Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Land surveying is an ancient profession dating back thousands of years at least
to the Egyptians and the great pyramids. The importance of land surveying is not
a recent development. Three of the four presidents carved into Mount Rushmore
were land surveyors: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham
Lincoln. History has shown that these presidents were among the greatest
presidents to serve our country.
2.2 Land Surveyors Must Be Licensed
Land Surveyors must be licensed by the state in which they practice before they
can perform surveying activities. In many jurisdictions, Professional Engineers,
such as Civil Engineers, may not establish property lines unless they are also
licensed as Land Surveyors.
Land Surveyors must be licensed by the state in which they practice before
they can perform surveying activities.
Many states will grant a surveyor who is not licensed in the state but is licensed
in another state, permission on a limited basis to perform surveying activities in
that state. For example, a surveyor licensed in Rhode Island but not Massachusetts
can apply to the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Land Surveyors and
Professional Engineers for permission to perform a survey in Massachusetts. If
permission is given, it may be limited to performing specific work or work under
specific conditions.
States have web sites that list the surveyors that are licensed in the state. If you
are in need of a surveyor, you may want to check the state web site to ensure that
the surveyor under consideration is properly licensed and is on active status as a
land surveyor.
Sometimes a licensed surveyor will send a crew into the field to perform work.
On other occasions, a licensed surveyor may have others participate in calculations
or research. Under most licensing statutes, the licensed person may delegate some
of the work to employees providing that he or she remains in Responsible Charge.
Responsible charge means that the unlicensed person is under the direct control
and personal supervision of the licensed person. The licensed person is required
to supervise the work, review all final documents and take responsibility for the
work. One test of whether responsible charge exists is that the client would be able
to reasonably presume that the licensed person was the provider of the services. In
many if not most cases, the licensed surveyor will sign and stamp plans and other
documents with his seal, thereby attesting to the information shown on the docu-
ments. Because of the substantial value of real property, licensed surveyors must
be very careful not to allow errors or omissions to occur which may have financial
consequences for the client, and possibly the surveyor or the survey firm.
