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History and Surveying

History has placed an importance on boundaries, hence the involvement of the Surveyor. Whether it be Biblical, Egyptian rope-stretchers, early colonial (U.S.) parcels of land or the marvel of the foresight of the Public Land Survey System. On our site, we offer you some details of Ancient Land Surveying, Biblical Quotes about Land and Boundaries, some short examples of Land Surveying in the U.S. (highlighting the Public Land Survey), and assorted links to help you on your way of appreciating the rich History of Land Surveying. Land Surveyors will commonly admit to being History "buffs", due to the nature of their work, which often is termed: "following in the steps of the original Surveyor". The words "retracement", re-survey and restoration of corners all point to the nature of the "detective work" of the Land Surveyor, which is always an important factor of the investigation of boundary issues

History Land


Ever since ancient man decided that one piece of land would belong to one tribe and another piece of land to another, theres been a need for land surveys. While the technology and means of mediation have definitely become more sophisticated over the years, the basic need to define our boundaries remains. Every major civilization in the history of the world utilized land surveying, some with more sophisticated and accurate results than others. One of the first examples of surveying by mathematical means was by the Egyptians. The Great Pyramid at Giza, build around 2700 BC, demonstrates their prowess and knowledge of surveying techniques. When the Nile overflowed its banks and flooded the plains, the ancient Egyptians redrew boundary lines by using basic geometry. Also, an Egyptian Land register existed as early as 3000 BC. Though miles ahead of other civilizations of their time in regards to their surveying and irrigation techniques, nowadays we prefer a much more scientific method of marking boundaries rather than declaring I swear by the great god that is in heaven that the right boundary stone has been set up, when the boundary stones were replaced after the flooding waters of the Nile had receded.

Building upon the example of the Egyptians, the Romans went one step further and established Land Surveyor as an official position within the Roman Empire. They were called agrimensores, collectively known as Corpus Agrimensorum Romanorum and they performed various tasks throughout the Empire. They were remarkably thorough and precise in their methodology; they would create straight lines and right angles using simple tools. Once the lines were measured, they would create a furrow or a shallow ditch to represent the lines. Texts have been found which date as far back as the first century AD, and some furrows created by them still exist today. In England in 1086, William the Conqueror wrote the Domesday Book, which covered all of England and contained the names of the land owners, the amount of land they owned, the quality of said land, and specific information about each areas resources and peoples. While the breadth of information was impressive for the time, the technical surveying skills were lacking. The maps were not made to scale and did not accurately show locations. It should not surprise anyone to learn that Napoleon Bonaparte was enthusiastic about proper surveying. When youre trying to conquer the known world, it helps to have accurate maps. In 1808 he founded the cadastre, a comprehensive register of the property of a county, which included ownership details, location as precisely as possible, and as much information about the value and usage of the land. It also included maps drawn to scale both at 1:2500 and 1:1250. The usage of the cadastre spread quickly, but ran into problems in the more sparsely populated and disputed areas, as it needed to be updated every time anything changed. Napoleon felt that the establishment of the cadastre would be his greatest accomplishment in civil law. Land surveying has even more applications today than in those of our predecessors. As our means of recording and preserving our history becomes more sophisticated, so do the means by which we measure and record our boundaries and land. Charles Lee Iner, RLS January 14, 2009

Surveying or land surveying is the technique and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them. These points are usually on the surface of the Earth, and they are often used to establish land maps and boundaries for ownership or governmental purposes. To accomplish their objective, surveyors use elements of geometry, engineering, trigonometry, mathematics, physics, and law. An alternative definition, per the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM), is the science and art of making all essential measurements to determine the relative position of points and/or physical and cultural details above, on, or beneath the surface of the Earth, and to depict them in a usable form, or to establish the position of points and/or details. Furthermore, as alluded to above, a particular type of surveying known as "land surveying" (also per ACSM) is the detailed study or inspection, as by gathering information through observations, measurements in the field, questionnaires, or research of legal instruments, and data analysis in the support of planning, designing, and establishing of property boundaries. It involves the reestablishment of cadastral surveys and land boundaries based on documents of record and historical evidence, as well as certifying surveys (as required by statute or local ordinance) of subdivision plats/maps, registered land surveys, judicial surveys, and space delineation. Land surveying can include associated services such as mapping and related data accumulation, construction layout surveys, precision measurements of length, angle, elevation, area, and

