Understanding when Western Australian law requires professional surveying services
In Western Australia, certain surveying work can only be performed by a licensed surveyor. The Licensed Surveyors Act 1909 establishes the legal framework that protects property rights and ensures survey accuracy. Understanding when you legally need a licensed surveyor can save you from costly mistakes and ensure your work is legally valid.
A licensed surveyor in Western Australia is a professional who has:
Licensed surveyors are authorised to perform cadastral surveys - surveys that define property boundaries and create new land titles. They are legally responsible for the accuracy of their work and must maintain professional indemnity insurance.
The register of licensed surveyors is maintained by Landgate, and you can verify a surveyor's licence status through their website.
Any subdivision of land in Western Australia must be surveyed by a licensed surveyor. This includes:
The subdivision survey creates a deposited plan that is lodged with Landgate. Only a licensed surveyor can prepare and certify these plans.
When you need a legally authoritative determination of your property boundaries, a licensed surveyor is required. This includes:
A boundary survey by a licensed surveyor provides legally defensible evidence of boundary positions. While others may claim to locate boundaries, only a licensed surveyor's determination has legal standing.
All strata surveys require a licensed surveyor. This includes:
See our guide on strata titles in WA for more information.
When creating new easements over property (such as drainage easements, access easements, or service easements), a licensed surveyor must prepare the documentation. This ensures the easement is correctly defined and can be registered on the title.
Any survey work involving Crown land (government-owned land) must be performed by a licensed surveyor. This includes surveys for:
While not always legally required, engaging a licensed surveyor is strongly recommended for:
Before building close to property boundaries, you should have a licensed surveyor confirm boundary positions. While councils may accept other forms of certification for some building applications, a boundary survey provides certainty that your building will not encroach on neighbouring land.
Construction setout services don't legally require a licensed surveyor, but using one provides assurance that your building is positioned correctly relative to boundaries and complies with setback requirements.
When purchasing property, a boundary survey can reveal issues such as:
While not required, a pre-purchase survey can prevent expensive surprises after settlement.
If you want your fence exactly on the legal boundary, a licensed surveyor should mark the boundary positions. While you can build a fence without a survey, you risk it being in the wrong location.
If you have a disagreement with your neighbour about boundaries, a survey from a licensed surveyor provides objective evidence. This can resolve disputes before they escalate to legal proceedings. See our guide on understanding WA property boundaries for more information.
Some surveying work doesn't require a licensed surveyor:
A detail survey (also called a feature or contour survey) maps existing features on a property without defining legal boundaries. While many licensed surveyors offer this service, it can technically be performed by other qualified professionals.
However, if the detail survey needs to show boundary positions, a licensed surveyor is required for the boundary component.
Engineering surveys for construction projects, including setout, monitoring, and as-built surveys, don't specifically require a licensed surveyor unless they involve boundary definition.
Surveys for calculating stockpile volumes or earthworks quantities don't require a licensed surveyor.
General topographic mapping that doesn't involve property boundaries can be performed by other professionals.
Using an unlicensed person for work that requires a licensed surveyor carries significant risks:
Before engaging a surveyor for work requiring a licence, verify their credentials:
Reputable survey firms will readily provide this information.
Licensed surveyor services represent a significant professional fee, but this reflects:
See our guide on land survey costs in Perth for typical pricing.
Our team of licensed surveyors provides boundary surveys, subdivision surveys, and all cadastral survey services across Perth. Contact us for professional advice on your survey requirements.
Contact Us Call (08) 5122 5501Get legally compliant survey work from licensed professionals.