COUNCIL MINIMUM TECHNICAL STANDARDS INDEX PAGE

General Survey, Map, and Report Content Requirements.

1.      Nothing in these rules shall preclude a Council member from entering into a contract with a client which requires more stringent surveying standards than those set forth in this rule.

2.      Survey Data:

a.       OBJECTIVE: The public must be able to rely on the accuracy of measurements and maps produced by a Council member.

b.      Council members must achieve the following minimum standards of accuracy, completeness, and quality:

                                                               i.      The accuracy of the survey measurements shall be premised upon the type of survey and the expected use of the survey and map. All measurements must be in accordance with the United States standard, using either feet or meters.

                                                             ii.      Records of these measurements shall be maintained for each survey by either the individual Council member or the surveying and mapping business entity.

c.       Measurement and computation records must be dated and must contain sufficient data to substantiate the survey map and insure that the accuracy portion of these standards has been met.

3.       Surveys, Maps, and/or Survey Products Content.

a.       OBJECTIVE: In order to avoid misuse of a survey and map, the Council member must adequately communicate the survey results to the public through a map, report, or report with an attached map. Any survey map or report must identify the responsible Council member and contain standard content.

b.      Council members must meet the following minimum standards of accuracy, completeness, and quality:

                                                               i.      Each survey map and report shall state the type of survey it depicts consistent with the types of surveys defined in paragraphs (10)(a)-(k) above. The purpose of a survey, as set out in paragraphs (10)(a)-(k) above, dictates the type of survey to be performed and depicted, and a licensee may not avoid the minimum standards required by rule of a particular survey type merely by changing the name of the survey type to conform with what standards or lack of them the licensee chooses to follow.

                                                             ii.      All survey maps and reports must bear the name, certificate of authorization number, and street and mailing address of the business entity issuing the map and report, along with the name and license number of the Council member in responsible charge. The name, license number, and street and mailing address of a Council member practicing independent of any business entity must be shown on each survey map and report.

                                                            iii.      All survey maps must reflect a survey date, which is the date of data acquisition. When the graphics of a map are revised, but the survey date stays the same, the map must list dates for all revisions.

                                                           iv.      The survey map and report and the copies of the survey map and report, except those with electronic signature and electronic seal, must contain a statement indicating that the survey map and report or the copies thereof are not valid without the signature and the original raised seal of a licensed Council member.

                                                             v.      If either the business entity or the individual licensee does not possess professional liability insurance, then the map, report, and/or survey must contain the following printed statement in letters at least 1/4'' high: The survey depicted here is not covered by professional liability insurance.

                                                           vi.      Additions or deletions to survey maps or reports by other than the signing party or parties is prohibited without written consent of the signing party or parties.

                                                          vii.      All computed data or plotted features shown on survey maps must be supported by accurate survey measurements unless clearly stated otherwise.

                                                        viii.      Bearings, distances, coordinates, and elevations shown on a survey map shall be substantiated by survey measurements unless clearly stated otherwise.

                                                           ix.      A reference to all bearings shown on a survey map or report must be clearly stated, i.e., whether to "True North"; "Grid North as established by the NOS"; "Assumed North based on a bearing for a well defined line, such as the center line of a road or right of way, etc."; "a Deed Call for a particular line"; or "the bearing of a particular line shown upon a plat." References to Magnetic North should be avoided except in the cases where a comparison is necessitated by a Deed Call. In all cases, the bearings used shall be referenced to some well-established and monumented line.

                                                             x.      A designated "north arrow" and either a stated scale or graphic scale of the map shall be prominently shown upon the survey map.

                                                           xi.      Abbreviations generally used by the public or in proper names that do not relate to matters of survey are excluded from the legend requirement.

c.       Acceptable abbreviations on the face of survey maps are:
 N = North
 S = South
 E = East
 W = West
 or any combination such as NE, SW, etc.
 ° = Degrees
 ' = Minutes when used in a bearing
 '' = Seconds when used in a bearing
 ' = Feet when used in a distance
 '' = Inches when used in a distance
 AC = Acres
 +/- = More or less (or Plus or Minus)
 metric notation
 Any other abbreviations relating to survey matters must be clearly shown within a legend or notes appearing on the face of the map or report.

4.       When special conditions exist that effectively prevent the survey from meeting these minimum standards, the special conditions and any necessary deviation from the standards shall be noted upon the map or report.

5.       The responsibility for all mapped features must be clearly stated on any map or report signed by a Council member. When mapped features surveyed by the signing Council member have been integrated with mapped features surveyed by others, then the map or report shall clearly state the individual primarily responsible for the map or report.

6.       Report Items:

a.       Report items are information, as required by other parts of this rule, such as: abbreviations, legends, accuracy statements, feature lists, datums used, and things done or not done as part of the survey and mapping process. In addition, the map or report shall contain other items necessary for an adequate communication of survey methods and results as judged by the Council member such as: data sources, measurement methods, history and lineage of data, and limitations pertaining to the information presented.

b.      Text Report items shall be displayed either through notes on the map, report, or in a text report delivered with the map. When the report is produced as a text document and a map is attached, the report shall be signed and sealed. When the map is delivered in digital form only, then a report is required. An attached map must clearly reference the report by title, date and subject; and the report must likewise clearly refer to the map by title, date, and subject. Statements must be made on the map and in the report that neither is full and complete without the other.

c.       A sample Survey or Map Report is included at Appendix A: Sample Survey or Map Report.

7.       In order to perpetuate testimony taken from witnesses the Council member shall take affidavits from all such affiants. A sample Affidavit is included at Appendix B: Sample Affidavit.

8.       When a Council member determines that there is a dispute or confusion about boundary lines the Council member shall execute a Property Line Agreement between the adjoining parties. A sample Property Line Agreement is included at Appendix C: Sample Property Line Agreement.

9.       Map Accuracy.

a.       Vertical Feature Accuracy - Vertical Control: Field-measured control for elevation information shown upon survey maps or reports shall be based on a level loop or closure to a second benchmark. Closure in feet must be accurate to a standard of plus or minus .05 ft. times the square root of the distance in miles. All surveys and maps or reports with elevation data shall indicate the datum and a description of the benchmark(s) upon which the survey is based. Minor elevation data may be obtained on an assumed datum provided the base elevation of the datum is obviously different than the established datum.

b.      Horizontal Feature Accuracy:

                                                               i.      Horizontal Control: All surveys and maps or reports expressing or displaying features in a publicly published coordinate system shall indicate the coordinate datum and a description of the control points upon which the survey is based. Minor coordinate data may be obtained and used on an assumed datum provided the numerical basis of the datum is obviously different than a publicly published datum.

                                                             ii.      The accuracy of control survey data shall be verified by redundant measurements or traverse closures. All control measurements shall achieve the following closures:
 Commercial/High Risk Linear: 1 foot in 10,000 feet;
 Suburban: Linear: 1 foot in 7,500 feet;
 Rural: Linear: 1 foot in 5,000 feet;

                                                            iii.      When statistical procedures are used to calculate survey accuracies, the maximum acceptable positional tolerance should be based on the 95% confidence level.

                                                           iv.      Intended Display Scale: All maps or reports of surveys produced and delivered with digital coordinate files must contain a statement to the effect of: "This map is intended to be displayed at a scale of 1/__ or smaller". 

COUNCIL MINIMUM TECHNICAL STANDARDS INDEX PAGE