Roles and responsibilities: Land surveyors

General areas of responsibility

A practicing land surveyor provides:

• Property description evaluation and interpretation.
• Property line and corner locations.
• Horizontal and vertical control.
• Topographic data.
• Construction layout of projects where property boundaries, easements, or rights-of-way control the location and layout.

Subjects typically addressed by land surveyors

• The establishment, reestablishment, and recovery of land boundaries
• Writing, evaluation, and interpretation of legal descriptions, monuments, and corners
• The subdivision of land into lots, parcels, or tracts
• The establishment and measurement of a condominium
• Horizontal and vertical measurement, analysis, and adjustment
• Topographic measurement, mapping, and analysis
• Geodetic surveys, aquatic land surveys, and hydrographic surveys
• Research of written, physical, and parole evidence related to the interpretation of land descriptions and boundary locations.

Note: These examples are general guidelines, and shouldn't be considered all inclusive.

Definitions

• Professional land surveyor defined: RCW 18.43.020 (2)
• Practice of land surveying defined: RCW 18.43.020 (5)