volume, as well as horizontal and vertical control surveys, and the analysis and utilization of land survey data. Surveying has been an essential element in the development of the human environment since the beginning of recorded history (about 5,000 years ago). It is required in the planning and execution of nearly every form of construction. Its most familiar modern uses are in the fields of transport, building and construction, communications, mapping, and the definition of legal boundaries for land ownership.

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1 History of surveying 2 Surveying techniques 3 Surveying equipment 4 Types of surveys and applicability 5 Surveying as a career o 5.1 Building surveying 6 Land surveyor o 6.1 The art of surveying 7 References 8 External links

[edit] History of surveying

Surveying students with professor at the Helsinki University of Technology in the early 20th century.

Surveying techniques have existed throughout much of recorded history. In ancient Egypt, when the Nile River overflowed its banks and washed out farm boundaries, boundaries were reestablished by a rope stretcher, or surveyor, through the application of simple geometry. The

nearly perfect squareness and north-south orientation of the Great Pyramid of Giza, built c. 2700 BC, affirm the Egyptians' command of surveying.
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The Egyptian land register (3000 BC). A recent reassessment of Stonehenge (c. 2500 BC) suggests that the monument was set out by prehistoric surveyors using peg and rope geometry.[1] The Groma surveying instrument originated in Mesopotamia (early 1st millennium BC).[2] Under the Romans, land surveyors were established as a profession, and they established the basic measurements under which the Roman Empire was divided, such as a tax register of conquered lands (300 AD). The rise of the Caliphate led to extensive surveying throughout the Arab Empire. Arabic surveyors invented a variety of specialized instruments for surveying, including:[3] o Instruments for accurate leveling: A wooden board with a plumb line and two hooks, an equilateral triangle with a plumb line and two hooks, and a reed level. o A rotating alhidade, used for accurate alignment. o A surveying astrolabe, used for alignment, measuring angles, triangulation, finding the width of a river, and the distance between two points separated by an impassable obstruction. In England, The Domesday Book by William the Conqueror (1086) o covered all England o contained names of the land owners, area, land quality, and specific information of the area's content and inhabitants. o did not include maps showing exact locations

In the 18th century in Europe triangulation was used to build a hierarchy of networks to allow point positioning within a country. Highest in the hierarchy were triangulation networks. These were densified into networks of traverses (polygons), into which local mapping surveying measurements, usually with measuring tape, corner prism and the familiar red and white poles, are tied. For example, in the late 1780s, a team from the Ordnance Survey of Great Britain, originally under General William Roy began the Principal Triangulation of Britain using the specially built Ramsden theodolite. Large scale surveys are known as geodetic surveys.

Continental Europe's Cadastre was created in 1808 o founded by Napoleon I (Bonaparte) o contained numbers of the parcels of land (or just land), land usage, names etc., and value of the land o 100 million parcels of land, triangle survey, measurable survey, map scale: 1:2500 and 1:1250 o spread fast around Europe, but faced problems especially in Mediterranean countries, Balkan, and Eastern Europe due to cadastre upkeep costs and troubles.

A cadastre loses its value if register and maps are not constantly updated. Because of the fundamental value of land and real estate to the local and global economy, land surveying was one of the first professions to require Professional Licensure. In many jurisdictions, the land surveyors license was the first Professional Licensure issued by the state, province, or federal government.

[edit] Surveying techniques

A standard Brunton Geo compass, still used commonly today by geologists and surveyors for field-based measurements.

Example of modern hardware for surveying (Field-Map technology): GPS, laser rangefinder and field computer allows surveying as well as cartography (creation of map in real-time) and field data collection.

