable online register in South Australia. The Surveyors Board says you can contact the Registrar at registrar@isasa.org.au or on (08) 8212 0343, or check the Gazette list of Licensed and Registered Surveyors, which is updated each July and January. Licensed Surveyors and Registered Surveyors aren’t the same thing, and Registered Surveyors work in areas other than land boundary definition, such as engineering and mining. For a boundary job you want a Licensed Surveyor.
Read the Identification surveys and Boundary surveys pages for the wider picture. When you’re ready, tell us what the survey is for and we will put you in touch with an independent Licensed Surveyor, who quotes and contracts with you directly. We don’t survey, peg, lodge or manage the work, and we can’t promise a price, a timeframe or where your boundary will turn out to be. If you’d rather speak to someone first, call (08) 5550 3814.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a re-establishment survey the same as a boundary survey?
They overlap, and firms use the terms differently. In South Australia the closest legal category for re-establishing existing boundaries is an identification survey. Ask the surveyor to state in the quote exactly what the work covers, including whether new marks are placed and whether the survey is recorded.
Can I put the pegs back myself or move one that is in the way?
No. Under the Survey Act 1992 only a licensed surveyor, or someone under their supervision, may place a survey mark. SA Government also says you can’t move or remove a survey mark made by a licensed surveyor. If a peg is in the way, ask the surveyor before touching it.
Who pays if my neighbour and I disagree about the fence line?
Under the Fences Act 1975, the cost of a survey reasonably required for fencing work counts as a fencing cost. The Legal Services Commission says that if you both want the survey you can agree to share the cost, but if not, the person who arranges it will have to pay. A solicitor or the Legal Services Commission can advise on your situation.
Does a re-establishment survey settle the dispute?
Not by itself. The pegs represent a Licensed Surveyor’s opinion of where the boundary lies, which gives both sides a reliable starting point. Fence disputes that can’t be settled go to the Magistrates Court, and encroachment disputes go to the Supreme Court.