What does a land surveyor do? The job of a land surveyor can be said to date back to ancient Egypt or the Babylonians. Essentially the job is to collect information on the natural and built environment and create maps and surveys of land. These surveys play an essential preliminary part in virtually all planning, property development and construction, major engineering and other projects relating to the natural environment and urban infrastructure.

The surveys are essential to architects, civil engineers, property developers, planners, solicitors, environmentalists, geologists, archaeologists, geographers and map makers. There five different types of land surveyor, and whilst each surveyor specializes in different areas, all surveyors asses and measure land. Land surveyors essentially create the link between the drawing board and the real world.

They collect detailed information of land and establish; the exact position of land boundaries, the environmental impact of buildings, the best use of farming land, the human impact of buildings or the make up of the ground underneath a site. The five types of surveyors are;

Environment: These surveyors work in areas such as environmental management and auditing, land use and development, town planning, risk management, urban regeneration and contaminated land.

Rural: Surveyors in this area give advice to farmers and landowners on unlocking the value of their assets, selling livestock, diversification, change of land use and rural management.

Geomatics: In this sector, you will be asked to analyse both the land and the sea bed using geographic information systems. You will also make use of hydrographic surveying, mapping and positioning, global and local navigation systems, engineering survey, land registration, boundary identification, land law, cartography, ocean bed and resource surveys.

Planning and Development: You will be required to assess the physical and social impact of built environment, taking into account the design, build quality, IT, climate, transport, and sources of renewable energy in the area. Surveyors in this sector promote efficient land management.

Minerals and Waste Management: Surveyors need a practical knowledge of mining, quarrying, surveying, geology, economics, mining law and relevant legislation. Good communication skills will also be necessary, as waste management, including disposal and recycling, is a growing and highly emotive sector.

Surveyors will be employed to asses a piece of land so that developer or owners can know exactly what they own, what is possible on the land and what impact development will have on the people and wildlife which will be impacted on by development.