# Surface evaluation
**URL:** https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/surface-evaluation/84756
**Category:** General Mineral Rights Discussion
**Created:** [November 20, 2025, 8:19pm UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/surface-evaluation/84756 "2025-11-20T20:19:57Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@KAT](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/KAT)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2025, 8:19pm UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/surface-evaluation/84756/1 "2025-11-20T20:19:57Z")
Does anyone have a suggestion on how I can determine the value of my surface interest? I am interested in selling, reserving the minerals, but need a general idea of the parcel’s worth. I’m assuming the Reeves County appraisal is not really an accurate estimate. Thoughts?
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### Author:  [@M\_Barnes](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/M_Barnes)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2025, 9:25pm UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/surface-evaluation/84756/2 "2025-11-20T21:25:05Z")
Surface interest would be in the above the ground real estate world. So appraisers district, Zillow, etc. Also keep your ears open for data center ground purchases. Texas will have some big ones.
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### Author:  [@Norse](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/Norse)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2025, 1:08am UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/surface-evaluation/84756/3 "2025-11-21T01:08:32Z")
A licensed real estate appraiser. You could Google for ones in your area.
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### Author:  [@galetime](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/galetime)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2025, 2:00am UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/surface-evaluation/84756/4 "2025-11-21T02:00:50Z")
Contact a licensed real estate agent in your area that is familiar with suburban/farm sales. They can guide you through the selling process while retaining 50% of your mineral interest. Usually the surface rights are sold with the land, and the underground mineral rights can be split 50/50 with the sale. If I understand you, and you own 100% of all mineral rights for the land in question, it can be negotiated to retain them all, but it will probably be a hard sale for the land to be sold without any mineral rights.
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### Author:  [@Keith\_Jack](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/Keith_Jack)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2025, 3:17am UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/surface-evaluation/84756/5 "2025-11-21T03:17:22Z")
Land damage is $40,000 in the state of Texas. Get with an oil and gas attorney. I had 5 acres in Reeves County and I only had the surface, no minerals. I made out pretty good. Reeves County is a hot county. Definitely get an oil and gas attorney to get you the best deal possible. Especially if you own minerals! I wish I would’ve owned some.
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### Author:  [@LanaStraub](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/LanaStraub)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2025, 7:42am UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/surface-evaluation/84756/6 "2025-11-21T07:42:33Z")
Pecan Tree Appraisals also offers inexpensive desktop appraisals to get you some numbers to work with. They also offer full appraisals if you need them.
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### Author:  [@RLH](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/RLH)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2025, 6:49pm UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/surface-evaluation/84756/7 "2025-11-21T18:49:55Z")
It is rare in this day and age that surface would be sold along with the mineral rights without a **huge** premium. Most land transactions are surface only.
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### Author:  [@system](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2026, 8:20pm UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/surface-evaluation/84756/8 "2026-02-18T20:20:41Z")
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