Land Surveying Services
Specific Use Permit Survey
When a business — a day care, a private school, a game room, a bar — wants a location the property is not zoned to allow, the city may permit the use through a specific use permit. The request goes through the zoning process and is granted by the municipality. Not every Texas city zones, and some call the same mechanism a special use or conditional use permit, so the first question is what your city calls it.
What this service involves
Overview
Where a city asks for a survey with the application, it uses it to judge whether the proposed use suits the site. Whether one is required, and what it must show, comes from that city's own ordinance and checklist rather than from state law.
The survey shows the property boundary, existing improvements, parking, access, and other site features the city evaluates, along with any items its application checklist requires. The planning and zoning commission reviews and recommends; the city's governing body grants the permit by ordinance after a public hearing.
We work from the city's SUP application requirements so the survey supports the zoning case as submitted.
Common uses
- Specific Use Permit applications
- Zoning cases before a city council
- Change of use on an existing commercial property
Who this service is for
- Business Owners
- Commercial Tenants
- Developers
- Zoning Consultants
What you receive
- PDF survey delivered by email
- Signed hardcopies upon request
- Trimmed DWG/CAD data upon request
How the process works
Step 1 — Contact Us
You contact us with the property, the proposed use, and the city's SUP application requirements.
Step 2 — Review and Confirm
We research deed records, plats, and other documents to confirm scope, pricing, and timeline with you.
Step 3 — Field Work Scheduled
Our in-house field crew locates the boundary, improvements, and site features the application requires.
Step 4 — Office Processing
Our in-house drafting department prepares the drawing, which is reviewed and approved by a Registered Professional Land Surveyor.
Step 5 — Delivery
The survey is delivered by email as a PDF (signed hardcopies for the application available upon request).
Frequently asked questions
Who decides whether the permit is approved?
The municipality, through its zoning process. The survey is one part of the application; the city evaluates the proposed use and site against its zoning ordinance.
What does the city require on the survey?
It varies by city. Most want the boundary, existing improvements, parking, and access shown. We work from your city's application checklist so the survey matches what they ask for.
Related services
ALTA Survey
American Land Title Association surveys for commercial properties, quoted with the Table A items they cover.
As-Built Survey
A survey of a piece of property with all improvements shown.
Plot Plan (Site Plan)
A drawing of proposed improvements, such as a residence or accessory building, on a property, typically for permitting.
Sources
- 1. Texas Local Government Code § 211.006 — procedures for adopting zoning regulations. A municipality's governing body adopts zoning regulations and grants the permit after a public hearing, on the planning and zoning commission's recommendation. Specific use permits come from each city's own ordinance rather than from state law, so the application requirements vary by city. Accessed .