Can I skip getting a survey if I have title insurance?

In practice, yes — title insurance has largely replaced the need for buyers to obtain a new survey on a resale residential purchase in Ontario. Lenders used to require an up-to-date survey as a condition of advancing a mortgage, but today almost all mortgage lenders accept an owner's/lender's title insurance bundle in lieu of a survey. Title insurance compensates you for losses from survey-related issues that a survey would have caught — like encroachments or boundary problems that only come to light after closing.

However, title insurance does not tell you where your property lines actually are. If you want to know exactly where you can build, where to place a fence, or how close your existing structures are to the lot lines, a survey gives you that specific information. Title insurance responds to losses after the fact; a survey prevents problems from arising in the first place by giving you certainty up front.

There are situations where your lawyer may still recommend a survey: if the property is unusual in shape, if there have been historical disputes with neighbours about boundaries, if you are buying a rural or cottage property with irregular boundaries, or if you plan to build immediately. A survey costs more than a title insurance premium but provides certainty that no insurance policy can replace. The decision comes down to the property and your plans.