A surveyor is a professional who determines the boundaries of land parcels or areas of the earth. The process of creating maps or land surveys for real estate and other purposes includes surveying. A freelance surveyor is a self-employed individual who performs these tasks without being employed a company or corporation. While land is the most common natural element measured freelance surveyors, they may also measure water and air space.
Individuals, companies, real estate corporations, and the government are all potential clients for freelance surveyors. These surveyors not only take measurements of the land, water, and air space, but also write descriptions of the area. Any mineral resources on the property, as well as quantitative measurements of the area, may be included in this information.
While the majority of freelance surveyors provide data for land deeds, leases, and other legal real estate documents, others specialize in specific fields. A freelance surveyor who specializes in geodetic measurements, for example, measures large areas of the earth’s surface. A geophysical freelance surveyor, on the other hand, looks for petroleum on the earth’s surface.
Rivers, harbors, bays, oceans, and other bodies of water are surveyed marine or hydrographic freelance surveyors. In order to take measurements of the land area, freelance surveyors use special measuring tools and materials. A surveyor using a tool that looks like a tripod for a camera is common to see out on the highway or in some part of town. They can measure the distance from one area to the next looking through the instrument. These types of freelance surveyors are most commonly used construction companies who are building new areas or renovating existing ones.
The demand for surveyors is expected to grow faster than the national average the year 2018, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Surveyors who work as freelancers must obtain a license from the state in which they will be working. To work as a surveyor, most states require freelance surveyors to complete special courses and pass exams, in addition to receiving on-the-job training.
In the past, becoming a freelance surveyor required a four-year college degree. Some surveyors have been able to complete their degrees in as little as one to three years thanks to advanced courses and access to online courses.