Survey Mapping Outreach
Every highway, hospital, high rise, and historic site is connected by one profession: Land Surveying. For over 5000 years, land surveyors have been heralds of progress in exploration, infrastructure, and technology.
And we need YOU to join us!
What is a Land Surveyor?
A land surveyor determines the boundaries, dimensions, and features of a piece of land using specialized tools and techniques.
They collect data and create detailed maps and reports to document their findings which are used to resolve property disputes, guide construction projects, and inform land development decisions.
Ultimately, land surveyors play a crucial role in ensuring accurate property descriptions and safe, successful projects.
Why Do We Need Land Surveyors?
Define property boundaries: Surveyors determine the exact limits of a property, preventing disputes and ensuring accurate ownership records.
Ensure accurate construction: Surveyors provide critical data for building projects, ensuring that structures are safely and correctly positioned on the land.
Support infrastructure development: Surveyors play a key role in planning and executing both major and minor projects, from highways, bridges, and hospitals, to new fences, neighborhoods, and community parks.
Resolve property disputes: Surveyors provide expert testimony and evidence to help resolve disputes over property lines, boundaries, and ownership.
Preserve the environment: Surveyors help identify and preserve natural resources, such as wetlands, water sources, and forests during development projects.
Not since the passage of the Federal Aid Highway Act (1956) has there been such an injection of federal funding, a total of $1.2 trillion, into US infrastructure. To begin ANY of these projects, we need the front line of engineers to put boots on the ground and instruments to the task.
It is estimated that in order to meet current construction demands, we need an additional 3500 land surveyors to join the field every year. As we begin a new wave of historic infrastructure development, we need many more to answer the call.
Who Should Consider This Field?
I enjoy the consistency of my work, the challenge of the field, and the absence of customer service calls. I am in control of my success and make a daily commitment to precision and safety.
— Brandon Lee, Watts and Browning Engineers
Calm and Consistent
The only variable is your environment. You and your team are trusted to overcome the challenge of the field and follow the process of precision. You are measured only by your accuracy and personal safety.
Limited Social Interaction
Surveyors operate as a team, but rarely interact with clients or customers. Between measurements and tasks, there is time for silence and reflection. Many of us enjoy this job because of the space it leaves to think about our other special interests, such as music or gardening.
Health Benefits
Along with a daily 5k+ step count, many surveying/engineering firms now belong to insurance consortiums, which allows them to offer highly-competitive health benefits packages at huge discounts to employees.
Does Land Surveying give me valuable experience in other fields?
Yes! Did you know archaeologists, paleontologists, and other sciences use land surveying to map their sites?
Surveyors spend time in areas long devoid of human habitation. We regularly find and report sites of interest! Nature conservation is also a regular part of our job.
There are many fields of interest where it is important to know how to safely navigate rough terrain and uncomfortable conditions, as well as understand the details of your environment, such as:
- Geology
- Wildlife/Environmental Preservation
- Forestry/Botany
- Architecture/Civil Engineering
- Archealogy, paleontology, anthropology
