Located in Pennsburg, Pennsylvania, at the juncture of Lehigh, Bucks, Montgomery and Berks Counties.
Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
Land Surveying in Allentown, PA
Boundary, ALTA, topographic, and construction surveying for Allentown and Lehigh Valley projects.
Serving Allentown & the Lehigh Valley
Land Surveying Services for Allentown Projects
Horizon Engineering has been serving Allentown and the Lehigh Valley since 2001. Our office in Pennsburg sits at the junction of Montgomery, Bucks, Berks, and Lehigh Counties, which puts us close to Allentown and means we have been working within Lehigh County's regulatory environment for over two decades.
If you have a project in Allentown right now, there is one thing worth knowing before you start: the City adopted a new Zoning Ordinance and a new Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance in October 2025, effective January 1, 2026. It was a comprehensive update. If your project was scoped or permitted under the old codes, some of those requirements have changed. We are current on the new SALDO and can tell you specifically how it affects what you are planning to do.
Beyond the code update, Allentown land development involves several review bodies depending on your project scope: the City's Planning and Zoning Division at 435 Hamilton Street, the Allentown City Planning Commission, the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission for regional coordination, and the Lehigh County Conservation District if your project involves any land disturbance. Historic district work adds the Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB). We know the sequence and can help you avoid the delays that come from going to the wrong agency at the wrong time.
Our survey staff works alongside our civil engineers and land development planners in the same office, so when your Allentown project needs both survey and site design, you are not coordinating between two separate firms.
What We Offer
Surveying Services for Allentown and Lehigh County
From a residential boundary retracement in South Whitehall Township to an ALTA survey for a Hamilton Street commercial closing, our survey staff handles the full range. Below is a sample of what we provide in Allentown and throughout Lehigh County.
Boundary & Topographic
The starting point for most land transactions and permit submissions in Allentown. Under the new 2026 SALDO, boundary and subdivision survey requirements have been updated. We are current on those changes and can prepare your plat to current City standards.
- Boundary retracement surveys
- Subdivision surveys
- Topographic surveys
- Flood plain certifications
- Utility route surveys
- PA One Call coordination
- Environmental data collection
- Right-of-way acquisition services
ALTA/NSPS Title Surveys
If you are financing a commercial property in Allentown, your lender will almost certainly require one before closing. It goes well beyond a standard boundary survey and your title company will not accept a substitute.
- ALTA/NSPS surveys to current minimum standards
- Encroachment identification
- Easement and ROW mapping
- Title report review
Construction Survey & Stakeout
Our crews work directly with contractors and project engineers on active sites throughout Allentown and the surrounding townships. We coordinate around your construction schedule, not the other way around.
- Building and utility stakeout
- Highway and roadway layout
- As-built surveys
- As-built plan preparation
- Anchor bolt surveys
- Auxiliary contractor support
- Permit plan preparation
Transportation & Infrastructure
Over 150 PennDOT projects completed statewide, including 30 bridge construction surveys and 50 bridge as-builts. PennDOT District 5-0 covers Lehigh County and we have direct experience working within its requirements on Lehigh Valley transportation work.
- PennDOT District 5-0 projects
- PA Turnpike Commission surveys
- Bridge construction and as-built surveys
- Airport AGES and aerial easement surveys
- Airport facility construction support
- Railroad facility surveys
- Rails-to-Trails ROW acquisition
- Riparian surveys
General & Forensic Support
When a project hits a boundary dispute or title complication, or a municipality needs documentation for planning purposes, we provide the survey support to resolve it cleanly.
- Boundary dispute resolution
- Expert testimony
- Title report review
- GIS facility mapping
- Forensic surveys
Municipal & Institutional
We are a federally self-certified Woman-Owned Small Business with DBE/WBE certification and government security clearances. For public-sector and institutional projects in Allentown, we qualify.
- DBE/WBE certified for federal and state projects
- Permit plan preparation
- School and secure-site surveys
- Airport facility surveys
- Railroad facility construction support
Working under Allentown's new 2026 SALDO? Call us. We can walk you through what changed and what your project requires.
(267) 923-8673Quick Reference
Which Survey Does Your Project Need?
