What Is a Professional Land Surveyor?

A professional land surveyor observes and records distances and boundaries across the Earth's surface in order to determine land topography and physical property lines. This specialized field requires the professional worker to be licensed by the state's authority for surveying and land engineering. Most work days are fulfilled in the field, collecting land data with electronic equipment.

New building construction commonly requires a professional land surveyor. Area topography, such as elevation, needs to be recorded for verifying that the future structure will have a solid base. Densely populated areas especially need a surveying group for determining property lines before construction. The surveyor must provide accurate data on the location of underground water piping and electrical wiring before any construction-related digging occurs, preventing worker injuries.

In addition, many legal differences can be solved with the expert opinion of a professional land surveyor. A court of law may require testimony from a surveyor regarding boundary lines. Surveying specifically involves documenting many physical land points in map form, allowing the court to accurately interpret where certain boundary lines end or alter course.

The documented land points are taken with specialized surveying equipment, from transits to total stations. These electronic instruments record angles, distances, and elevations of the surrounding land. Surveyors use known land points for reference as they gather new data through the instrumentation out in the field. A professional land surveyor must maintain the equipment's accuracy by checking its functions on a daily basis.

The electronic instruments have the ability to upload the land data to computers for creating three-dimensional maps and plot lines. These maps are used by construction companies for formulating building plans. Very often, the professional land surveyor is called out to the construction site to verify measured points for added accuracy.

Some professional land surveyors work in specialized industry niches. Workers may map the ocean floor by using global positioning systems (GPS). Other industries may require data points of suspected oil or mineral deposits. These surveyors tend to travel more than a common surveyor, requiring international licenses.

This highly intense position commonly requires a four-year bachelor's degree in engineering or surveying. A number of surveyors begin their careers as apprentices to experienced land surveyors, but a bachelor's degree is still necessary to gain the professional status. In addition, in the US, the professional land surveyor must be licensed separately by the state of employment. Some surveyors expand their work prospects by gaining licenses in multiple states, especially if the surveying company has numerous branch facilities.