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The Push to Kill Surveying Licensure: Who’s Behind It and Why?

The Push to Kill Surveying Licensure: Who’s Behind It and Why

“Deregulation means anyone with a drone and a YouTube tutorial could call themselves a ‘surveyor.’ Think about that.”

Imagine a world where your profession no longer requires a license. No formal education. No testing. No accountability. Just a drone, an app, and a self-proclaimed "expert" ready to sell surveying services to unsuspecting clients. Sound ridiculous? It’s already happening.

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The push to deregulate surveying licensure isn’t just some fringe movement—it’s a coordinated effort by powerful lobbying groups, tech companies, and corporate developers who see licensure as an “obstacle” to their profits. If they succeed, surveying won’t just be devalued—it will be overrun by unqualified operators creating inaccurate data, driving down industry standards, and flooding the market with unreliable results.

Surveyors must wake up to this threat. Licensure isn’t about gatekeeping—it’s about protecting public trust, property ri

New ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey Standards to Take Effect in February 2021

Effective February 23, 2021, the 2016 Minimum Standard Detail Requirements for ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys are being replaced with the new 2021 Minimum Standard Detail Requirements for ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys (“2021 Standards”). The 2021 Standards include a variety of changes which seek to further limit surveyor’s liability and provide better clarity. Some of the more notable changes are as follows:

Helpful Checklists for Land Surveyors (Boundary, Staking, Level Loop, GPS RTK)

Checklists are indispensable assets for land surveyors, helping to ensure that each operation is executed seamlessly and meticulously. In this post, we will delve into the significance of checklists in land surveying, exploring their distinct roles in four vital areas: Boundary Survey Checklist, Elevation Level Loop, Construction Staking, and GPS RTK Checklists.

Land Surveyor Licensing

Land surveyors are mainly involved with land features and water boundaries. Prior to a building or housing complex being built, the land must first be ruled acceptable for construction. The job outlook for ambitious land surveyors is promising, and the earnings can be considerable.

Land Surveyor Internships

Many surveyors who graduate from survey school are dumbfounded when they first enter the field.   It can quickly occur to them that everything they learned about surveying - surveying history, theory and best practices - only partially prepared them for becoming a Land Surveyor. For this reason, Land Surveying Internships are a terrific opportunity for preparing new land surveyors for when "the rubber meets the road."  Internships are a fantastic way of getting real industry experience no matter what career path you are choosing to go down. Not only do land survey internships better prepare a surveyor for the field, they also provide insight into how the dynamics of collaboration with a surveying crew actually works.  Let's learn a bit more about Land Surveying Internships.

BEING THE SURVEYOR OF AN AIRFORCE BASE DURING THE 1980’s

BEING THE SURVEYOR OF AN AIRFORCE BASE DURING THE 1980’s

 Introduction

 The South African Defence Force, now the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), was involved in a Bosoorlog or Grens oorlog (Bush war or Border war)1 from 1966 till 1989.

 In order to protect the most northern borders of South Africa, a number of smaller, shorter perhaps, airstrips or airfields, sometimes referred to as tactical airfields, were constructed or in some cases upgraded.

 Examples of the above are Ellisras, Punda Maria (in the Kruger National Park) and then a full scale air force base with a 4000 m runway at Louis Trichardt.

 The construction at Louis Trichardt was given the project name Braambos.

 A Little Bit of Background

 I joined the South African Airforce during June 1972. My initial mustering was Construction Machine Operator and I was deployed at 402 Airfield Maintenance Unit (402AMU) with head quarters at air force base Ysterplaat in Cape Town. I completed the training course on 11 February 197

Why is Land Surveying Beneficial?

Land surveyors use special instruments and techniques to measure the boundaries of a piece of land. They use this information to create a detailed map of the property, which is used to plan out developments or create legal documents. It is also used to make sure the boundaries of a property are clearly identified.

THE GREAT DIAMOND HOAX OF 1872 - UPENDED - Part III

We are sorry to skewer the sacred surveyor, Clarence King, (maybe we should call it the King shish kabob) but his Great Diamond Hoax of 1872 was not a hoax. Modern science has determined that John Slack's and Phillip Arnold's Diamond Peak and Diamond Flat are in diamondiferous areas, along with other nearby areas in Colorado and Wyoming. Clarence King was the hoax, and the only surveyor in history to start his own bank. How did he get that money?

The Great Diamond Hoax of 1872 - Upended - Part II

The misuse of men of science, by industrial and political leaders, has a long and sordid history. Such misuse happened in the diamond fields of Brazil, South Africa and Colorado/Wyoming. A South African whopper told in 1868 by one Geologist J.R. Gregory led to the labeling of such blatant whoppers as "telling a Gregory". Can there be the telling of "a Clarence King" or perhaps a "Fuchi"?

Focus on Land Surveying Continuing Education

The role of land surveyors is highly advanced and to get their license they must undergo several years study, work experience and licensing examinations. However, it doesn't stop there. In recent years many states require land surveyors to get involved in continuing education throughout their career. In today's guide we shall look at land surveying continuing education in more detail.

Land Surveying Markers & Monumentation

All about the types of Land Surveying Markers & Monumentations. Land survey markers or land survey monuments are objects that are placed in marking major survey points on the earth’s surface. They are placed for use during surveys and for possible following surveys to come. Markers are typically durable and are often intended to be permanent. They can be as straightforward as a chisel mark or nail to as complex as stamped metal disks that are set into concrete or rock pillars.

Land Surveyor Maps

The ability to read and use a variety of maps is crucial in land surveying.  Land surveyors begin with a large-scale map in order to make a landscape-level plan.  After the land surveyor determines the need for specific projects a stand-level map will be required.  Two kinds of stand-level maps include: Transportation maps and Topographic maps.

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