An ALTA survey has a menu, and most buyers never read it. That menu is Table A, and it decides how much your survey actually tells you. Pick the right options and the survey answers the questions your deal depends on. Pick blindly and you pay for detail you don’t need, or worse, miss detail you do. For a developer, knowing Table A is how you get a survey built for your project instead of a generic one.

Table A Options Show Which Extra Details an ALTA Survey Will Document

Every ALTA survey follows a shared set of national standards. Those standards cover the basics, like boundaries and title matters, on every job. Table A is the part you choose from.

It’s a list of optional items a buyer can add to the survey scope. Each one tells the surveyor to go document something extra. Without a Table A selection, you get the standard survey and nothing more. Add items, and the survey grows to match your needs.

Think of the base survey as the frame. Table A is what you hang on it. The options can pull in things like site improvements, utilities, parking counts, flood data, and building measurements. You decide which ones belong on your survey before the work starts. That single choice shapes how useful the final drawing turns out to be.

Different Table A Choices Answer Different Property Due-Diligence Questions

Each Table A item exists to answer a specific question about the property. The trick is matching the option to the question you actually have.

Some options deal with what sits on the site:

• Improvements like buildings, walls, and paving and where they sit
• Parking spaces and a count of them, which matters for commercial use
• Building dimensions, height, and square footage
• Utility locations based on markings and available records
• Flood zone information tied to published federal maps

A buyer worried about parking ratios cares about the parking count. A lender checking flood risk wants the flood item. A developer planning around underground lines needs the utility option. Same survey, different questions, different Table A picks. You choose the items that map to the risks and plans in front of you. Skip the ones that don’t apply, since each item adds time and cost.

The Right Options Depend on What the Buyer Plans to Do With the Property

There’s no universal Table A list. What you select should follow what you plan to do with the land. A holding investor and a ground-up developer need different things from the same parcel.

A developer planning to build wants utilities, improvements, and site detail that inform design. A lender wants the items that protect the loan, like flood data and clear improvement locations. An investor reviewing risk may want a lighter scope focused on title-related concerns. A commercial buyer keeping the existing building might care most about parking and zoning-related items.

Financing drives some of these choices too. Lenders often hand you a required list of Table A items as a loan condition. If that’s your situation, start there, then add anything your own plans call for. The point is to match the survey to the deal. A redevelopment project and a simple purchase shouldn’t order the same scope, because they’re answering different questions.

Surveyors Need Clear Instructions Before Fieldwork Begins

A surveyor can only document what you ask for before they head to the site. Decide the Table A scope late, and you risk a second trip or a gap in the survey. Decide it early, and the crew collects everything in one pass.

The best starting point is the title commitment. It lists the easements and exceptions the survey should locate and address. Reviewing it with the surveyor up front helps them plan the fieldwork around real title issues, not guesses.

Your project requirements come next. Tell the surveyor what you’re building or buying, and share any list your lender required. With the title commitment, your goals, and the selected Table A items in hand, the surveyor knows exactly what to capture. That clarity keeps the job efficient and the final survey complete. Vague instructions produce a vague survey, and then you’re paying for revisions.

A Well-Chosen Table A Scope Makes the Survey More Useful for Due Diligence

Table A works best when you treat it as a set of choices, not a box to check. A thoughtful selection turns a standard survey into a document built around your actual transaction. A careless one leaves you with detail that doesn’t fit the deal.

Match the options to the property’s real goals. Order what your financing, your build plan, and your risk review actually need. Leave off what doesn’t apply so you’re not paying for extra fieldwork with no payoff. The result is a survey your title company, lender, and design team can all use.

Talk through the options with your surveyor before the order is final. A short conversation about your plans lets them recommend the items that fit. Get the scope right at the start, and the survey earns its cost during due diligence instead of leaving you with questions it was never asked to answer.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Table A in an ALTA survey?

Table A is the optional list of items a buyer can add to an ALTA survey. The base survey covers standard boundary and title matters, and Table A extends it. Options can include improvements, utilities, parking counts, flood data, and building dimensions. You choose which items the surveyor documents based on your project needs.

Which Table A options do lenders usually require?

It varies by lender and deal, so there’s no fixed list. Flood zone information and clear improvement locations are commonly requested. Some lenders also ask for utilities and parking details. Always get your lender’s required Table A list early, then add any items your own plans need.

Do more Table A items cost more?

Yes, each option adds fieldwork, research, or both, which raises the price and can extend the timeline. That’s why picking only the items that fit your project matters. Ordering everything wastes money on detail you may never use. A focused selection keeps cost tied to real value.

When should I choose my Table A options?

Choose them before the surveyor begins fieldwork, ideally right after you review the title commitment. Early selection lets the crew capture everything in one visit. Deciding late can force a return trip or leave gaps in the survey. Share your plans and any lender list with the surveyor up front.