Business and pricing0 answersAI answer
We want to reduce scope disputes with clients.
Asked October 25, 2026
AI answer · not yet verified by a surveyor
A clear written agreement prevents most disputes [1]:
- Client and property: names, address, parcel number.
- Purpose: fence, sale, permit, design or ALTA.
- Scope: services included, such as research, field work, monuments set, the drawing, recording and staking.
- Exclusions: what isn't included, such as extra trips, utility locates, title research and court testimony.
- Deliverables: format, number of copies, digital files.
- Schedule: estimated timing and dependencies (access, weather, records).
- Fees: lump sum or hourly, retainer, payment terms, and fees for changes.
- Access and permission to enter the property.
- Limits of liability and any standards referenced, such as state minimum standards or ALTA.
- Signatures and the date.
Have a local attorney review your template once. Then reuse and update it.
General information only. Answers here are not a survey or legal advice, and no one here can tell you where your boundary is. For your property, hire a licensed land surveyor in your state; for legal questions, a real-estate attorney.