Boundary Surveys — Know Exactly Where Your Property Begins & Ends
Understanding where your property boundaries are located on the ground is fundamental to responsible land ownership. Without a boundary survey, you may be building in the wrong location, fencing over a neighbour's land, or leaving yourself exposed to costly disputes and legal complications down the track. South Coast Surveyors provides professional boundary surveys for residential, commercial, and rural properties throughout the Illawarra, Wollongong, and the New South Wales South Coast — physically re-establishing your boundaries and marking them with survey pegs so you know exactly where you stand.
A boundary survey is best understood by its result: pegs in the ground. Rather than simply reporting on where boundaries should be, a boundary survey involves the physical re-establishment and marking of those boundaries on site, providing a definitive, legally recognised reference for the extent of your property.
What Does a Boundary Survey Involve?
A boundary survey carried out by South Coast Surveyors typically includes:
- Research of the relevant title and deposited plan documentation
- Recovery and assessment of existing survey marks in the area
- Field survey to re-establish boundary positions using registered survey methods
- Placement of boundary pegs at corners and along the boundary lines
- Preparation of a survey plan or field notes as required
- Formal certification by the Registered Land Surveyor
When Is a Boundary Survey Required?
A boundary survey is recommended or required in a number of common situations:
- Before erecting a new fence — to ensure it is built on the correct boundary
- Before constructing a new dwelling, garage, or outbuilding near a boundary
- When there is a dispute with a neighbouring property over boundary location
- As part of a development or subdivision process
- When purchasing a property and needing certainty about its extent
- Where existing pegs are missing, damaged, or of uncertain origin
- For rural and farming properties where boundaries cover large areas
South Coast Surveyors uses state-of-the-art survey equipment and technology — including GPS / GNSS and total station equipment — to accurately re-establish and mark property boundaries. Our approach combines rigorous research of historical survey data with precise field measurements, ensuring that every boundary we mark is established to the highest professional standard.
Our registered land surveyor Timothy John Sigley (Licence No. SU009054, NSW) holds full registration with the Board of Surveying and Spatial Information and has the legal authority to carry out cadastral surveys and place legally recognised boundary marks throughout New South Wales.
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Boundary Survey FAQs
How is a boundary determined if the original survey pegs are missing?
Boundary re-establishment in NSW is governed by the Surveying and Spatial Information Act 2002 and associated regulations. When original pegs are missing, a registered land surveyor uses the available evidence to re-establish the boundary — including existing survey marks in the surrounding area, measurement relationships from the deposited plan, occupation evidence such as fences and buildings, and any other relevant physical or documentary evidence. The surveyor applies professional judgement to determine the most probable position of the boundary in accordance with the legal hierarchy of evidence.
Is a boundary survey legally binding?
A boundary survey carried out by a Registered Land Surveyor in NSW creates a legally recognised re-establishment of the cadastral boundary. The survey marks placed by the surveyor are protected under NSW legislation, and interfering with or removing them is an offence. The survey plan and field notes prepared as part of the survey can be used as legal evidence of boundary position in property disputes and legal proceedings.
Can you survey a boundary between my property and Crown land or a road reserve?
Yes. South Coast Surveyors can survey boundaries between private properties and Crown land, road reserves, and other public land. These surveys follow the same principles as private boundary surveys but may require additional research and coordination with relevant government agencies. We are experienced in surveying a wide range of boundary types throughout the Illawarra and South Coast region.