CT Land Surveyor cheat sheet

Retracement re-establishes an existing boundary from record evidence; it never creates a new line. Order of evidence: natural monuments, artificial monuments, courses and distances, then area or quantity.

Original survey corners control over later surveys. A retracement surveyor must follow the footsteps of the original surveyor rather than correct perceived errors.

A monument is a physical object marking a corner; a corner is a point of the boundary. Monuments are either natural (rivers, trees, rock outcrops) or artificial (iron pins, concrete monuments, set stones).

Adverse possession in Connecticut requires 15 years of continuous, open, notorious, exclusive, and hostile use under C.G.S. § 52-575.

Boundary by acquiescence: Connecticut recognizes a practical location doctrine where adjoining owners treat a line as the boundary for a long period and both parties are bound by it.

Parol evidence may be admitted to resolve ambiguities in a deed, but the plain meaning of unambiguous language controls.

Riparian boundaries: Connecticut follows the common law rule that a boundary along a non-navigable stream shifts with gradual accretion and reliction but not with avulsion.

Proportionate measurement distributes a known error in a deed's distances among all courses of the description in proportion to their record lengths.

Angles: 1 degree = 60 minutes = 3600 seconds. Bearings express direction from a north or south reference; azimuths are measured clockwise from north (0° to 360°).

Convert bearing to azimuth: NE quadrant = bearing; SE = 180° − bearing; SW = 180° + bearing; NW = 360° − bearing.

Latitude (departure) = distance × cos(bearing) [or sin(azimuth)]; Departure = distance × sin(bearing) [or cos(azimuth)].

Closure: sum of latitudes and sum of departures must equal zero for a closed traverse. Linear misclosure = √(ΣLat² + ΣDep²).

Precision ratio = total traverse length ÷ linear misclosure, expressed as 1:N.

Area by coordinates (shoelace): 2A = Σ(Xᵢ × Yᵢ₊₁ − Xᵢ₊₁ × Yᵢ), taking the absolute value and dividing by two.

Law of sines: a/sin A = b/sin B = c/sin C. Law of cosines: c² = a² + b² − 2ab·cos C.

Inverse between two points: ΔN, ΔE; distance = √(ΔN² + ΔE²); azimuth = atan2(ΔE, ΔN), normalized to 0°–360°.

A closed traverse returns to its starting point; a closed-link traverse ends on a known point of different coordinates. Both require angular and linear closure checks.

Angular misclosure for a closed polygon = sum of interior angles − (n − 2) × 180°. Acceptable misclosure typically ≤ a × √n where a is instrument accuracy.

Compass rule (Bowditch) distributes lat/dep errors proportionally to course length; transit rule distributes proportionally to lat/dep magnitude.

Total Station measures slope distance, zenith angle, and horizontal/vertical angles; horizontal distance = slope distance × sin(zenith).

EDM errors: constant offset (prism constant) and scale (ppm). Combined error = ±(a + b ppm × D).

Level loop misclosure must be within allowable tolerance; distribute error equally among setups or proportionally to distance.

GPS/GNSS accuracy: RTK typically ±(8 mm + 1 ppm) horizontal; static network solutions reach millimeter-level precision.

Significant figures: record field measurements to the precision of the instrument; do not report coordinates beyond the precision of the survey.

Connecticut is a recording state: deeds must be recorded in the town clerk's office of the town where the land lies to give constructive notice.

A deed requires: parties, words of grant, description of the property, signature of grantor, and delivery. Consideration is not required but is customary.

Title by deed conveys what the grantor owns; a quitclaim deed carries no warranties. A warranty deed contains covenants of seisin, right to convey, quiet enjoyment, warranty, and further assurances.

Marketable title record: a chain of title search typically covers 40 years or back to a warranty deed in the chain, whichever is shorter.

Easements: an appurtenant easement benefits a dominant tenement and burdens a servient tenement; it runs with the land. An easement in gross benefits a person, not a parcel.

Prescriptive easement in Connecticut requires 15 years of adverse, open, notorious, and continuous use without permission.

Connecticut recording statutes: C.G.S. § 47-10 governs the recording of conveyances; the state is a notice/race-notice hybrid in practice-recording gives priority over unrecorded interests.

