ALTA / NSPS Land Title Survey Standards
Current ALTA/NSPS standards and how state statutes interact with them.
ALTA / NSPS Land Title Surveys
Legal docs, deeds, easements, agreements. Zoning. Title insurance commitments. Underground features.
Applied Geodesy
Datums + datum conversions, lat/long, coordinate transformations, SPCS, map projections, control networks, deflection of vertical, satellite coordinate systems.
Area
DMD, coordinates method, planimeter, irregular shapes — picking the right area calculation.
As-Built / Record Drawing Surveys
Calculations, techniques, horizontal + vertical positioning of as-built features relative to plan or datum.
Basic Mapping Concepts
Scaling, symbols, features, legends, contours, cartographic principles.
Basic Surveying
Horizontal + vertical surveys, route surveying, magnetic declination, historical methods + instruments.
BLM Manual of Surveying Instructions
The federal manual that governs PLSS resurveys. What it controls and where it leaves discretion.
Boundary Surveys
Physical evidence, boundary reconciliation, historical accuracy + equipment, the legal principles that govern them.
CAD
2-D and 3-D drafting. BIM workflows. How CAD fits in modern survey deliverables.
Cadastral Surveys
PLSS, boundary, metes and bounds, land title — the legal-survey workflow.
College Mathematics
Trigonometry, analytical geometry, calculus, linear algebra and matrix theory — the math you need to use, not memorize.
Common Law Boundary Principles
Historical and current common law. Riparian + littoral rights. Sovereign rights including navigable waters and eminent domain. Sovereign land grants.
Common Law Principles
Controlling elements, unwritten rights, adverse possession.
Communication
Written, oral, alternate forms. Conflict resolution between parties.
Communication with Clients and Public
Forms of communication, picking the right one, related professions and how their needs intersect with yours.
Construction Surveys
Layout, as-built, quantity. Site survey lifecycle from grading to final inspection.
Construction Surveys
Plan reading, calculations (slopes, grades), construction techniques, horizontal + vertical positioning to a plan or datum.
Consultation Services
Site topography + slope, site access, zoning standards, floodplains as related to land development.
Contracts
Basic elements, scope of work, specifications. What makes a contract enforceable.
Control Networks and Geodetic Surveys
Datums + reference frames, local vs geodetic, equipment selection, FGDC accuracy standards, NGP standards.
Control Surveys
Horizontal and vertical control. Network design. Order + class accuracy standards.
Coordinate Geometry
Bearings, azimuths, point-to-point math, intersections, coordinate-based problem solving.
Differential Leveling
From rod to misclosure. Setup, BS/FS arithmetic, loop closure, distribution of error.
Digital Terrain Models
Machine control, TINs, digital surface models, digital elevation models — the surface representations modern surveying produces.
Documentation, Supervision, and Field Procedures
Field surveying techniques + practices. Data collection protocols. How to communicate them clearly to the crew.
Drone Surveying
Mission plan to deliverable — overlap math, GSD, ground control, photogrammetry pipeline.
Easements
Granted vs implied vs prescriptive — how to recognize them and what they do to a property.
Encumbrances
Restrictive covenants, mortgages, liens — non-ownership interests that affect a parcel.
Ethics
Professional ethics for surveyors — common scenarios + how to think through them.
FEMA Requirements
Specifications + instructions, horizontal/vertical datums for flood zones, current Elevation Certificate, FEMA Flood Insurance Study.
Field Records and Documentation
Field books, raw data files, procedures — the documentation that keeps a project legally defensible.
General Business Practices
Project planning + management, deliverables, costs, budgets, contracts. Types of surveys, site features, scope of services, equipment selection.
Geodesy
Spherical trigonometry, geometric / physical / geodetic coordinates, orthometric corrections, convergence, geoid + gravity modeling.
GIS
Feature collection, projections, coordinate systems, metadata, database design, spatial analysis.
GIS in Surveying Practice
Spatial databases, metadata. Datums + projections relevant to GIS work.
GNSS / GPS Surveys
Static, kinematic, OPUS, real-time networks. Choosing the right method for a given accuracy + speed tradeoff.
GPS / GNSS Practice
Satellite constellations, static GPS, RTK, PPP, virtual networks — picking and operating the right one for the job.
Horizontal Curves
PI, PC, PT, T, L, R, M, E, deflection angles. Layout + stationing for road design.
