Land surveys are essential for establishing property boundaries, plotting out new developments and evaluating the topography of tracts of land. Land surveying has been practiced in some form for thousands of years and it is still used for a wide variety of applications. However, the kind of land surveying that’s done today bears little resemblance to the surveying that was practiced throughout history.
As new and improved technologies are developed, land surveying becomes more accurate and more sophisticated. Still, many people can be skeptical of the accuracy of land surveying. Read on to find out a little bit more about some new technologies that are increasing the accuracy of land surveying.
Surveying throughout history
Regardless of how you feel about land surveys in general, there’s no denying surveying has advanced in accuracy by leaps and bounds over the last several centuries. Land surveying was used in ancient civilizations like Rome and Egypt to plan incredible structures that were well-ahead of their time. It was used to create a nearly perfect square for the base of the Great Pyramid of Giza and surveyors helped calculate linear and slope measurements that were used to develop Roman aqueducts.
Back then, surveyors made do with the tools that they had available to them, and those tools weren’t always suitable for the intended application.
Land surveying used to be conducted with rudimentary measuring tools. Measurements were all taken manually and surveyors didn’t have the benefit of technology to inform their calculations. Even as time went on and measurement tools became more detailed, accurate and easily accessible, surveyors were still responsible for manually conducting the survey onsite.
Despite the use of standardized measuring devices, there was still a lot of room for error. Something as minor as a small miscalculation could seriously alter important details in a completed survey. This helps explain why there are often major discrepancies between land surveys that were conducted a few decades apart.
Modern surveying accuracy
Today, a land surveyor in Idaho has access to more sophisticated technology than ever before. Global positioning systems, satellites, drones, computers and other kinds of technology make it possible for surveyors to produce incredibly detailed, accurate surveys. In addition, land surveyors can complete surveys in a relatively short amount of time.
While there is still a significant amount of manual work to be done by the surveyor, technology makes it possible to integrate a vast amount of data and information into a single, comprehensive survey.
Today’s land surveyor in Idaho
At Mason & Associates, we pride ourselves on the accuracy of the surveying service that we provide. We have been serving commercial and residential customers since 1989 and we continue to develop an outstanding reputation as a dependable surveying company. After nearly three decades in business, we have tackled a wide range of projects of every size and scope. Whether you need civil engineering services for an upcoming large-scale development or you simply want to establish the boundary of your residential property, we are here to help.