Do you survey with Computers?

In some form or another, I have been asked this question more times than you think. So I want to take a minute to clarify a little about technology and Land Surveying.

Gunters Chain and early compass

Technology has been changing in the survey industry ever since the first transits were built. Even more so in the last 20 years than the 150 years prior to that. The profession of Land Surveying, however, has remained basically the same since the beginning of time. We locate and mark the boundaries of land.

The technology involved in making those decisions is irrelevant. It is just a tool to measure distance and angles. I have heard people use technology as a “crutch” to say something like “the property corners moved because we can measure better today”. Property corners don’t move.

When we are asked to locate the boundaries of a parcel of land, we have to consider the means of measurement that were in place at the time of the original survey. It’s what we call in our profession “following in the footsteps”. If the original surveyor used a Gunters

GPS receiver and data collector

Chain and we have a $75,000.00 GPS, we still don’t have the right to move the property corners. We must emulate the conditions and technology used by the original surveyor.

I guess this blog is both for the layperson and the Land Surveyor.

1. Layperson: Don’t let someone tell you that your property corner "moved" because they can measure better than when it was done originally. 
2. Land Surveyors: Don’t think that because your equipment cost more than your first house, it makes you a better surveyor.

In a future blog, I will talk about online technology such as a county assessor’s GIS system and the danger in having too much information at your fingertips.