Land Surveying: Ethics of a Land Surveyor

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land surveyorNot a lot of people realize that land surveying is actually a fusion of art and science. Yes, different equipments are available for the surveyor’s use, but the land surveyor still has the last say on the results.

Despite this though, a land surveyor still has several guidelines to follow. If you’ve had an experience with a dishonest surveyor, or are wary about hiring one, this article should be able to help you out.

Ethics of a Land Surveyor

A surveyor should always start a project with fairness in mind. Your client as well as everybody party involved in the project is expecting you to be fair and just so make the best possible assessment with the evidences handed to you.

Before a project commences, the surveyor assigned to the project should come forward if there’s a possibility of conflict of interest. This is very important to preserve their relationship with the client. A surveyor should avoid professional impropriety by declaring involvement or any prior affiliations with any of the involved parties. It is also the surveyor’s responsibility to keep any information regarding the project as well as the client confidential even after the project is done.

Several cases were reported where the surveyor overcharged the client. This usually happens when the client doesn’t know anything about land surveying. A land surveyor running his business with ethics will never do this. Fortunately, there are more honest land surveyors than dishonest ones.

A surveyor should charge a project according to the length of time needed to get it done as well as the level of technical complexity required for it. For the surveyor’s sake as well as the client, one should never sign plans, certificates or reports unless these are personally supervised by him. Not only is this unfair on the client’s side, doing so could put his reputation in danger should the results get disputed and he doesn’t know anything about them.

Just like with other industries, a land surveyor should never undermine the capability of other surveyors or the people from the land surveying industry.

New technologies come up for land surveying all the time. When a surveyor knows that a project is beyond his skills, he should tell the client about it. There’s no sense accepting a project only to come up with a subpar result. It will only hurt your business and your reputation.

Surveyors should also be responsible enough to study, do a thorough research, practice and utilize his skills before offering clients a new service. If a surveyor is new to flood determination, for instance, then he needs to make sure that he knows how to perform it before offering it to his clients.

Surveyors do not work alone. They usually have a staff to support them. The land surveyor needs to be responsible for their actions at all cost, for actions or work carried out by them.

For assistance in finding a land surveyor, call us at 256-854-9503 or send us a message by clicking here.

History of Land Surveying

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land surveyingLand surveying is about the oldest professions on earth. From that time man has decided that a section of land should be owned by a tribe, the necessity of surveying began.

Land surveying is fascinating. The methods used try to decide which section of land is owned by whom, hopefully ending arguments once and for all.

In a nutshell, surveying is a process using mathematical methods for survey land.

How Land Surveying Started

The first accounts of surveying land extends back to ancient Egypt. Experts have discovered evidences which the ancient Egyptians used basic geometry to redraw the lines of boundary once the Nile River overflowed. An Egyptian land register going back 3000 BC was also found.

Following the Egyptians, the Romans – also quite possibly the most powerful civilizations belonging to the ancient world – practiced land surveying. They took it one step further and made “land surveyor” a state position throughout the Empire. These people were called agrimensores, commonly known as Corpus Agrimensorum Romanorum. Though they used simple tools, they had been very thorough with their jobs and would create straight lines and correct angles by using these tools. After the lines were measured, they would create shallow ditches to mark the lines. In fact, a lot of the furrows they created exist today.

One of several recorded land surveying of the “modern” times belongs to William the Conqueror who wrote the Domesday Book in 1086. This book is actually a directory of names of land owners, the amount of land they owned and also other information about the land. While it was a brilliant variety of information during this time period, the bits of information weren’t 100% correct. The locations just weren’t accurate and the maps were not built to scale.

One of history’s greatest icons was also a passionate surveyor – Napoleon Bonaparte. The interest in surveying land was really just a product of his want to conquer the earth. Napoleon Bonaparte founded a registry known as the cadastre. This consisted of a registry of properties of a county, ownership details, locations and as many details about the land’s value. Yes, Napoleon Bonaparte can be viewed as a land surveyor – and a very smart man.

The methods put to use in land surveying have also evolved over the centuries, over time. Years back, people would use many different things to help them determine the distance from one location to another. For example, many have used actual chains with links as well as ropes. Not surprisingly, this didn’t give accurate results but they were without the more advanced technology we have today.

Today, land surveyors have the best technologies in order to help with their job. There is GPS, or Global Positioning System, which is one of the more accurate technologies being used today. Total stations are also necessary to a land surveyor, which employs the use of an EDM or Electronic Distance Measurement device together with a theodolite that enables precise angle and distance measurements.

For assistance on land surveying, call us today at256-854-9503 or send us a message by clicking here.

Why You SHOULD Have a Land Survey Completed Before Purchasing Land?

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Buying land, whether commercial or residential, is often a pricey endeavor, even thoughLand Survey prices have eased somewhat lately. That is why choosing a lot that you want and making an arrangement for it without performing a land survey within the area might well be the biggest mistake you could make.

Here’s why it’s essential that you have land surveying done first:

Land surveyors can see whether you’re actually getting what you’re about to pay for. Meaning uncover whether the sidewalks, trees, driveways and even the bird bath is part of the property you’re planning to buy.

Land surveying would also evaluate if the neighbors are encroaching into the property, which could then mean you’re gonna have problems down the road with your neighbors. Employing a land surveyor doesn’t only mean they figure out what you’re getting or perhaps not getting – land surveyors are the experts, and so they can help with building regulations, wetland regulations, etc.

Keep in mind that these regulations can shift anytime, but land surveyors ought to be updated on these regulations, or they may refer you to a person that is.

What happens if the existing landowner (the one selling the land) can present you with old land survey documents? You should still hire your land surveyor to check if the boundary monuments continue to be in place.

Also, land surveying done many years back might not exactly show recent changes to the land. When the existing survey is older than about a decade, you ought to get a completely new survey. Technology and surveying standards are both a whole lot better now and may offer you more confidence in the survey work.

Second, that survey was completed for that owner. He could have instructed the surveyor not to show specific things on the drawing. At least have a land surveyor get out there and assess the parcel using this type of survey in hand. We have seen numerous instances when a brand new land survey would save the client thousands so don’t be a victim.

I’ve heard plenty of people say employing a land surveyor is nothing but unnecessary expense. I’ll show you what’s unnecessary: the anxiety caused by paying lots of money for something and ending up not receiving what ever were expecting. If you are smart, you’d hire an authorized land surveyor before you make any land purchases.