Historically, distances were measured using a variety of means, such as with chains having links of a known length, for instance a Gunter's chain, or measuring tapes made of steel or invar. To measure horizontal distances, these chains or tapes were pulled taut according to temperature, to reduce sagging and slack. Additionally, attempts to hold the measuring instrument level would be made. In instances of measuring up a slope, the surveyor might have to "break" (break chain) the measurement- use an increment less than the total length of the chain. Historically, horizontal angles were measured using a compass, which would provide a magnetic bearing, from which deflections could be measured. This type of instrument was later improved, with more carefully scribed discs providing better angular resolution, as well as through mounting telescopes with reticles for more-precise sighting atop the disc (see theodolite).

Additionally, levels and calibrated circles allowing measurement of vertical angles were added, along with verniers for measurement to a fraction of a degreesuch as with a turn-of-thecentury transit. The simplest method for measuring height is with an altimeter basically a barometer using air pressure as an indication of height. But surveying requires greater precision. A variety of means, such as precise levels (also known as differential leveling), have been developed to do this. With precise leveling, a series of measurements between two points are taken using an instrument and a measuring rod. Differentials in height between the measurements are added and subtracted in a series to derive the net difference in elevation between the two endpoints of the series. With the advent of the Global Positioning System (GPS), elevation can also be derived with sophisticated satellite receivers, but usually with somewhat less accuracy than with traditional precise leveling. However, the accuracies may be similar if the traditional leveling would have to be run over a long distance. Triangulation is another method of horizontal location made almost obsolete by GPS. With the triangulation method, distances, elevations and directions between objects at great distance from one another can be determined. Since the early days of surveying, this was the primary method of determining accurate positions of objects for topographic maps of large areas. A surveyor first needs to know the horizontal distance between two of the objects. Then the height, distances and angular position of other objects can be derived, as long as they are visible from one of the original objects. High-accuracy transits or theodolites were used for this work, and angles between objects were measured repeatedly for increased accuracy.

[edit] Surveying equipment

A German engineer surveying during the First World War, 1918

As late as the 1990s, the basic tools used in planar surveying were a tape measure for determining shorter distances, a level to determine height or elevation differences, and a theodolite, set on a tripod, to measure angles (horizontal and vertical), combined with the process of triangulation. Starting from a position with known location and elevation, the distance and angles to the unknown point are measured. A more modern instrument is a total station, which is a theodolite with an electronic distance measurement device (EDM). A total station can also be used for leveling when set to the

horizontal plane. Since their introduction, total stations have made the technological shift from being optical-mechanical devices to being fully electronic with an onship computer and software as well as humans. Modern top-of-the-line total stations no longer require a reflector or prism (used to return the light pulses used for distancing) to return distance measurements, are fully robotic, and can even e-mail point data to the office computer and connect to satellite positioning systems, such as a Global Positioning System (GPS). Though real-time kinematic GPS systems have increased the speed of surveying, they are still horizontally accurate to only about 20 mm and vertically accurate to about 3040 mm.[4] Total stations are still used widely, along with other types of surveying instruments. However, GPS systems do not work well in areas with dense tree cover or constructions. One-person robotic-guided total stations allow surveyors to gather precise measurements without extra workers to look through and turn the telescope or record data. A faster but expensive way to measure large areas (not details, and no obstacles) is with a helicopter, equipped with a laser scanner, combined with a GPS to determine the position and elevation of the helicopter. To increase precision, beacons are placed on the ground (about 20 km (12 mi) apart). This method reaches precisions between 540 cm (depending on flight height).[5]

