landmeterwerk

Landmeterwerk, often translated as land surveying work, is the professional practice of measuring and documenting land and its features to determine and protect property boundaries, support planning, construction, and land administration.

Core activities include boundary surveys and resurveying for cadastral records, topographic surveys that record elevations and landforms, construction staking to locate buildings and infrastructure, route surveys for roads and utilities, and as-built surveys that record what has been built.

Techniques range from traditional field instruments such as chains, tape measures, compasses, and levels to modern electronic total stations, GNSS receivers, laser scanners, and drone-based photogrammetry. Data are processed with geospatial software to create maps, parcel plans, and geodetic control networks.

The workflow typically includes project planning, field data collection, data reduction and adjustment, map production, and documentation suitable for legal and regulatory use. Results are used by landowners, developers, municipalities, and land registries.

In many countries, landmeterwerk operates under professional standards and is legally regulated. Licensed surveyors or geomatics engineers perform or supervise work, and cadastral plans and boundary determinations must meet accuracy and provenance requirements.

Historically, landmeterwerk evolved from simple boundary markers and linear chaining to modern GNSS networks and high-precision laser scanning. It remains essential for property rights, urban planning, and infrastructure projects.