Do I Need a Survey to Sell Land in Texas? Surveys, Plats and Selling Part of a Tract
A survey is not required for every Texas land sale, but selling only part of your land can require both a survey and a recorded plat. Here is when each one comes up, who can do the work, who pays, and the 10-acre and 5-acre rules that let many rural splits skip the plat.
Updated Nov 3, 2026 · By the Twin Sun Land Company team
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The short version
- No survey is needed for many whole-tract sales; it usually comes from the contract, a lender or the title company.
- Only a state-registered or licensed surveyor may survey land in Texas (Occupations Code § 1071.251).
- Dividing land outside a city into lots needs a plat, even by deed (Local Gov’t Code § 232.001).
- Outside a city, no plat may be required if every lot is over 10 acres with no streets (§ 232.0015(f)).
- Inside a city or its ETJ, parts over 5 acres with access and no public improvement are exempt (§ 212.004).
Do I need a survey to sell land in Texas?
Not always. A survey usually comes from the deal, not the sale itself: the contract calls for one, the buyer’s lender or title company asks for one, the legal description is unclear, or you are selling only part of a tract. Many sales of whole rural tracts close on the existing legal description.
| A survey is often asked for when | Why |
|---|---|
| The contract says so | The TREC land contract has a survey paragraph with a checkbox for who pays (TREC No. 9-18, para. 6C) |
| The buyer uses a loan | Lenders often want to see the boundaries and any encroachments |
| The title company wants boundary coverage | Without a survey, title policies often carve out boundary problems |
| The legal description is old or unclear | The deed has to describe the land exactly |
| You are selling part of a tract | The new piece needs its own description, and maybe a plat (Local Gov’t Code ch. 232 or 212) |
On the Texas Real Estate Commission’s land contract, who pays for a new survey is a checkbox the buyer and seller fill in (TREC No. 9-18, paragraph 6C). Read it before you sign: who pays which Texas closing cost.
Who can survey land in Texas?
Only a surveyor registered or licensed by the state. Texas law makes it illegal to practice surveying, offer it, or call yourself a land surveyor without that registration or license (Occupations Code § 1071.251). Most land work is done by a Registered Professional Land Surveyor (RPLS).
“Professional surveying” covers locating property boundaries, platting and laying out land and subdivisions, and preparing plats, field notes, easements and property descriptions (§ 1071.002(6)). A separate license, the licensed state land surveyor, is for land the state or the permanent school fund has an interest in and for original surveys filed with the General Land Office (§ 1071.002(5)). Ask for the surveyor’s registration number and a signed, sealed plat.
Can I sell part of my land in Texas without a plat?
Sometimes. Outside a city, you need a recorded plat if you divide a tract into two or more parts to lay out a subdivision, lots or streets, even if you do it with a metes-and-bounds deed or a contract for deed (Local Government Code § 232.001). But the county may not require one if, say, every lot is over 10 acres.
| Dividing land outside a city: the county may not require a plat if | Statute |
|---|---|
| Every lot is more than 10 acres | § 232.0015(f) |
| The land will be used mainly for agriculture, farm, ranch, wildlife management or timber (platting applies if that use stops) | § 232.0015(c), (d) |
| Four or fewer parts, each going to a relative of the owner within the third degree | § 232.0015(e) |
| The parts go to people who already co-own the whole tract (a plat is due before any further development) | § 232.0015(k) |
| Two parts: you keep one, and the buyer of the other will plat it under the chapter | § 232.0015(j) |
| All lots go to veterans through the Veterans’ Land Board program | § 232.0015(g) |
Each of these exceptions also requires that you lay out no streets, alleys, parks or other parts for public use (§ 232.001(a)(3)). Counties may also set their own classes of divisions that need no plat (§ 232.0015(a)), so ask the county before you sign.
A plat is not a formality. It has to describe the subdivision by metes and bounds, tie it to an original corner of the original survey, give the size of each lot and street, be acknowledged by the owner, and be recorded with the county clerk (§ 232.001(b)-(d)). That means a surveyor, a county review and time.
What if the land is inside a city or its ETJ?
City rules apply instead. Inside a city or its extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ), dividing land into lots or a subdivision needs a plat (Local Government Code § 212.004). Splits into parts larger than 5 acres are not covered, as long as each part has access and no public improvement is dedicated.