[edit] Types of surveys and applicability


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ALTA/ACSM Survey: a surveying standard jointly proposed by the American Land Title Association and the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping that incorporates elements of the boundary survey, mortgage survey, and topographic survey. Archaeological survey: used to accurately assess the relationship of archaeological sites in a landscape or to accurately record finds on an archaeological site. As-built survey: a survey carried out during or immediately after a construction project for record, completion evaluation and payment purposes. An as-built survey also known as a 'works as executed survey' documents the location of the recently constructed elements that are subject to completion evaluation. As built surveys are typically presented in red or redline and overlayed over existing design plans for direct comparison with design information. Bathymetric survey: a survey carried out to map the topography and features of the bed of an ocean, lake, river or other body of water. Boundary survey: a survey that establishes boundaries of a parcel using its legal description, which typically involves the setting or restoration of monuments or markers at the corners or along the lines of the parcel, often in the form of iron rods, pipes, or concrete monuments in the ground, or nails set in concrete or asphalt. Deformation survey: a survey to determine if a structure or object is changing shape or moving. The three-dimensional positions of specific points on an object are determined, a period of time is allowed to pass, these positions are then re-measured and calculated, and a comparison between the two sets of positions is made. Engineering surveys: those surveys associated with the engineering design (topographic, layout and as-built) often requiring geodetic computations beyond normal civil engineering practise. Foundation survey: a survey done to collect the positional data on a foundation that has been poured and is cured. This is done to ensure that the foundation was constructed in the location, and at the elevation, authorized in the plot plan, site plan, or subdivision plan.

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Geological survey: generic term for a survey conducted for the purpose of recording the geologically significant features of the area under investigation. . Hydrographic survey: a survey conducted with the purpose of mapping the coastline and seabed for navigation, engineering, or resource management purposes. Measured survey : a building survey to produce plans of the building. such a survey may be conducted before renovation works, for commercial purpose, or at end of the construction process "as built survey" Mortgage survey or physical survey: a simple survey that delineates land boundaries and building locations. In many places a mortgage survey is required by lending institutions as a precondition for a mortgage loan. Soil survey, or soil mapping, is the process of determining the soil types or other properties of the soil cover over a landscape, and mapping them for others to understand and use. Structural survey: a detailed inspection to report upon the physical condition and structural stability of a building or other structure and to highlight any work needed to maintain it in good repair. Tape survey: this type of survey is the most basic and inexpensive type of land survey. Popular in the middle part of the 20th century, tape surveys while being accurate for distance lack substantially in their accuracy of measuring angle and bearing. Standards that are practiced by professional land surveyors. Topographic survey: a survey that measures the elevation of points on a particular piece of land, and presents them as contour lines on a plot.

[edit] Surveying as a career

The pundit (explorer) cartographer Nain Singh Rawat (19th century) received a Royal Geographical Society gold medal in 1876.

The basic principles of surveying have changed little over the ages, but the tools used by surveyors have evolved tremendously. Engineering, especially civil engineering, depends heavily on surveyors. Whenever there are roads, railways, reservoir, dams, retaining walls, bridges or residential areas to be built, surveyors are involved. They establish the boundaries of legal descriptions and the boundaries of various lines of political divisions. They also provide advice and data for geographical information systems (GIS), computer databases that contain data on land features and boundaries. Surveyors must have a thorough knowledge of algebra, basic calculus, geometry, and trigonometry. They must also know the laws that deal with surveys, property, and contracts. In addition, they must be able to use delicate instruments with accuracy and precision. In the United States, surveyors and civil engineers use units of feet wherein a survey foot is broken down into 10ths and 100ths. Many deed descriptions requiring distance calls are often expressed using these units (125.25 ft). On the subject of accuracy, surveyors are often held to a standard of one one-hundredth of a foot; about 1/8 inch. Calculation and mapping tolerances are much smaller wherein achieving near-perfect closures are desired. Though tolerances such as this will vary from project to project, in the field and day to day usage beyond a 100th of a foot is often impractical. In most of the United States, surveying is recognized as a distinct profession apart from engineering. Licensing requirements vary by state, but they generally have components of education, experience and examinations. In the past, experience gained through an apprenticeship, together with passing a series of state-administered examinations, was required to attain licensure. Now, most states insist upon basic qualification of a degree in surveying, plus experience and examination requirements. The licensing process typically follows two phases. First, upon graduation, the candidate may be eligible to take the Fundamentals of Land Surveying exam, to be certified upon passing and meeting all other requirements as a surveyor in training (SIT). Upon being certified as an SIT, the candidate then needs to gain additional experience to become eligible for the second phase. That typically consists of the Principles and Practice of Land Surveying exam along with a statespecific examination.

