We see those people out all the time the ones with orange vests and tri-pods. What are they doing? You see them everywhere land is developed or going to be. They are surveyors. Surveying professional use advance scientific techniques to accurately determine the position of points and the angles and distances between them. Land surveying is necessary in order to plan and carry out virtually all forms of construction.
It is an important piece of the construction puzzle because it sets the physical boundaries of a project. It allows for society to have legal definitions in land possession. Imagine without these the wars that would be had over borders. Imagine if Canada thought they owned a mile more into the United States then what is set forth on a map with legal boundary lines. Chaos would ensue.
It is important also to have these definitions for defined transportation routes. As the land layout changes due to Mother Nature it is important to have surveyors out to keep track of these changes. Any minor discrepancies need to be tracked, mapped and documented for legal reasons. Property ownership is valuable to all of us. No one wants to have the road creep up into their property which is what can happen especially on roads that are not as established as highways.
Whenever new construction is taking place surveyors are one of the first people on the scene. It is important when looking at raw land that you evaluate the true boundaries so that land developing does not encroach on property that is not owned by the developer. Whenever building and construction of any kind is going on it is important that legal boundaries are set in place. When construction takes place on land that is not legally owned by the developer than messy legal situations ensue.
Surveying can be a very stressful position to hold. Professional surveying requires precise, accurate measuring. It is required that all calculations be within a set standard often as close as one – hundredth of a foot or about 1/8th of an inch. That leaves very little room for error. This is why when doing any project involving land that a licenses surveying professional is brought in. It is required by law that before construction begins a licensed surveyor signs and seals all plans involved in the project. Boundary corners are set in place with land markers that state the land surveyor’s registration numbers and contact information.