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Pick the Right Surveyor by Starting With the Job You Need Done
Job for today: work out which type of surveyor your project needs. It takes about 15 minutes.
- Write one sentence on what you’re about to do: buy, build, subdivide, fence, dig, or sort out a boundary dispute. Two minutes.
- Find your title and any plan you already have, such as a certificate of title, a contract or council approval. Five minutes.
- Match your sentence to the table below. Three minutes.
- Write down two questions for the surveyor: what the survey will produce, and what it won’t cover. Three minutes.
- Ask your council or state land authority whether a registered surveyor is required for your job. Two minutes.
| If your project is… | You probably need… |
|---|---|
| Buying land, finding a boundary, subdividing, or checking an easement | A land (cadastral) surveyor |
| Roads, drainage, bridges, services or other civil works | An engineering surveyor |
| Building a house, extension or commercial building, and needing it set out correctly | A construction surveyor |
| Work in or beside harbours, rivers, dams or coastline | A hydrographic surveyor |
| Open-cut or underground mining | A mining surveyor |
| Large-scale mapping and national positioning | A geodetic surveyor |
| Planning, environmental mapping and spatial data | A GIS or spatial surveyor |
The rest of this post explains the types of surveyors above, so you can follow what they tell you.
Land surveyors
A land surveyor measures, marks and records the boundaries of a property. If you’re buying or selling land, subdividing a block, or you suspect a fence is in the wrong place, this is the person. They can mark boundary corners on the ground, prepare plans that can be lodged with the relevant land authority and help clarify easements and title details. The plan they produce is a formal document used in legal and property dealings, which is why it matters that the surveyor is properly licensed.
Engineering surveyors
Engineering surveyors support civil projects such as roads, bridges, tunnels and underground services. They set out where things need to be built, check levels and alignment as work progresses, and map project sites. They work alongside civil engineers and project managers, and most homeowners will meet one only on larger works.
Construction surveyors
A construction surveyor works on building sites to mark where the foundations, walls and services go, based on approved plans. They check that what has been built matches what was designed. For a house or extension, the set-out at the start is the point where an error is cheapest to fix, because a footing in the wrong place is a very expensive correction once the concrete is poured. If you’re planning concrete work, our post on questions that show you've found a good concreter covers what to ask before the pour.
Hydrographic surveyors
Hydrographic surveyors measure what’s under water: the shape of the seabed or riverbed, depths and changes to the coastline. Their work supports ports, marine construction and navigation. Unless your property sits beside a waterway and you’re building near it, this is rarely the type you need.
Mining surveyors
Mining surveyors measure underground and open-cut mines, monitor how excavation is progressing and support safety and regulatory requirements. They work with geologists and mining engineers.
Geodetic surveyors
Geodetic surveying deals with measurement over very large areas, using satellite positioning to build accurate reference networks. It underpins national mapping and the positioning that other surveyors rely on. It’s a background layer more than a service most people hire directly.
GIS and spatial surveyors
GIS (Geographic Information System) work collects, analyses and maps spatial data for urban planning, environmental management and infrastructure. It’s more about information than about marking out a site.
A common mix-up: building surveyors
A building surveyor is a different profession. In Australia, building surveyors typically assess plans and buildings against building regulations and issue approvals and certificates. A land surveyor measures and marks land. If a council or a builder asks for a “survey”, check which one they mean, because a land survey and a building approval are not the same thing and one can’t substitute for the other.
Before you book a surveyor
- Check registration. Surveyors who prepare formal plans are generally required to be licensed or registered under state or territory rules. Your state’s surveyors board or land authority can tell you how to check.
- Ask what you will receive. A marked-out boundary, a signed plan and a written report are different products.
- Ask about timing. Some surveys need to be done before design is finished, and some need to wait until work begins.
- Ask what’s excluded. A survey of boundaries isn’t a survey of what’s under the ground, and neither is a substitute for a building inspection.
Don’t be shy about asking questions. A good surveyor will explain what they’re measuring and why.
Your next job
Take the sentence from step 1 and the two questions from step 4, and send them to two registered surveyors for a written outline of what they’d do. Compare what’s included, not only the price.
Sources: Intergovernmental Committee on Surveying and Mapping, About surveying and mapping (https://www.anzlic.gov.au/ICSM)