Land Surveying in Alabama

Land Surveying in Alabama has a long history, dating back to colonial times. At one time, there were British, French, and Spanish settlements in the area of present-day Alabama, all at the same time. Its borders changed over and over from its first settlement in 1663 until Alabama became a state in 1821. With so many changes in Alabama's borders over time, it is no wonder that land surveying played a large role in the state's development.

In fact, the first officially surveyed boundary of the United States, conducted by Major Andrew Ellicott from 1798 to 1800, ran through Alabama territory along the 31st parallel North. The only stone monument set by Major Ellicott during this survey, known as the Ellicott Stone, sits today in Mobile County, Alabama, along the North bank of the Mobile River. The Ellicott Stone is also the initial point for all Public Land Survey System surveys conducted in the Southern parts of Alabama and Mississippi during the early and mid nineteenth century.

Today, land surveyors continue to play an important role in Alabama's development. Because of the long history of land surveying in Alabama, many surveys conducted today are known as "retracement" surveys, in which a modern surveyor retraces previous surveys to determine the pre-established boundaries of a plot of land.

Land surveyors in Alabama must follow strict requirements, in part to prevent such land disputes that required so many surveys in Alabama's past. All surveyors must certify that their maps, plats, and drawings are completed in accordance with the current Standards of Practice for Surveying in the State of Alabama. These standards are required by the Alabama State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors; if they are not followed, the land surveyor may lose their license. In addition to state requirements, Alabama land surveyors must also comply with standards set by federal and local government agencies.

Surveyors in Alabama must use up-to-date equipment and methods for the smallest possible margin of error in their measurements; there are minimum accuracy requirements set by the state for all surveys. All boundary surveys must be accompanied by physical monuments marking the corners; these boundary monuments themselves must meet a set of standards set by the state of Alabama. Regulations govern every aspect of surveys conducted within the boundaries of Alabama, from initial measurements to the final plat map.

Many Alabama land surveyors join the Alabama Society of Professional Land Surveyors, a professional organization dedicated to supporting the interests of surveyors in the state of Alabama. This organization holds periodic Alabama Standards of Practice seminars to ensure that all licensed land surveyors in the state understand and follow these regulations. The entire Standards of Practice can also be found on the ASPLS website. Other meetings and conferences held by the Society, as well as an online message board, keep surveyors up to date on news in their field. The ASPLS has been instrumental in establishing a Surveying and Geomatics Sciences program at Troy University, providing aspiring surveyors with a foundation for becoming licensed professionals.