The national average land surveyor’s cost ranges from $450 to $630. You may need a survey on a house if you have a dispute with a neighboring property owner or there are questions raised during a property sale. A land survey can determine whether a building that currently exists on your land, or a house or building that you intend to construct on your land, is completely confined by your property lines. Area zoning laws also may require that you have a survey done prior to starting construction on a house to ensure you meet building requirements such as building a minimum distance from the street. You may also want a survey on a house that you intend to buy or sell, or that you currently inhabit, to determine if it is in a designated flood zone. This may provide you with legal support when applying for assistance from government bodies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).