Definition of "What does a land surveyor do?"

Kim Bergland real estate agent

Written by

Kim Berglandelite badge icon

Red Horse Real Estate

Any structure that was ever built on land had to first be evaluated by a land surveyor through a survey. If you are wondering, what is surveying, then you should know that surveying is a technique used to record characteristics of a land area.

Surveying is also a profession and the person certified to do a land survey is called a land surveyor. While the overall idea of a survey is to provide information regarding the land area that is going to be relevant for builders or setting boundaries, you may be wondering what does a land surveyor do?

There are multiple types of surveys, some more common than others, but overall a land surveyor is making the same measurements. A land surveyor is determining the position of objects by measuring angles and distances and factors that might affect the measurements that are also taken into account.

The data collected is then used to create bearings, coordinates, vectors, elevations, areas, volumes, maps, and planes. Land surveyors used different tools for the job and some of the main tools are theodolite, total station, 3D scanners, measuring tape, GPS/GNSS, level and rod. Most of these tools screw on a tripod so they are easy to use.

Land surveyors help determine the placement for railways, roads, reservoirs, pipelines, bridges, buildings, and many more. They also help establish boundaries of political divisions and legal descriptions. To become a licensed surveyor you have to receive a degree in surveying, and this is followed by an examination of their knowledge along with some on-the-job training that would build up their portfolio until they are awarded a license to practice.

Some of the best communities in the USA have undergone land surveying and if you want to be part of one you can start by finding a real estate agent to help you pinpoint those locations. 

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Questions

Popular Real Estate Glossary Terms

The assessment in real estate definition means the evaluation of a property’s value by an assessor. They are generally required to evaluate the property annually as the assessment is ...

Has not been registered on the companies books. It belongs to the person holding it. See also bearer bond; bearer instrument. ...

Same as term financial institutions and markets: Institutions acting as intermediaries between suppliers and users of money. The financial markets are where those wanting funds are matched ...

The term statute is a written law that is adopted by a legislative body from the country, federal, state, county, or city level. The statute definition can be a legislative written decree ...

Person leaving from work to spend time in leisure activities. pay in full the balance on a debt either at or before the maturity date. Penalties may be assessed on prepaying a mortgage. ...

Expenditures paid for in advance such as property insurance, rent, and interest. Prepaid expenses are not used or consumed until later. They are typically of a recurring nature. ...

Use of other people's money (OPM) in an attempt to maximize the return but at high risk. The use of leverage in real estate investing is a way to maximize yield on a small down payment. ...

The add-on interest is a type of interest that is figured into the total cost of a loan over its entire life. The interest is added to the principal and divided by the number of monthly ...

Giving one's approval to another, e.g., a fiduciary, to manage his or her finances. ...