Topographic Survey
Technical Explanation
A Topographic (Topo) Survey precisely measures the locations and elevations of features on a parcel of land to produce a detailed map with contours. It captures natural features (hills, streams, trees) and man-made structures (buildings, roads, utilities) and represents the “lay of the land” in plan view. Traditional tools include total stations, GNSS GPS receivers, and leveling instruments.
Main requirements
Required in the early design stage of any development or engineering project. Needs line-of-sight across the site or drone/LiDAR support for dense coverage. The main deliverable is a topographic map or digital terrain model used for site planning, drainage design, volume calculations, etc., and is often mandated by regulations for permit applications.