Farm Land Survey and Farmhouse Layout with DGPS

Why do farm owners order a farm land survey?

Most start with a simple question: how much land do I have, and where are its edges? Old revenue maps, inherited partitions and decades of ploughing a little further each season leave many owners unsure. A measured survey answers with numbers instead of memory.

The reasons we hear most often are:

• Selling or buying: the buyer wants the area and boundary confirmed before paying.
• Family partition: relatives dividing a holding want each share measured and marked.
• Boundary dispute: a neighbour's fence or bund has moved, and a boundary survey shows by how much.
• Fencing or a boundary wall: the contractor needs exact corner points.
• Farmhouse or orchard planning: the architect or landscaper needs a measured plan.
• Land levelling and irrigation: levels show where water stands and runs off.

How are farm areas measured in local units?

We measure in square metres and report the area in whatever units your land records use. In Haryana and Punjab, one acre is eight kanal, one kanal is twenty marla, and a marla is 272.25 sq ft. Consolidated villages laid fields out as killas, a standard killa being one acre, commonly 36 by 40 karam. Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar use bigha and biswa, but a bigha changes size between states and even districts.

That variation causes real arguments, because a bigha deed from one area and a buyer from another can disagree widely about the same field. Our area statement shows square metres and acres beside the local unit and states the conversion. To check a figure, convert local land units with our free tool.

Does a private survey settle a boundary dispute?

No. A private survey gives accurate measurements; official demarcation is the revenue department's job. In Haryana, Punjab and most northern states, the patwari and kanungo carry out nishandehi on application to the tehsil, using the revenue map. Our drawing prepares you for that visit, shows whether the field matches its khasra or killa numbers and sizes any difference before it becomes a dispute.

Many owners order a survey first and then apply to the tehsil knowing what to expect; others use the drawing to agree property boundaries with a neighbour.

How is the survey done in the field?

DGPS base and rover for corners and control, total station where trees or buildings block the sky, and a level grid where heights matter. DGPS works by letting a base station on a known point correct the gps signals received by the rover.

1. Papers and walk-over: you show us the field and share the jamabandi, fard or sale deed and any old map.
2. Control: the base is set on a stable point, with extra control for long or scattered holdings.
3. Corners and features: corners, bunds, pillars, tube wells, trees, sheds, channels and paths are picked.
4. Levels: where needed, spot levels on a grid give a plan with contour lines.
5. Marking: corners can be pegged or pillared the same day.

How does a partition survey work for a family holding?

We measure the whole holding, divide it on paper by the agreed shares, and only then mark the new lines on the ground. That order avoids the commonest partition mistake: each brother measuring from a different corner, so the shares never add up.

The steps:

1. The complete holding is surveyed, with every corner, bund, tube well and access path.
2. The family gives the agreed shares, such as equal thirds or a fixed area to one member.
3. We draw two or three division options, weighing road frontage, tube well access and shape; a long thin strip may have the right area but be useless to farm.
4. Once an option is chosen, the new corners are pegged in front of everyone.
5. Each member receives a plan of his or her share with its area and corner coordinates.

This drawing is a private agreement aid. Mutation of the revenue record in each name is a separate step with the revenue office.

What extra work does a farmhouse need?

A farmhouse turns a field into a small site, so the survey adds a site plan, drainage levels and a check for anything buried. Older farms hide irrigation pipes, borewell cables and the odd buried tank, which a new septic tank or water line can cut. Before digging, see more about Call Before You Dig in India on which services can be checked and when a scan pays.

We set out the construction layouts from the architect's plan: house footprint, boundary wall, gate, internal road, borewell and tank, with the plinth fixed above the surrounding ground. Once built, a record of pipes, cables, septic and borewell saves trouble later; ask who to call for as built survey work then.

What you receive

What does a farm land survey cost?

The price depends on field size, how many corners and features you need, and whether levels are included.

• Land survey and demarcation: from ₹8,000 for a plot up to 1 acre, ₹2,000 per extra acre; record-based work priced after seeing the papers.
• DGPS survey: up to 1 acre from ₹12,000; 1–5 acres ₹2,500 per acre (minimum ₹12,000).
• Contour survey: ₹15,000 minimum, covering up to 1 acre; 1–10 acres ₹3,500 per acre; ₹2,000 for each acre beyond the first 10.
• Drone survey for large holdings: from ₹40,000 per site up to 25 acres, ₹1,500 per extra acre.
• Farmhouse layout or stake-out: ₹8,000 per crew-day.

All rates exclude GST; a written quote fixes the amount for your field. In Delhi NCR a crew reaches the field the same day or within 1 working day. In other states, a team member living near the village starts at once or within 1 working day, and any travel cost that applies is written into the quote. Drawings follow within about three working days.

Share the location pin, field size and your papers, and get help with your site from our survey team.

Frequently asked questions

Can you survey a field with crops standing?

Yes, corners and boundaries can be picked around crops; a level grid is easier after harvest or before sowing.

Do I need to be present on the day?

It helps if a family member shows the field and the corners believed correct. Papers can be shared in advance.

Will you fix concrete pillars at the corners?

Each corner gets a peg on the day. Your mason can cast permanent concrete pillars at the marked points, and we can re-check them afterwards.

What file do I get to share with buyers?

A PDF plan and a KMZ for Google Earth. Details on GPR survey deliverables also shows how scan layers look if you add a utility scan for a farmhouse.

How accurate is a DGPS farm survey?

With satellite based positioning corrected by DGPS, 1–2 cm horizontally and 2–3 cm vertically for points with a good sky view.

Can you match my field to the revenue map?

We can overlay the revenue map you provide on our survey to show differences, but only revenue officials can certify the boundary.

Written by Saniya Parveen · Technically reviewed by Rahul Rai · Updated 8 November 2026