What is a Land Surveyor?
A Land Surveyor measures and records property boundaries and the
topography of the land covered by construction and engineering
projects. This measurement and the recorded data are called a “survey.”
Surveys are used to establish legal boundaries, prepare maps
and exhibits, and are the basis for written descriptions of land tracts
that satisfy legal requirements. Without surveyors, railroads and highways
could not be built, large buildings could not be erected, and
homeowners could not put up fences around their yards, for fear of
trespassing on someone else's land. Surveyors work to set land values,
subdivide land into lots, and stake development sites. Surveyors
use mathematical reasoning ability to visualize objects, measure distances,
sizes, and other abstract forms. They must be precise and
accurate in their work because mistakes can be costly.
Choose surveying if you
• Enjoy outdoor activities.
• Want a career combining high technology with an out-of-doors working
environment.
• Enjoy physical and mental challenges.
• Have good mathematics skills.
• Enjoy working with computers.
Surveying offers great career options:
• Licensed Professional Land Surveyor
Primary responsibilities:
- Direct survey teams and take the legal responsibility for all
survey results.
- Write descriptions of land for deeds, leases, and other legal
documents.
- Research legal records for evidence of previous boundaries.
- Interpret and check GPS results.
- Prepare survey maps.
- Prepare subdivision maps.
• Land Surveyor Technicians
Primary responsibilities:
- Operate standard and complex survey instruments to measure
horizontal and vertical angles and GPS positioning.
- Use electronic distance-measuring instruments and GPS
receivers.
- Compile notes, sketches, and records of measurement data.
- Operate data collection devices.
Other Job Responibilities
Survey teams spend some of their work hours in offices planning surveys,
drawing maps, preparing reports, and performing computations for completed
site surveys.
Land Surveying at College of the Canyons
How can College of the Canyons help me become a surveyor?
The Land Surveying program is designed to provide students with the
tools and skills they need to be successful in an entry-level surveying position.
Students can obtain either an Associate in Science or a Certificate of
Achievement in Land Surveying. These skills can lead to a rewarding
career with either a public or private
agency in a wide range of fields including
geographic information systems,
mapping, construction surveying,
aerial surveying, and general surveying.
Surveyors are in high demand. Surveyors are required for all new development and construction, to determine property boundaries, to determine the proper placement of utilities, road alignments and many other applications.
What more information?
- California Land Surveyors Association
- California Department of Consumer Affairs, Board for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors
For more information about the College of the Canyons Land Surveying program,
visit the college’s website at:
www.canyons.edu or call 661-362-5096