An all-female surveying crew in Idaho, 1918

Licensed surveyors usually denote themselves with the letters P.S. (professional surveyor), L.S. (land surveyor), P.L.S. (professional land surveyor), R.L.S. (registered land surveyor), R.P.L.S. (Registered Professional Land Surveyor), or P.S.M. (professional surveyor and mapper) following their names, depending upon the dictates of their particular state of registration. In Canada, land Surveyors are registered to work in their respective province. The designation for a land surveyor breaks down by province, but follows the rule whereby the first letter indicates the province, followed by L.S. There is also a designation as a C.L.S. or Canada lands surveyor, who has the authority to work on Canada Lands, which include Indian Reserves, National Parks, the three territories and offshore lands. In many Commonwealth countries, the term Chartered Land Surveyor is used for someone holding a professional license to conduct surveys. A licensed land surveyor is typically required to sign and seal all plans, the format of which is dictated by their state jurisdiction, which shows their name and registration number. In many states, when setting boundary corners land surveyors are also required to place survey monuments bearing their registration numbers, typically in the form of capped iron rods, concrete monuments, or nails with washers.

[edit] Building surveying

Building surveying emerged in the 1970s as a profession in the United Kingdom by a group of technically minded General Practice Surveyors.[6] Building surveying is a recognised profession in Britain, Ireland, Australia and Hong Kong. In Australia in particular, due to risk mitigation and limitation factors, the employment of surveyors at all levels of the construction industry is widespread. There are still many countries where it is not widely recognized as a profession. Building Surveyors are trained to some extent in all aspects of property but with specific training in Building Pathology, as such they have a wide understanding of the end implications of decisions taken by more specific professions and trades during the realisation process, thus making them ideal Project and Property Managers on the client side. Services that building surveyors undertake are broad but can include:
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Construction design and building works Project management and monitoring Property Legislation advice Insurance assessment and claims assistance Defect investigation and maintenance advice Building surveys and measured surveys Handling planning applications Building inspection to ensure compliance with building regulations Pre-acquisition surveys

Negotiating dilapidations claims[7]

Building surveyors also advise on many aspects of construction including:

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design cost maintenance sustainability repair refurbishment restoration and preservation of buildings and monuments[8]

Clients of a building surveyor can be the government agencies, businesses and individuals. Surveyors work closely with architects, planners, quantity surveyors, engineers, homeowners and tenants groups. Building surveyors may also be called to act as an expert witnesses. It is usual for building surveyors to earn a college degree before undertaking structured training to become a member of a professional organisation. With the enlargement of the European community, the profession of the building surveyor is becoming more widely known in other European states, particularly France,[9] where many English-speaking people buy second homes. Lidar Surveying - Three-dimensional laser scanning provides high definition surveying for architectural, as-built, and engineering surveys. Recent technological advances make it the most cost-effective and time-sensitive solution for providing the highest level of detail available for interior and exterior building work.

[edit] Land surveyor

This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this section if you can. The talk page may contain suggestions. (March 2007)

The job of the land surveyor is to retrace legal description(s) from the deed belonging to the subject property by locating actual reference monumentation and verifying its correct position. Over time, development, vandalism and acts of nature often wreak havoc on monuments, so the land surveyor is often forced to consider other evidence such as fence locations, woodlines, monuments on neighboring property, parole evidence and other evidence. Reference monumentation refers to actual physical points on the ground that define location of boundary lines that divide neighboring parcels as well as their respective corners. Also called survey control, they are most often 1/2" or 5/8" iron rebar rods or pipes placed at 18" minimum depth. These rods and/or pipes usually have an affixed plastic cap over the top bearing the responsible surveyors' name and license number In addition to rods/pipes, 4x4" concrete posts are often used at corners of large parcels or anywhere that would require more stability ( ex. beach sand). They are placed at a depth of 3 feet. In places where there is asphalt or concrete, it is common to place nails or aluminum alloy caps to re-establish boundary corners. Marks should

be durable, stable, and as "permanent" as possible. The aim is to provide sufficient marks so some marks will remain for future re-establishment of boundaries. The material and marking used on monuments placed to mark boundary corners are often subject to state laws.

