A land surveyor measures the earth and turns those measurements into legal answers: where does one property end and another begin? You will learn this in three stages. First, the math and field basics (angles, distances, elevations, coordinates). Second, the job-ready skills: running a total station and GNSS, drafting in Civil 3D, researching deeds, and passing the FS exam as a Surveyor Intern. Third, the advanced skills of boundary law, writing legal descriptions, and leading crews, which lead to your Professional Surveyor (PS/PLS) license. In the US, you must be licensed to sign and certify
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Every stage from beginner to expert, with lessons, practice drills, projects, interview questions and free resources. Free with a Rolearch account.
Stage 1 of 3 · about 12 weeks
Understand how measurements become positions, and do the core math by hand and in a spreadsheet.
Trigonometry and surveying math
Every survey is triangles. If you can solve a right triangle and a general triangle, you can turn an angle and a distance into a position. Without this, software is a black box you cannot check.
Traverse computations and closure
A traverse is a loop of measured angles and distances. If it does not close, something is wrong. Closure tells you how good your work is, and checking your own work is the heart of the job.
Leveling and elevations
Construction, drainage, and floodplain work depend on correct heights. Leveling teaches you backsight, foresight, and how errors build up.
Reading maps, plats, and coordinate systems
You must know what the State Plane Coordinate System, NAD83, and NAVD88 mean, or your data will not match anyone else's.
Intro to CAD
Surveyors deliver drawings. Learning AutoCAD basics now means you can plot your hand calculations and see mistakes visually.
Then 2 more stages (about 90 weeks in all) with lessons, drills, projects, 6 interview questions with strong answers and free resources.