An Improvement Location Certificate (also referred to as an ILC or Mortgage Survey) is generally required by lenders and title insurance companies for real estate transactions. An ILC is an inspection of a property by a Colorado Professional Land Surveyor, to locate improvements (permanent structures, fences, above ground utilities, driveways, etc.) in relation to the property boundary lines along with existing property corners, platted building setbacks and easements. This is usually done to meet some requirements of either a title insurance company, lender, investor, property buyer or as stipulated in a contract to buy and sell real estate.

By definition Colorado Revised Statutes:
Improvement Survey Plat means a land survey plat as defined in subsection (12) of CRS 38-51-102 resulting from a monumented land survey showing the location of all structures, visible utilities, fences, hedges, or walls situated on the described parcel and within five feet of all boundaries of such parcel, any conflicting boundary evidence or visible encroachments, and all easements, underground utilities, and tunnels for which properly recorded evidence is available from the county clerk and recorder, a title insurance company, or other sources as specified on the improvement survey plat.

An ALTA SURVEY is a land survey with especially stringent requirements as developed by a joint effort of the American Land Title Association and the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping. The ALTA standards are a nationwide uniform set of standards. The survey is specifically designed to satisfy the needs of lenders, corporations and title companies when dealing with valuable commercial properties. An ALTA survey is a boundary survey that has been jointly prepared and adopted by the ALTA/ACSM.

A scale drawing of the boundaries of the land parcel including all recorded and apparent rights-of-way and easements with a clear description of what was found or set. The map is deposited with the county.

An Existing Conditions/Design Survey (also known as a Topographic Map) is often requested by engineers, architects or building contractors who need to know information about overall existing site grade and elevations. This information may be used to determine placement of site improvements, estimate the volume of dirt to be moved, or for many other construction and development purposes.

A Subdivision Plat is prepared to divide a parcel of land into smaller parcels or lots. The process generally begins with a Sketch Plan, then moves into a Preliminary Plan and then to Final Plat, with all steps going through a city, town or county review process. The recording of the Final Plat establishes the smaller parcels which can then be sold. The platting process can require Boundary and Topographic Surveys along with property corner monumentation prior to Final Plat recording.

A Site Plan is a drawing of your property showing the property lines and any improvements that currently exist on the land (house, garage, fence, etc.) and where your new house, proposed addition, deck, porch, garage, fence, etc is to be located. Site Plans are generally required by cities, towns or counties prior to issuing building permits.