F.V. Hayden's map of Yellowstone National Park, 1871. His surveys were a significant factor toward establishing the park in 1872.

Cadastral land surveyors are licensed by state governments. In the United States, cadastral surveys are typically conducted by the federal government, specifically through the Cadastral Surveys branch of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), formerly the General Land Office (GLO).[10] This includes consultation and boundary determination expertise for USFS, Park Service, Corps of Engineers, BIA, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation, etc. In states that have been subdivided as per the Public Land Survey System (PLSS), the BLM Cadastral Surveys are carried out in accordance with that system. This information is required to define ownership and rights in real property (such as land, water, mineral, easements, rights-ofway), to resolve boundary disputes between neighbours, and for any subdivision of land, building development, road boundary realignment, etc. The aim of cadastral surveys is normally to re-establish and mark the corners of original land boundaries. The first stage is to research relevant records such as land titles (deeds), easements, survey monumentation (marks on the ground) and any public or private records that provide relevant data. In order to properly establish accurate position of survey markers, it is then necessary for measurements to be taken. This is achieved by placing a [total station] over the points and recording distances taken with the [EDM]. The data is analysed and comparisons made with existing records to determine evidence that can be used to establish boundary positions. The bearing and distance of lines between the boundary

corners and total station positions are calculated and used to set out and mark the corners in the field. Checks are made by measuring directly between pegs places using a flexible tape. Subdivision of land generally requires that the external boundary is re-established and marked using pegs, and the new internal boundaries are then marked.

[edit] The art of surveying

Many properties have considerable problems with regards to improper bounding, miscalculations in past surveys, titles, easements, and wildlife crossings. Also many properties are created from multiple divisions of a larger piece over the course of years, and with every additional division the risk of miscalculation increases. The result can be abutting properties not coinciding with adjacent parcels, resulting in hiatuses (gaps) and overlaps. The art plays a role when a surveyor must solve a puzzle using pieces that do not exactly fit together. In these cases, the solution is based upon the surveyor's research and interpretation, along with established procedures for resolving discrepancies.

[edit] References
1. ^ Johnson, Anthony, Solving Stonehenge: The New Key to an Ancient Enigma. (Thames & Hudson, 2008) ISBN 978-0-500-05155-9 2. ^ Hong-Sen Yan & Marco Ceccarelli (2009), International Symposium on History of Machines and Mechanisms: Proceedings of HMM 2008, Springer, p. 107, ISBN 1402094841 3. ^ Donald Routledge Hill (1996), "Engineering", pp. 766-9, in Rashed, Roshdi; Morelon, Rgis (1996), Encyclopedia of the History of Arabic Science, Routledge, pp. 751 795, ISBN 0415124107 4. ^ National Cooperative Highway Research Program: Collecting, Processing and Integrating GPS data into GIS, p. 40. Published by Transportation Research Board, 2002 ISBN 0309069165, 9780309069168 5. ^ Toni Schenk1, Suyoung Seo, Beata Csatho: Accuracy Study of Airborne Laser Scanning Data with Photogrammetry, p. 118 6. ^ 7. ^ 8. ^ /p!eipaL?idno=121&state=showocc 9. ^ 10. ^ A History of the Rectangular Survey System by C. Albert White, 1983, Pub: Washington, D.C. : U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management : For sale by Supt. of Docs., U.S. G.P.O., Notes
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Keay J (2000), The Great Arc: The Dramatic Tale of How India was Mapped and Everest was Named, Harper Collins, 182pp, ISBN 0-00-653123-7. Pugh J C (1975), Surveying for Field Scientists, Methuen, 230pp, ISBN 0-416-07530-4 Genovese I (2005), Definitions of Surveying and Associated Terms, ACSM, 314pp, ISBN 09765991-0-4.


The Purpose of Land Surveyors in Quantity Surveys

Quantity surveys determine the volume of soil to be moved.