Check both the city and the county before you split: the planning office tells you whether your land is in a city’s ETJ and which rules apply. If the split would leave one piece with no road, see selling landlocked land in Texas first.
Who pays for a survey when you sell land in Texas?
Whoever the contract says. On the TREC land contract it is a checkbox (paragraph 6C), so it can be the buyer or the seller. Settle it in writing before you sign, along with what happens if the survey shows a problem, such as a fence off the line or no recorded access.
A survey can also change the deal: a tract that measures smaller than the deed says, a neighbor’s fence over the line, or an easement nobody mentioned. Most contracts give the buyer time to object and the seller time to fix it. Selling without an agent? How to sell land by owner in Texas.
Can I sell Texas land without a survey?
Yes, in many cases. If the legal description in your deed is clear, you are selling the whole tract, and the buyer and title company don’t ask for one, the sale can close without a new survey. A cash buyer has no lender, which removes one of the most common reasons a survey is ordered.
If you sell to us: We pay all closing costs (title, closing fee, notary and recording), and there is no commission. Texas has no transfer tax or deed stamps. Only a mortgage, liens or back taxes owed on the land come out of the sale proceeds, paid off by the title company at closing. You don’t need to order a survey before you ask for an offer. If the title company needs a survey for a specific problem, we will tell you in writing how it will be handled before you sign.
How selling land in Texas works · what Texas land is worth per acre · Land in Oklahoma? Do I need a survey to sell land in Oklahoma?
Please note. General information, not legal advice. Laws change and every title is different, so confirm your situation with a Texas attorney or your county tax office before you act.
Who wrote this. Twin Sun Land Co. is a direct cash buyer of vacant and rural land in Oklahoma and Texas. We are one of the options on this page, so we have a stake in the answer. Our mission: Twin Sun Land Company exists to serve landowners: we make selling land simple, transparent, and fair, so every owner walks away with the most value their property can bring. The Texas rules here come from the Texas statutes linked in the sources.
Frequently asked questions
Is a survey required to sell land in Texas?
Not always. It usually comes from the contract, the buyer’s lender or the title company. Many whole rural tracts sell on the existing legal description.
Who can do a land survey in Texas?
Only a surveyor registered or licensed by the state, usually a Registered Professional Land Surveyor (Occupations Code 1071.251).
Do I need a plat to sell part of my land in Texas?
Outside a city, a plat is required when you divide land into lots or a subdivision, even by deed (Local Government Code 232.001), unless an exception applies.
Can I split off more than 10 acres in Texas without a plat?
Outside a city, a county may not require a plat if every lot is more than 10 acres and you lay out no streets or public areas (Local Government Code 232.0015(f)).
Can I give or sell land to family in Texas without a plat?
Outside a city, a county may not require one for 4 or fewer parts that each go to a relative within the third degree, with no streets (232.0015(e)).
Who pays for the survey when selling Texas land?
Whoever the contract says. On the TREC land contract it is a checkbox in paragraph 6C.
Sources
Every rule on this page comes from the Texas Occupations Code and Local Government Code, read November 3, 2026, plus the TREC Unimproved Property Contract. Counties and cities add their own subdivision rules, so check with them and a Texas attorney or surveyor before you split land. How to cite: Twin Sun Land Company team, “Do I Need a Survey to Sell Land in Texas?,” Twin Sun Land Co., November 2026.
- Who must be registered or licensed to survey land in Texas: Occupations Code § 1071.251
- What professional surveying covers: boundaries, platting and laying out subdivisions, property descriptions: Occupations Code § 1071.002
- Plat required to divide land outside a city into lots or a subdivision; a deed or contract for deed counts: Local Government Code § 232.001
- When a county may not require a plat: over 10 acres, ag use, relatives, co-owners and more: Local Government Code § 232.0015
- Plat rules inside a city or its extraterritorial jurisdiction; the over-5-acre exception: Local Government Code § 212.004
- Who pays for a new survey on the standard land contract is a checkbox (para. 6C): TREC Unimproved Property Contract, TREC No. 9-18 (PDF)
More for Texas landowners
Last updated Nov 3, 2026. General information, not legal, tax or financial advice.
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