This covers the situations we see most frequently in Allentown and Lehigh County. Call us if your project does not fit neatly into one of these categories.
| Survey type | When you typically need it | Residential | Commercial | Municipal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boundary survey | Property dispute, lot sale, fence install, subdivision application | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| ALTA/NSPS survey | Commercial mortgage closing, title insurance, acquisition due diligence | - | ✔ | ✔ |
| Topographic survey | Site design, grading plan, stormwater management, ADA compliance work | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Subdivision survey | Splitting a parcel, City of Allentown land development submission | ✔ | ✔ | - |
| Construction stakeout | New building, addition, road work, utility installation | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| As-built survey | Certificate of occupancy, post-construction documentation, lender requirement | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Flood plain certification | FEMA flood zone mortgage, elevation certificate for insurance | ✔ | ✔ | - |
| Right-of-way survey | PennDOT District 5-0 project, City roadway improvement, utility corridor | - | ✔ | ✔ |
About Horizon Engineering
Why Allentown and Lehigh Valley Clients Work with Us
We founded Horizon Engineering in 2001 with a straightforward goal: provide quality site services in a timely and professional manner. That has not changed in 25 years, and neither has our commitment to showing up for projects in the Lehigh Valley the same way we do closer to our Pennsburg home base.
Allentown is a city that rewards experience. The review process is multi-layered, the code environment just changed substantially, and projects that cross into historic districts or involve state highway right-of-way add more steps on top of that. We have worked through all of it. When you call us on an Allentown project, you are not getting someone who will figure it out as they go.
Because our civil engineers and land development planners sit in the same office as our survey staff, your project does not lose momentum during the handoff from field work to design to submission. That coordination is built in, not bolted on.
Relevant Authorities for Allentown Projects
City of Allentown Planning and Zoning Division (435 Hamilton St) · Allentown City Planning Commission · Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB) · Lehigh Valley Planning Commission (LVPC) · Lehigh County Conservation District · PA DEP · PennDOT District 5-0
Lehigh County Municipalities We Serve
Allentown · Emmaus · Macungie · Coopersburg · Slatington · Schnecksville · Whitehall Township · South Whitehall Township · Salisbury Township
Professional Affiliations
ABC (Associated Builders and Contractors) · ASHE (American Society of Highway Engineers) · NSPS (National Society of Professional Surveyors) · PSLS (Pennsylvania Society of Land Surveyors) · APC (Associated Pennsylvania Constructors)
Our Office
428 Main Street, Pennsburg PA 18073
Mon-Fri 8am-5pm
(267) 923-8673
Certifications
Federally self-certified Woman-Owned Small Business · DBE/WBE certified in Pennsylvania · SEPTA Approved Vendor · Government clearances for airports, schools, railroads, and high-security facilities
Common Questions
Allentown Land Surveying: FAQ
Allentown City Council adopted a new Zoning Ordinance, Zoning Map, and Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance on October 15, 2025, effective January 1, 2026. It was the conclusion of a multiyear process called ZONE Allentown. The update modernized development standards, revised submission requirements, and established a new zoning map. If your project was designed or permitted under the prior ordinance, some of those requirements now apply differently. The safest move is to confirm which standards govern your specific submission before you proceed. Call us and we will walk through it with you.
The City's Planning and Zoning Division at 435 Hamilton Street administers the process. The Allentown City Planning Commission reviews subdivision and land development plans. If your project is in or near a historic district, the Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB) is also in the loop. The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission handles regional coordination across Lehigh and Northampton Counties. Any project with land disturbance goes through the Lehigh County Conservation District for erosion and sedimentation review. Depending on scope, PA DEP and PennDOT District 5-0 may also be involved. We can tell you upfront which of these apply to your project and in what order.
Yes, almost certainly. Most commercial lenders and title companies require an ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey before they will close on a commercial property. A standard boundary survey does not meet that requirement. The ALTA goes further: it maps property lines, encroachments, easements, access conditions, and other matters that could cloud the title, all documented to a format that lenders and underwriters accept nationwide. If your lender has not told you which type of survey they require, ask them before you order anything.
A residential boundary survey in Allentown typically takes 2-4 weeks from engagement to certified plat. ALTA and commercial surveys are usually 4-6 weeks. Properties in the city with older deed histories or shared infrastructure boundaries can run longer. We give you a specific timeline with your quote, not a range after the fact.
We serve Allentown and the surrounding Lehigh County municipalities including Whitehall Township, South Whitehall Township, Salisbury Township, Emmaus, Macungie, and Coopersburg. We also cover Bucks, Montgomery, and Berks Counties from our Pennsburg office. If you are not sure whether your project falls in our service area, call us. It probably does.
Service Area
Other Communities We Serve
We provide land surveying throughout Lehigh County and southeastern Pennsylvania. Select a community to learn more.
Also in Allentown
Other Services from Horizon Engineering
Most projects in Allentown need more than a survey. Our civil engineers and land development planners work in the same office as our survey staff, so when your project needs site design, stormwater management, or permit submissions on top of the field work, we handle all of it.
Horizon Engineering: What It Takes
Have a project in Allentown or the Lehigh Valley? Call us directly or submit a quote request. We will get back to you during business hours with a clear answer on what your project needs and what it will cost. No runaround.
Request a Free Quote (267) 923-8673