Quantity surveys are performed most frequently with regard to grading projects. Whether the project is a new roadway, business development or neighborhood, calculation of the volume of earth to be moved is instrumental in determining the cost and schedule of a project.

1. Gathering Data

Quantity surveys begin with a land surveyor gathering topographical data on the tract of land to be developed. The surveyor then plots the gathered data, typically with the use of CAD software.

Design Phase

Once the topographical map is produced, or topo for short, surveyors use this information to create a grading plan for the land. Efforts are made during this process to balance the soil as much as possible so developers need not bring in extra earth or remove excess from the site.

Earthwork Quantities

In the final phase of a quantity survey, the surveyor calculates the final volume of earth excess or shortage. Even though developers will not need to purchase extra fill soil if an excess is present, costs are still associated with removal and must be planned for accordingly

What Is the Pay Scale for Land Surveyors?

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Land surveyors are professionals who take measurements of pieces of land and establish the locations of borders. The pay scale for surveyors varies, based on a variety of factors such as their work experience and geographic location.

1. Overall Pay Scale


As of May 2008, the lowest-paid 10 percent of land surveyors earned $29,600 or less, while the highest-paid 10 percent averaged $85,620 or more, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Work Experience

Average salaries of land surveyors with one to four years of experience ranged from $28,486 to $49,352, according to January 2010 reporting by PayScale. Surveyors with 10 to 19 years of experience or more averaged $51,275 to $73,462.

Employer Type

Self-employed land surveyors earned average salaries from $40,000 to $73,585, according to January 2010 reporting on PayScale. Those who worked for public companies earned an average of $41,286 to $69,604, while those employed by private firms earned $41,362 to $67,040.


The highest-paying industries for land surveyors as of May 2008 were the federal government, foundation and exterior contractors and scientific consulting services, where average salaries ranged from $66,840 to $78,710, according to the BLS.


The highest-paying states for land surveyors to work in as of May 2008 were Oregon, New Jersey, Washington, California and Alaska, with average salaries of $65,980 to $78,370, reports the BLS.

Read more: What Is the Pay Scale for Land Surveyors? |

Land Surveyors Act

Max Power started writing in 1996. Power was responsible for providing coverage of local and state governmental affairs for a web-boom-era news and civic-affairs news website. This experience provided him with a range of in-depth knowledge about legal, civic, political and governmental affairs. Power holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with a concentration in history. By
Max Power, eHow Contributor

Due to the complex nature of land survey regulations, the California legislature adopted The California Professional Land Surveyors Act in order to govern the land surveyor industry. It is important for Californians working in the land survey industry to understand this act and know how it affects their work.


Land Survey Laws are Important for Surveyors to Study and Understand

Defining Who the Act Regulates


According to the land surveyor act, a land surveyor is a person "who practices or offers to practice land surveying." The law defines an individual to be participating in the practice of land surveying when he "professes to be a land surveyor or is in charge of land surveying work." Those whose activities fit this description must abide by the regulations in the act or risk being penalized.

Governing Board

The California Professional Land Surveyors Act established the California Board for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors as the governing board for the purposes of the act. The law authorizes the board to develop and enforce the rules that are required to carry out the provisions of the act.

How to Receive a License


The act defines the procedures by which those who engage in the practice of land surveying are to be licensed. A perspective surveyor may apply for a license by making application to the California Board for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors. The board can prescribe a series of criteria that the applicant must meet in order to receive a license. This includes an examination of the applicant's basic knowledge of surveying, mathematics and

science. The applicant must also provide the names and addresses of at least four other land surveyors or civil engineers who will serve as references for the applicant.

Mandate of Written Contract


The California Professional Land Surveyors Act requires that land surveyors have a written contract with their clients. The contract must be executed prior to the commencement of work unless the client signs a waiver asserting that even though work will commence prior to the execution of the contract, that a contract will in fact be signed.

Finding the Professional Land Surveyor Act


The Professional Land Surveyor Act could be found online at the website of the California Board for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors whose address is

Read more: Land Surveyors Act |

What Are the Duties of a Land Surveyor?

