Land / Buying land

Buying land: the documents that matter.

When you buy land, a few documents do the heavy lifting - and a land purchase is not the place to go it alone. A title company and a real estate attorney handle this every day.

The deed: which one you get matters

A deed is the document that transfers ownership. Texas has different kinds, and they protect the buyer very differently.

General warranty deed

The seller's warranty reaches title claims throughout the chain of ownership, including before the seller acquired the land. But reservations and stated exceptions still matter: a general warranty is not a promise that the property has no easements, restrictions, or reserved minerals.

Special warranty deed

Limits the seller's warranty to title claims arising by, through, or under that seller. It does not give the same protection against a defect from an earlier owner. Read the actual warranty and its exceptions with your attorney.

Quitclaim

Conveys whatever interest the signer has, if any, without warranting ownership. Texas distinguishes a quitclaim from a deed without warranty, and that distinction can affect later title claims and insurance. Ask the title company and your attorney which instrument your transaction needs before signing.

Title & survey

A title search examines ownership records, liens, easements, and other claims. Title insurance covers specified losses, not every defect. Recorded easements may remain exceptions even when you buy additional survey or boundary coverage; an endorsement does not erase an easement.
The title commitment - you'll see it before closing - lists what's covered and what's excluded. The exceptions (Schedule B) are the part to read closely; agreeing to them limits what you can later claim.
A survey locates boundaries and identifies visible encroachments and relevant easements. Compare it with the deed and title commitment. A survey does not by itself decide a disputed ownership claim; a surveyor and attorney may need to work through conflicting records or possession claims.

Before you sign

Rural land due-diligence checklist

Walk through this with your title company and attorney before you buy a piece of Texas land:

Survey - get a current one; know your real boundaries and encroachments.
Title commitment + title insurance - read the exceptions in Schedule B.
Mineral vs. surface - find out what's severed, leased, or reserved (see Mineral rights).
Legal access - confirm a recorded easement or road frontage; beware landlocked tracts (see Boundaries & access).
Water - well availability and your groundwater district's rules, plus any surface-water rights (see Water rights).
Floodplain - check FEMA's flood maps before you count on building.
Septic (OSSF) - confirm the land will support a permitted system if there's no sewer.
Deed restrictions / ETJ / city limits - read recorded covenants and learn which city or ETJ rules apply (see What you can build).
Property taxes & valuation status - is it under ag or wildlife valuation, and what would a change-of-use rollback cost you? (see Property taxes).
Endangered species / wetlands - some areas carry federal habitat or wetland restrictions; ask if it's relevant.

Keep going

Mineral rights

Find out what's severed.

Surface vs. minerals ->

Boundaries & access

Confirm legal access first.

Fences & easements ->

Homebuyer timeline

The closing-to-tax calendar.

Build a timeline ->

Land hub

Back to the main map.

Open the hub ->

Where to get real answers

Deeds, title, and surveys are the everyday work of a Texas title company and a real estate attorney; TRERC has neutral plain-English explainers. For the home-buying process and closing costs, see our timeline and closing-cost guides.

Data vintage:: Texas law and agency guidance reviewed September 2026
Last reviewed:: September 14, 2026

TRERC - deed warranties and exceptions
TDI - title insurance coverage and exceptions
Texas Real Estate Research Center (Texas A&M) - Neutral, plain-English landowner research
Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC)
Texas State Law Library

Before you act: Not legal advice. The right deed, the title exceptions, and what a survey shows are specific to your transaction - use a Texas title company and a licensed real estate attorney. How to use Texas Porch carefully.