World's oldest survey tech here. 😉
I am not licensed. I work in an office that no longer has a surveyor on staff. What types of work can I legally still perform in the State of Washington? For example, are things like topos, utility and asset mapping, monument/corner searches and ties, and minor construction staking, etc. acceptable? Thanks for your input.
Fired em, didja? Did he drink too much coffee?
Go directly to your state laws for the answer!
Go directly to your state laws for the answer!
I know, you're right. I was just hoping for some hints.
Hint.....Do not do anything that requires a license! ??ÿ
I assume there are PEs in your office? If so, I'd look hard at what can be done under a PE license, which is usually quite a bit (engineering surveys, utility as-builts, etc., depending on the state).
World's oldest survey tech here. 😉
I am not licensed. I work in an office that no longer has a surveyor on staff. What types of work can I legally still perform in the State of Washington? For example, are things like topos, utility and asset mapping, monument/corner searches and ties, and minor construction staking, etc. acceptable? Thanks for your input.
Survey tech? Please describe.
Did you only ever work on just surveys? or was that just part of your tech job?
Did you only ever just work in the office? or did you have field survey experience?
You could become more valuable in being the person that other survey's work comes in and out of the office.
Or, your job just became harder as without a professional to back you up, you will see more pressure to bend the survey to the engineers' will.
What is it that you want to do? If you want to continue as before that may require a change of job. If you want to stay where you are, are you willing to get more education, school learning or self teaching?
Paul in PA
Engineers can do limited surveying but the BOR is aware of people in your situation and they talk about it all the time. Find out when one of their public meets are and visit.?ÿ
Topo associated with a engineering project okay, just don't show a boundary. Monument recovery okay, but you can't file a report without a PLS. Easements can be considered real property and would fall under the PLS hat so steer clear. Construction staking is gray area; if what you are staking is in anyway associated with a boundary (think BSBL) it could be considered to fall outside of your domain.?ÿ
Call the BOR and ask to talk to someone about your concerns. They are helpful and will have an answer.?ÿ
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I like to read the board journals to see what people get in trouble for, maybe browsing them can help you get a feel for your comfort level.?ÿ
http://www.dol.wa.gov/business/engineerslandsurveyors/publications.html
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Like everyone said, it's state by state, but.....
If you can do the optical measuring, locating portions under an engineer's license in Washington the two areas I'd look at are subsurface utility mapping and support of excavation / adjacent construction monitoring (along with vibration monitoring). ?ÿBoth markets are growing like wildfire...it's almost like printing money. ?ÿ
Thanks, folks, for your posts. They give me ideas on where to and what to look for.
Hello Zapper, I am a PLS in Washington State and seen this situation before. Pretty much all municipal work will require a PLS. Otherwise private side will allow limited scopes. If you are interested in having another staff PLS, I am semi-retired and may be available. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Thanks?ÿ
One more thought to consider...
Engineers are allowed to supervise non-boundary survey incidental to their work. If you offer services, make sure your Engineer is qualified to supervise the particular type of work. You'll want to avoid appearing to offer Surveying as a service with no Licensee in charge..
Here is a good link regarding Engineers doing Topographic surveys.?ÿ?ÿ http://www.dol.wa.gov/business/engineerslandsurveyors/docs/incidentalsurveying.pdf
In my experience i have not found an Engineer capable of performing an accurate topo.?ÿ Heck, i have a hard enough time finding a surveyor that can do the same, unfortunately.
You should probably read this before you venture futher into this setup:?ÿ http://www.dol.wa.gov/business/engineerslandsurveyors/docs/engineers-landsurveyors-laws.pdf
Someone mentioned monument recovery as being allowed.?ÿ I would be 100% sure before you go searching and recovering monuments under an Engineer's supervision.
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To tie down your topo, it will probably have to refer to iron rods and pipes found at certain distances WITHOUT mentioning anything about a boundary.
You should look into getting licensed. While there is work for the unlicensed, a PLS still carries weight when competing for work that may not require it. Not only that, but getting licensed would result in a larger paycheck within your firm.?ÿ
Having said that, I run into the unlicensed performing engineering surveys from time to time in my area. The one meeting that sticks out in my mind involved the reaction of the party chief for an out of town engineering firm when I handed him my card. He took one look at it, looked up at me, then back at the card and said, ??Oh, you??re a real Surveyor.?