Land surveyors determine and verify boundaries of property, create maps and plan the development of land. They work for government agencies, construction companies, architectural and engineering firms and utility services. There also are many surveying companies which provide contract services to these organizations.

1. Documentation Research

Duties of land surveyors include researching legal boundaries of property in public records and other documents, such as deeds, legal records and maps.

Land Measurement

Surveyors travel to work sites and then, using specialized equipment, they measure and record any land features such as contour, location and elevation.

Boundary Disputes

Land surveyors investigate any easements or encroachments on property boundaries and report these to the parties involved.

Determining Boundaries

Another duty of land surveyors is determining property boundaries when definitive legal documentation is not available. They use precise mapping tools, knowledge of laws, rules of evidence and local standards of practice.

Legal Documentation

Land surveyors must prepare data and reports to be submitted in court, in cases of legal disputes regarding boundary locations.

Land Surveyor Vs. Construction Surveyor

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updated October 23, 2010

Land and construction surveyors use information differently.

A land surveyor determines distances and angles between points. Construction surveyors set staking points for the construction of roads and buildings. Land surveying and construction surveying are two of several surveyor professions.

1. Land Survey

Land survey is map preparation by working from known points to establish new points. This type of survey determines property boundaries to establish ownership. It also defines boundaries and points on public areas. Land surveyors also locate features such as hills, mountains and rivers and use them in their work.

Construction Survey

Construction surveyors do a preliminary topographic survey to lay out the general location of highway and building construction. After the general positioning, surveyors establish exact location points for the construction. They use wooden stakes to guide the construction crews.

General Survey

Land and construction surveyors use the same instruments and procedures to make their maps. The functions of both are to use existing points to establish new points. Each has similar goals to establish points, but the final use of this information is different.

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Land Surveyor Classes

Dr. Skylar Stark has been writing professionally since 2007. Her articles appear on eHow and in other publications, where she writes about business, research and education. She holds a Ph.D. in communication science from the University of Connecticut and a master's degree in library science from Southern Connecticut State University. By Dr. Skylar Stark , eHow Contributor
updated July 12, 2010


Land surveyors must have specialized training.

Land surveying is the analysis and measurement of points and distances on or under the Earth. Land surveyors aid in building and road development, mapping and other geo-spatial functions. Land surveyors must have specialized training in topics such as mathematics, global positioning systems and photogrammetry. Courses in land surveying are available oncampus and online.

2. Land Surveyors Workshops


Land Surveyors Workshops (LSW) is an organization that has been providing surveyor training for more than 20 years. LSW offers seminars in the southeastern U.S., on topics such as surveyor ethics and technical writing. The organization also offers correspondence courses, where students receive instruction via DVD and take a written exam through mail. Courses are aimed at providing continuing education. Land Surveyor's Workshops 314 South Street P.O. Box 180 Jefferson, NC 28640 800-533-4387

3. University of Massachusetts

The University of Massachusetts offers a certificate in land surveying, training students in the fundamentals of the profession. The certificate requires six courses, and can prepare

students for the state licensure exam. Courses are offered on-campus and online, and most courses can be applied to an associate or baccalaureate degree in civil engineering. Application to the program is required. University of Massachusetts, Lowell Continuing Studies, Corporate & Distance Education 800-480-3190

4. Missouri Southern State University


The Missouri Southern State University offers five courses in land surveyor training through the engineering technology department. Students take courses in the fundamental areas of the profession, including surveying computations. A trigonometry course is a prerequisite. The course curriculum prepares students to take the state licensure exam. Missouri Southern State University 3950 East Newman Road Joplin, MO 64801

5. Renton Technical College


Renton Technical College, in the state of Washington, offers certification in both land and field surveying. The field program can be taken separately, but the land surveying program must be taken after field certification. Both programs emphasize the fundamentals of field work and land surveying, and prepare students to assist senior surveyors. Coursework can be applied to an associate degree in applied science. Program length is typically three to four quarters for each certification program. Renton Technical College 3000 NE 4th Street Renton, WA 98056 425-235-2352

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