Location certificate: what you need, and when

It is a report and plan prepared, signed and sealed by a land surveyor, describing the current state of a property: lot boundaries, buildings and structures, easements, encroachments and compliance with zoning bylaws. It is the document required by the notary and by the mortgage lender for a real estate transaction in Québec.

There is no fixed rate. The price depends on the lot's area, the number of buildings, the complexity of the title and cadastre, whether an earlier certificate exists, and the requested timeline. We provide a firm price in writing before starting, with no hidden fees.

The timeline depends on the time of year, title research at the land registry, and access to the property. We confirm a firm date as soon as we receive your request and prioritize files with a notarized signing date already set.

No law sets an expiry date. It remains valid as long as it accurately reflects the property and the cadastre. As soon as a structure is added or modified, it becomes outdated. In practice, many lenders and notaries require a document less than ten years old.

You must order it from a land surveyor. Provide the address, lot number, your title of ownership and the target signing date. The land surveyor conducts the title search, the on-site survey, then prepares the signed and sealed plan and report.

The original copy is usually found in your notarial file or with the land surveyor who prepared it, who is required to keep their minutes. If you don't know who produced it, your notary or lender can often trace it. Otherwise, a new certificate must be ordered.

Only a land surveyor who is a member of the Ordre des arpenteurs-géomètres du Québec can prepare, sign and seal a location certificate. They bear professional liability for the content of the document.

The plan shows the lot boundaries, the position of buildings and their distances to property lines. The written report accompanies the plan and flags irregularities: encroachment, zoning non-compliance, easements, insufficient setbacks. These are the items the notary reviews first.