Understanding ALTA Table A Item 4: Gross Land Area

Table A Item 4 assigns a value to the amount of land in an ALTA/NSPS survey. It seems like a straight-forward calculation. However, it originates from a series of computations. It also complicates issues if it doesn‘t align with other documents for a transaction.

What the Gross Land Area Figure Actually Represents

Item 4 requires the surveyor to report the gross land area. The standard provides for the client to also request other areas. Any additional areas must be identified by the client.

Gross land area is one number. It is typically given in square feet, acres, or both. It is not the same as the boundary description on the survey. The boundary description lists line bearings and distances around the parcel. The area figure is a different calculation. It is derived from that boundary. 

That number did not come from an account of land, a listing sheet, a tax bill, or an old deed. The surveyor figured that number from the boundary lines established by the survey, and that‘s what Item 4 is for. It provides a land area figure to the client that is based on actual field work, not just reprinted from somewhere.

Where the Area Number Comes From on the Survey

The acreage of the area is directly related to that property the surveyor marks out. The surveyor finds and verifies the boundary corners and lines. This enclosed boundary is used to determine the acreage.

The surveyor then relays this by using the boundary corner points to determine the area within. This is normal boundary survey practice. This occurs after the field measurements are taken and the boundary closure has been checked.

The figure on the area is only as accurate as the boundary that it is based upon. If the boundary has been calculated from a complete field survey, using monument positions and check measurements, then the figure on the area can be treated with the same level of confidence. If the boundary is derived from record information then that is reflected in the figure on the area, in essence the area figure is only as accurate as the boundary work behind it.

Gross Area vs. Other Areas a Client May Request

But the Item 4 wording continues with a second part. Said item 4 continues “and other areas if specified by the client.” That‘s significant. Gross land area alone doesn‘t generate for the client all the sub areas she might need. 

This could be a client who requested the area of a single lot in a large subdivision. There could also be a client wanting the acreage of a piece of land that has been traversed by an easement.  Possibilities could include a client asking for the acreage that remains after a right-of-way occurs. Any of these are calculations that are not part of the survey.  Only Item 4 does not contain the above calculations, you need to state it. 

It is a common feature of development and leasing transactions. An acquirer typically wants several levels of figures. For example, a developer may be acquiring a portion of an overall site and want to know the price for the sub-divided part. Equally, a tenant entering into a ground lease may wish to have the area specifically disclosed.

None of the above addresses the issue of defining square footage. Measured building area, broken out as a separate item in Table A, is actually a separate item for the purpose of estimating value. That is not Item 4. Item 4 is only the land area. 

Additional areas needed by a client must be specified when the survey is placed. An indistinct inquiry frequently results in a survey that addresses the wrong question.

Why the Surveyed Area May Not Match a Property Listing

A listing, a tax record, a deed and an appraisal can all define different sizes for the land parcel.  This occurs more frequently than most buyers realize. It doesn‘t mean any of these figures are incorrect. 

The boundary figure for each document is derived from a different process. An assessor‘s field book for a tax document is often used as a source for the boundary area. It may be outdated.  An older deed may list an area based on older technology and boundary material. A listing may be taken directly from many sources without review. An appraisal may take from any or all of those sources. Occasionally, an appraiser may also use an ALTA survey if they have an existing survey.

The ALTA survey area is from a current field survey. It is of a boundary that meets the ALTA/NSPS standard. That doesn‘t make older numbers inaccurate. It means that the ALTA number was generated a particular way, at a specific time, when the field-verified boundary data was available.

If the survey census area doesn‘t match a listing, another old document, here‘s the trick. Ask… “what yielded that older number, and when”? More often than not, that question gets to the root of the difference before slipping into an assumption of error.

What to Confirm Before Ordering Item 4

First thing to ask prior to the request for Item 4. What is it that the deal actually requires? Is the gross land area alone sufficient to answer? Or does the deal require additional areas and/or dimensions? A basic acquisition of one bare (ground) lot may only require the gross calculation.  Larger deals generally require additional calculations. This is also true of: a partial acquisition, an easement or a ground lease. 

Discuss scope with your surveyor and other deal team members prior to the fieldwork. Lenders, title companies and attorneys tend to have their own preconceived notions. They may insist that certain spaces are delineated on the survey. Clarify that scope early, so you do not need to ask for a change order after the crew departs.

If a deal has standards 2026,  the wording in Table A can be amended. The same may be true for Item 4. The surveyor and client can agree on the precise wording. The law must still be satisfied so there is space to specify which areas are important for a specific deal as opposed to default wording.

Question the surveyor a few simple questions prior to distributing a survey with Item 4: 

• Am I only concerned with the gross land land or certain sub-areas as well?
• What are the boundary data of the area calculation? Is there any record data assigned to the boundary data?
• Has the area been designated in the survey order in the event that my deal is a partial acquisition, easement or ground lease?
• If my area figure is different from a listing, deed, or tax record, can you tell me what probably caused the discrepancy? 

But it‘s a good starting point. And it won‘t fill in gaps between the documents. They will guarantee the survey provides the specified building details the deal really requires.