How Commercial Buyers Decide Which ALTA Table A Items to Request
Table A can feel like a menu with too many choices. A commercial ALTA survey lets the buyer add optional checks, and there are more than a dozen to pick from. Grab all of them and the bill climbs while the closing slows. Choosing the wrong items can leave out a detail that could affect the deal. Smart buyers treat the list as a set of decisions, each tied to the specific property and plan. The key is knowing which ones matter most.
Let Your Plans for the Property Guide the List
What you plan to do with the property should drive your choices. A buyer who will run the building as-is needs less detail than one planning to tear it down. Redevelopment, expansion, and new construction each raise different questions about the site. Those questions point to which optional items earn their spot.
Say you want to add a wing in three years. Then survey details about improvements and site features near that spot start to matter.
Split Lender and Title Demands From Your Own Wish List
Not every item on the survey comes from you. Lenders and title insurers often demand specific Table A items before they’ll fund or insure the deal. Those are non-negotiable, so pin them down first. Then look at what you want on top for your own peace of mind.
Keeping the two groups separate keeps the scope honest. Under the current ALTA and NSPS standards, Table A stays a set of optional items, so nothing gets added by default. Ask the lender and title company for their list early. That way you’re not stacking your requests on top of theirs at the last minute.
Read the Property Before You Read the Menu
Two commercial deals almost never call for the same list. A big site with several buildings raises questions a small single-tenant lot never will. Steep grade changes, lots of paving, or rights that reach off the property can each make a certain item worth the cost. The property itself tells you where to look.
Walk the site, or at least study what you already know about it. A flat, plain lot needs little. A sprawling campus with easements running off-site needs far more. Match the options to what’s actually on the ground, and you avoid paying for detail the property doesn’t need.
Know What Each Choice Adds to the Job
Every item you add changes the work behind the survey. Some are quick. Others send the crew across the road to map off-site areas or dig through extra records. Before you check a box, ask the surveyor what that box really costs in time and money.
A single option can double parts of the fieldwork. Mapping distant easements or tracking down old records takes hours, a simple option never would. Knowing that upfront lets you weigh each request against its price. You might keep the ones that matter and drop the ones that just pad the bill.
Lock the Scope With the Whole Team First
The worst time to change a survey is right before closing. Late additions force rework, push back dates, and rack up rush fees. Getting the buyer, surveyor, lender, and title team on the same page early stops that. One meeting about scope can save weeks of back-and-forth.
Everyone should agree on the final list before the crew heads out. That way the surveyor prices and plans the whole job once. No one shows up at the closing table asking for a detail that was never ordered. A settled scope keeps the deal on track.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who typically decides which ALTA Table A items a commercial buyer should request?
The buyer makes the final call, but rarely alone. Lenders and title insurers often require certain items, and the surveyor advises on what fits the property. Attorneys may weigh in on legal risks too. The best lists come from that group agreeing together before the survey starts.
Should a buyer request every available ALTA Table A item?
No, ordering all of them wastes money and slows the deal. Each item adds cost and time, whether the property needs it or not. The right picks depend on the plan, the lender’s rules, and the site itself. A focused list gives better value than a full one.
How does the intended use of a commercial property affect Table A selections?
Your plans shape which details actually matter. A buyer keeping the building as-is needs less than one planning to expand or rebuild. Future construction raises questions about improvements and site features that a simple hold does not. Starting with the intended use narrows the list to what fits.
Can a lender or title insurer request specific Table A items?
Yes, lenders and title insurers often require their own items. They want certain details before they’ll fund the loan or insure the title. Those requests usually come as conditions the buyer has to meet. Getting their list early keeps it from clashing with your own choices.
When should Table A selections be finalized with the surveyor?
Finalize the list before the surveyor begins fieldwork. Early agreement lets the crew price, plan, and complete the job in one pass. Late changes force rework and can delay the closing. Settling the scope up front keeps the whole transaction on schedule.