Getting Started with Land Survey Apps

Land surveyors are tasked on job sites with making precise measurements to determine the physical property boundaries. They provide all of the relevant data needed to understand the shape and contour of the Earth’s surface for engineering, mapmaking, and construction projects, according to the Department of Labor.

Is there an app for land surveying?

While much of a land surveyor’s work is recorded using specific instruments designed for the job, there are also mobile apps that can be used for land surveying. These apps are designed to help with collecting and consolidating information in the field during the land survey and used for reporting purposes. Mobile apps available on iPhone, Android, and other mobile devices in the field can be used to capture data and automatically generate the report to save time for land surveyors.

Top Benefits of Using Land Survey Apps

Using a mobile app for land surveys is designed to eliminate the use of paper sheets for recording information in the field. Instead of paper sheets, data is recording into a mobile app specifically for the land survey process and stored securely in the cloud. Digitizing information is beneficial for businesses in several ways:

• Ensure Accuracy.Using a mobile app for land surveys ensures that the data collected on site is recorded in real-time, for the most accurate recollection of details on site.
• Create Standardization. Companies also benefit from having standadized templates and required fields on mobile forms help to ensure that all of the required information is collected properly.
• Increase Efficiency. Instead of spending hours manually creating a report after the site survey, mobile apps are designed to automatically generate a formatted report to save time and effort for employees.
• Scale Operations. For complex organizations with large field operations, software and mobile apps can help scale processes and ensure consistency across different sites and teams.
• Avoid Risk. While paper sheets can be misplaced or destroyed by mistake, digital records that are automatically backed up in the cloud will ensure that documentation is always available when it’s needed.

What to look for in a land survey app

There are several key things to look for when implementing mobile forms and apps used by land surveyors. 

Field data capture and report generation

At a very basic level, land survey apps will be designed for field data capture and report generation. This allows the land surveyor to capture information in the field and record it on the mobile device, so that a PDF report can be generated when all of the data is collected. Once a report has been generated, mobile apps can be designed to send a report via email to the appropriate parties.

Customizable templates

Most mobile app providers will give companies the ability to start from a template for a land survey and other similar jobs on site. Templates are often used as a starting point and companies will customize the templates based on the specific type of survey.

For example, a mine surveyor would have a different template than a construction site surveyor, with different fields being captured based on the specific use case. 

No-code or low-code platforms

When selecting a mobile app for land surveying, ease-of-use for non-technical users is an important feature to look for. No-code or low-code platforms allow you to deploy apps for field workers, without any help from IT or advanced technical knowledge. This allows any business type to implement the technology and use a drag-and-drop editor for mobile app development.

 

Key Features of a Land Survey App

When comparing apps for land surveys, there are a number of features that would be useful for capturing data in the field. This includes things like:

• Signature Capture. Allows individuals to sign off and officially sign documents directly from the field and sent to any other required parties.
• Image Capture. Using native functionality of mobile devices allows users to collect images to be included in the land survey.
• Offline Capabilities. With remote job sites that do not have access to internet, mobile apps can allow you to digitally collect data and then have it be saved offline and synced to the cloud when an internet connection is available again.
• Reference Data. Integrate other data sources into the mobile app to streamline the forms with any relevant information that can be pre-populated to simplify data collection.
• Dispatch. Manage the process online to schedule and dispatch the right worker to perform the land survey.
• GPS Monitoring. Leverage GPS functionality of a mobile device to have a digital record of the physical location of the job site where work was performed.
• Integrations and APIs. Sync any information seamlessly between the apps in the field and other cloud-based platforms your business uses.

Free Land Survey App for iPhone and Android Mobile Devices

Get started for free with GoCanvas using our land survey app available on iPhone and Android mobile devices. This template can be used for many different types of land surveys and gives businesses the flexibility to customize the app to fit their specific need. Construction firms and land surveyors find that by using GoCanvas for field data collection and reporting, they’re able to save time and money by digitizing these processes in a mobile app platform.