The Colorado Contract to Buy/Sell has an entire section (Section 9. New ILC, New Survey) dedicated to detailing how the buyer would like to move forward with a property purchase in regards to new survey options.
In the survey world there are numerous options (boundary, construction, location and more) but typically in real estate we deal with ILCs (Improvement Location Certificates) and ISPs (Improvement Survey Plats).
When I think of surveys I see someone standing over a survey tool looking at lines and making a “map.” Is that what you need in real estate? My recommendation to clients is to obtain either an ILC (if the home is in a lot and block neighborhood with no significant boundary concerns) or an ISP if you want more detail or plan to do some remodeling/adding on to the house. These are part of your due diligence.
An ILC is not a survey, it is a certificate. In most cases an ILC will be sufficient to show the relationship of the improvements to the deed lines.
These certificates are typically used in order for mortgage and/or title companies to have some assurance that the improvements to a property are not encroaching into an easement or beyond the deed lines (when required). ILCs are popular because they are much less expensive (couple hundred dollars) than an ISP which we’ll look at next. ILCs also can typically be completed in a shorter timeframe. See an example here
https://www.flatironsinc.com/pdfs/ILC.pdf
An ISP survey is one of the most comprehensive types of land surveys used and it covers all the features and characteristics of a property. It will show
the location of all improvements (structures), visible utilities, easements, and rights of way. Areas of ownership, improvements and encubrances will be shown graphically. If the survey discovers any encroachments a note indicating the nature of the encroachment may also be added. These surveys, since they are more time consuming will cost more than ILC but will give you more details and assurances on the property you are looking to purchase. See an example here
https://www.flatironsinc.com/pdfs/ISP.pdf
There are a couple survey companies in our area that I recommend. They can talk with you about your options as well. There are so many details in the contract to buy/sell that is it important to understand your rights as a buyer.