Land surveying, geodesy

High‑accuracy topographic and boundary determination surveys using theodolite and GNSS technology.

Land surveying and geodesy: What’s the difference?

Land surveying involves the high‑precision determination and mapping of the Earth’s surface and the position and dimensions of the objects located on it. The surveyor’s responsibilities also include marking out the “designed” points shown on plans or maps in the field — such as road alignments, parcel boundaries or building corner points.

In everyday language, land surveying and geodesy refer to the same activity, both carried out by land surveyors — also known as geodesists. There is, however, a subtle difference in how the two terms are used. Land surveying typically covers the more practical, day‑to‑day fieldwork (such as parcel surveys, road staking, or field measurements required for updating land registry records), while geodesy places more emphasis on the theoretical background. Within the profession, the terms lower geodesy and higher geodesy provide clearer distinctions: the former corresponds more closely to land surveying, while the latter aligns with geodesy.

While higher geodesy deals with the theoretical aspects of the discipline — such as the high‑precision determination of geodetic control networks or the shape of the Earth — lower geodesy focuses on practical implementation, relying on this theoretical foundation.

In everyday use, geodesy and land surveying are treated as synonyms.

Geodesy for our corporate clients

In addition to traditional land‑administration surveying tasks that affect the property registry — such as boundary adjustment, parcel consolidation, parcel subdivision, building registration, building removal, easements, parcel formation and staking — we also undertake the creation of any type of survey map, base map for design, as‑built documentation, contour site plans, as well as 3D surface models.

If required, we can attach a digital orthophoto to the survey map, allowing the results to be easily compared with real‑world conditions and providing a wealth of additional information.

Because we have extensive experience with various “alternative” data‑collection methods — such as 3D laser scanning, terrestrial and aerial photogrammetric evaluation, and drone surveying — as well as CAFM, we can offer numerous additional services to our corporate clients beyond traditional land surveying, especially in specialised fields such as building surveys, archaeological geodesy, and the surveying of industrial parks, plants, factories and industrial sites.

Among these, we primarily recommend our photographic supplementary services to architects, landscape architects, archaeologists and restorers, as well as to real‑estate agencies, while our CAFM services are mainly intended for property development and facility‑management companies.

Land surveying for private clients

As a private property owner, the need for a land surveyor rarely arises. Typically, an issue related to the property triggers the requirement for professional surveying knowledge. Land‑surveying and land‑registry questions most often come up during property sale, mortgage application, construction or renovation — and it is often at this point that owners discover that a house built decades ago still does not appear on the official cadastral base map.

As a private property owner, you may need a land surveyor when

Many later inconveniences can be avoided if you have your plot surveyed by a land surveyor even before the design phase begins. During the geodetic survey, we determine the exact size and position of the parcel and collect all information that must be considered during planning. This includes the location of utilities, pavements, trees and other vegetation, existing structures, as well as the topographic characteristics of the site.

The survey site plan also includes the parcel’s current legal boundary (which we obtain from the competent land registry office), making it immediately visible how much this differs from the surveyed physical boundary line — for example, from the fence.

Among our new photographic services, aerial imagery can be highly useful for architectural design as well. We capture aerial photos — or even 3D panoramic images — from a height of 15 metres, allowing you to see in advance exactly what the view will be from the upper‑floor windows of your future home.

After the architectural plans are completed — and before any foundation work begins — it is advisable to have a land surveyor stake out the exact position and outline of the building (and, if necessary, the fence).

Finally, after construction work is completed, the exact position of the building must — as a mandatory requirement — be recorded on the official cadastral map (this is done by preparing a so‑called “change sketch”). This task may only be carried out by a land surveyor with the appropriate professional authorization.

Following the modification or demolition of any part of an existing building, the cadastral map must also be updated — based on a change sketch prepared by a licensed land surveyor (as part of the so‑called building registration or building deletion process). In such cases, a building registration change sketch must be prepared (for a new or modified building), or a building deletion change sketch (for a demolished structure).

The legal boundary of a parcel most commonly changes when the plot is subdivided or when multiple parcels are merged, but it may also result from an agreement reached with neighbouring property owners. Any modification requires the approval of the competent authorities (typically the local municipality), as well as a boundary‑change sketch prepared by a licensed land surveyor.

If you wish to register an easement on your parcel at the land registry, a surveyor‑prepared change sketch is required.

It is also common for co‑owners of undivided shared property to document how the land is actually used, in order to avoid potential disputes. Through a use‑division agreement, disagreements between owners can be prevented: the parties sign a use‑division contract, supported by a professional surveyor’s work. The surveyor precisely measures and maps the real‑world conditions, and — if requested — draws the use‑division layout according to the ownership shares. Afterwards, with the owners’ consent, the surveyor can mark the use‑division boundaries on site.

The use‑division drawing becomes an annex to the use‑division contract and may also be submitted to the land registry for recording (this does not affect ownership shares).

In this case, the condominium’s founding deed must be amended. While only an attorney may modify the founding deed itself, a land surveyor is required to update the graphical annexes (the floor plans for each level) and to prepare the change sketch for cadastral approval by the land registry.

In such cases, boundary staking or boundary surveying is required.