Instrumentation
Total stations, levels, GNSS receivers, scanners, robotic instruments, UAS — what each one does and when to reach for it.
Land Development
Subdivision design and platting, land use, environmental considerations, flood plains, wetlands.
Land Development Solutions
Regulatory land development criteria, construction criteria, implementation procedures.
Least Squares Adjustments
Why we use it, what it solves, how it weights observations.
Legal Descriptions for Real Property
Preparing + interpreting legal descriptions. Controlling elements, unwritten rights, encumbrances, easements — and how each impacts the description.
Leveling
Differential, trigonometric, reciprocal, precise leveling. Error sources + corrections.
Liabilities
Negligence, employee behavior, errors and omissions exposure.
Measurement Science
Error analysis + propagation, positional tolerance, positional accuracy, random vs systematic vs blunder errors, unit conversions.
Metes and Bounds
Description method using courses + distances. Reading + writing them, controlling elements when they conflict.
Monumentation Standards
Applicable monumentation criteria + monument types. When and how to set them.
NTRIP & RTK Corrections
How corrections flow from base to rover, the network types, and where to find your state’s.
Perpetuation of the U.S. PLSS
Evidence used to perpetuate PLSS corners. The "find them, follow them" framework.
Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing
Close-range, conventional, softcopy. Ground control, QA/QC, flight planning. UAS, LiDAR, satellite.
Principles of Evidence
Searching for + evaluating data and physical evidence. Parol evidence, prescriptive rights, adverse possession, acquiescence, controlling elements, easement rights.
Probability and Statistics
Mean, median, mode, hypothesis testing, normal distribution, linear regression — applied to survey data.
Professional Conduct
Codes of conduct, conflict of interest, scope-of-license discipline.
Project Documentation and Records
How to maintain defensible records throughout a project lifecycle.
Project Planning
Resource management, scheduling, cost estimation, project tracking.
Public and Private Record Sources
Where to find records — public registry indexes, local survey office records, private + agency sources.
Public Land Survey System (PLSS)
Townships, sections, aliquot parts, special surveys. The grid that governs most US land descriptions.
Public Records and Descriptions
Land descriptions, mineral rights, ownership rights, weighting evidence.
Quantitative Reasoning
Critical thinking applied to data validation, blunder detection, redundancy, and data quality.
Real Property Law
Deeds and chains of title. The paper trail behind every parcel.
Risk Management
Safety procedures, QA/QC methods, risk in contracts, insurance needs, potential liabilities.
Route Surveys (Alignments + Utilities)
Stationing practices, reading + interpreting roadway and utility plans.
Safety
Signage, basic first aid, safety equipment for survey crews.
Sequential and Simultaneous Conveyances
Types of conveyances, junior/senior rights, the interaction of record and physical evidence.
Simultaneous and Sequential Conveyances
Junior/senior rights, the order conveyances were created, and why it controls boundary outcomes.
Slopes and Grades
Percent, ratio, degree. Converting between forms. Grade computations on real cross sections.
Sources of Law
Federal, state, local, administrative, common law. Citations and how to do real legal research.
Spreadsheets
Practical spreadsheet workflows for surveying — closure sheets, level loops, traverse comps.
Supervision
Survey team leadership and personnel management.
Survey Maps, Plats, and Reports
Technical communication via schematic, platting, and mapping. Picking the right deliverable for the audience.
Surveying Principles and Computations
Technical computations + the software ecosystem (TBC, Carlson, Civil 3D, OPUS, etc.).
Surveys for New Parcels, Lots, and Units
Subdivision types, platting, condominiums + associations, deed restrictions + covenants, zoning + subdivision ordinances.
Topographic Surveys
How topographic data is collected, what density it needs, and how the deliverable is built.
Topographic Surveys
Mapping + control standards, data interpretation + adjustment, QA/QC, ground / hydrographic / remote sensing equipment, NMAS standards, hydrographic + bathymetric tools, utility nomenclature.
Traverse Closure and Adjustments
Closing a traverse, computing closure error, distributing adjustments — Bowditch / Compass / least-squares basics.
Types of Maps
Plan-and-profile, cross sections, plats, record of survey, ALTA, topographic, planimetric — what each one shows and why.
Vertical Curves
Parabolic curves, PVC, PVI, PVT, K-values, sight distance. The geometry behind road grades.
Volume
Mass diagrams, earthwork. Average end area, prismoidal formula, cut + fill.
Water Law
Riparian and littoral rights, water marks and levels, navigability.