The Surveyor’s Life: A Jack of All trades

To be a surveyor, one must necessarily be a jack of all trades.  Unlike other professions that specialize in a certain field, a surveyor must incorporate elements of mathematics, the law, and history to hone his craft.  Not to mention, be tough as nails to deal with the heat, the humidity, rain, bugs, snakes, endless patches of thorns, and let’s not forget hostile landowners.  I have yet to meet a Texas surveyor who doesn’t have at least one story of running into “interesting” landowners to say the least.  At times, one could say a surveyor must play amateur psychologist as well.

In this ongoing series, we will cover just what are those characteristics that make a good surveyor.  We’ll meet a few colorful characters from surveying history.  Trust me, there’s plenty.

And let’s not forget the unique laws that govern surveying throughout Texas and the rest of the country. And the histories behind them.  What differentiates surveying in Texas with its Spanish Land Grant System from surveying in a state such as Arkansas with its Public Land Survey System?  Why do those differences exist?  What challenges does each system pose both to the field crews and the office guys?  What does Klesco do to overcome those challenges?

In future installments, we will also cover some fundamentals of surveying: some basic rules and regulations.  We will introduce you to surveying equipment, the types and models, what they can and can’t do, and how they have changed throughout the years.  Stay tuned for more.