Field work and equipment0 answersAI answer
Rural boundaries with thick woods and steep ground are eating our field budgets.
Asked October 25, 2026
AI answer · not yet verified by a surveyor
Plan from the office so the crew isn't searching blind [2]:
- Research first: pull adjoining deeds, plats and old field notes, and compute where monuments should be.
- Use what you can see: aerials, LiDAR hillshade and old fence or blaze lines often reveal the line before anyone walks it.
- Hybrid control: set GNSS control in openings, then traverse with a total station under the canopy where GNSS fixes are unreliable [1].
- Brush strategically: cut only the lines of sight you need, and coordinate with the owner.
- Target search areas: take a metal detector and probe only to computed positions plus a search radius.
- Price it honestly: quote wooded or steep work with clear assumptions and a contingency for missing corners.
Track field hours per mile of line on these jobs. It makes the next quote much more accurate.
General information only. Answers here are not a survey or legal advice, and no one here can tell you where your boundary is. For your property, hire a licensed land surveyor in your state; for legal questions, a real-estate attorney.