Elements Common to All Survey Work

250 CMR 6.00 describes requirements common to all types of survey work, including but not limited to such surveys as Boundary, topographic, construction layout, title insurance, and mortgage surveys. (1) Presumptions. (a) When engaged to provide Work Products, surveyors are presumed to be familiar with other generally accepted standards of care (e.g., National Map Accuracy Standards, Land Title Survey Standards, land court standards) associated with that type of work and the surveyor's Work Products shall comply with those additional standards to the extent that such standards do not conflict with the provisions of 250 CMR. (b) When integrating mapping products provided by others, such as photogrammetric mapping, LiDAR mapping, geographic information systems data layers and hydrographic mapping, the surveyor is presumed to have exercised due care in evaluating the provider's qualifications, establishing the product's conformance with mapping standards, and performing sufficient independent conformance checks. (2) Measurements. (a) Linear measurements shall be expressed in terms of the US Survey Foot or the Meter. (b) The intended purpose of a Work Product shall dictate the accuracy and precision of the field measurements, the measuring equipment used and the manner of its use. (c) Appropriate corrections shall be applied to measurements to minimize or eliminate systematic errors. (d) Redundant observations shall be used to analyze Control measurements and when practical other measurement data, to assess the magnitude of errors associated with those measurements and to determine if the distributions of those errors are within acceptable tolerances. (e) After elimination of blunders and a determination that the remaining errors are within acceptable tolerances, the survey Control shall be appropriately adjusted such that it conforms to known geometric conditions or other known constraints. (f) For large and/or complex Control networks, the preferred method of analysis and adjustment shall be the statistically rigorous method of least-squares. (3) Calibration. (a) Measuring equipment must be calibrated to insure it continues to meet or exceed manufacturers' specifications and is capable of producing results in conformance with these standards. (b) The timing of device Calibrations must be such that it can be demonstrated that the device was capable of performing up to the standards of 250 CMR 6.01(3) and manufacturers' specifications at the time the survey was performed. (c) Appropriate calibration methods shall be employed that include the personnel who normally use the equipment and the accessory devices normally used with the equipment. These methods shall employ redundant measurement techniques capable of developing statistical tests, rather than simple direct comparisons. (MA REG. # 1332, Dated 2-10-17) (d) Records of compliance with 250 CMR 6.00 shall be exhibited to the Board upon demand. (4) Horizontal and Vertical Datums. (a) Horizontal directions shall be tied to some known meridian. When magnetic meridians are used, the date and location where the meridian was observed must be provided. (b) Horizontal coordinates, when provided, must be referenced to monuments or known and reproducible horizontal datums. The preferred horizontal datum is the Massachusetts Coordinate System North American Datum (NAD). (c) Elevations, when provided, shall be referenced to a known vertical datum or to an assumed datum for which two monuments (bench marks) have been established. The preferred vertical datum is the current national vertical datum. (d) Horizontal and vertical Control surveys for construction layout work shall be tied to all Boundary, easement or Regulatory Lines affecting the location of existing or proposed Fixed-works. (5) Work Products. All deliverable Work Products depicting the survey shall contain the following types of information, except when the only Work Product delivered is on-the-ground markings: (a) The client's name, the record owner's name, and location of the surveyed premises. (b) The surveyor's full name, firm name, business address, seal, Signature, the date of the Work Product and, when appropriate, a revision date. (c) Measured quantities shall be shown to a number of significant digits consistent with the accuracy and procedures used to obtain the measurements and appropriate for the item being described. (d) The Work Product shall identify the survey's meridian by symbol, note its origin and orient the Work Product such that north is generally pointing in an upward direction. (e) The Work Product shall provide ratio and graphic bar scales. (f) When surveys are tied to an existing coordinate system, provide the basis for the ties and, if applicable, the combined scale factor needed to convert the reported distances back to ground measurements. (g) Identify sources and techniques used to develop the mapping information shown, such as contours, site features, utilities, floodplains, wetlands, etc. (h) For information obtained from a specific data layer in a geographic information system, land information system or mapping system, the survey Work Product shall identify the source and positional accuracy of features and/or attributes obtained from said layer. (i) The standard for positional information shown on a survey or other Work Product shall meet the appropriate national map accuracy standard for the compilation scale of the Work Product. (6) Archival Requirements. The surveyor shall maintain supporting documentation sufficient to demonstrate compliance with 250 CMR and to substantiate their findings in response to lawful inquiries long enough to meet applicable legal and regulatory requirements.