Subdivision of land in Connecticut is governed by C.G.S. § 8-18 et seq. and local planning and zoning regulations; a subdivision is any division of land into three or more lots within ten years.

Horizontal datum: NAD83 (2011) is current for Connecticut; NAD27 is obsolete. Vertical datum: NAVD88.

State Plane Coordinate System for Connecticut: CT00 is a single zone using the Lambert Conformal Conic projection with standard parallels 41°52′ and 41°52′ (single-zone design).

Geoid model GEOID18 (or newer) converts ellipsoidal heights to orthometric heights: H = h − N.

Scale factor = grid distance ÷ ground distance. Combine with elevation factor (R/(R + h)) to convert ground to grid.

Connecticut is in UTM Zone 18N (central meridian 75°W) and Zone 19N (69°W) for UTM users, but State Plane CT00 is the standard for survey control.

NGS control: passive marks (triangulation stations, benchmarks) and active CORS (Continuously Operating Reference Stations) provide the framework for GPS observations.

Geodetic azimuth vs. grid azimuth: grid azimuth = geodetic azimuth − convergence angle.

Leveling: differential leveling uses backsight and foresight readings; elevation = HI − foresight; HI = elevation + backsight.

Scale of a vertical aerial photograph: S = f / H, where f is focal length and H is flying height above ground.

Relief displacement: d = (r × h) / H, where r is radial distance from the principal point, h is object height, and H is flying height.

Stereo overlap: 60% forward overlap and 20–30% sidelap are standard for mapping; 80% overlap is used for orthophoto generation.

Ground sample distance (GSD) = pixel size × (H / f). GSD defines the resolution of the orthoimage or point cloud.

LiDAR: point cloud density (points per square meter) determines DEM quality; classification separates ground from vegetation and buildings.

Remote sensing indices: NDVI = (NIR − Red) / (NIR + Red); NDWI uses green and NIR for water detection.

Photogrammetric control requires ground control points (GCPs) with known coordinates; checkpoints verify accuracy independently.

Map accuracy: the National Map Accuracy Standards (NMAS) require 90% of well-defined points within 1/30 inch at map scale (horizontal) and half a contour interval (vertical).

Subdivision plat contents typically include: boundary, lot lines, lot areas, bearings and distances, curve data, monument locations, easements, and references to adjacent parcels.

Curve data: R (radius), Δ (central angle), L = R × Δ(radians), T = R × tan(Δ/2), C = 2R × sin(Δ/2), M = R(1 − cos(Δ/2)).

Arc length L = R × Δ × (π/180) when Δ is in degrees.

Lot area computation by coordinates: sum the shoelace areas of the closed polygon; convert units consistently.

Construction staking: horizontal alignment uses stationing (100-ft stations); vertical alignment uses grades (% slope) and elevations.

Cut and fill: cut = existing elevation − design elevation (positive = cut); fill is the negative. Volume by average end area or prismoidal formula.

Building layout: set backs, lot coverage, and height limits are governed by local zoning regulations; verify against the approved site plan.

As-built surveys compare constructed improvements to the approved plans; deviations must be documented and reported to the client and municipality.

A professional land surveyor in Connecticut must be licensed by the State Board of Examiners for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors under C.G.S. Chapter 391.

Sealing and signing: only a licensed surveyor may sign and seal survey maps and reports; the seal is the surveyor's personal certification of the work.

Conflict of interest: disclose any financial or personal interest in a project. Do not accept compensation from more than one party for the same service without disclosure.

Confidentiality: client information and records are confidential unless disclosure is required by law, court order, or the client's consent.

Competence: accept only work within your competence; obtain specialized expertise when the scope exceeds your qualifications.

Record retention: retain field notes, computations, and final maps for the period required by state law and professional standards; typically a minimum of seven years.

Advertising must be truthful and not misleading; do not claim credentials, affiliations, or qualifications you do not hold.

Report violations of the standards of practice to the State Board; failure to report may itself be a violation.

C.G.S. § 20-299 et seq. governs the licensure of professional engineers and land surveyors; the State Board of Examiners administers the licensing process.

C.G.S. § 20-300b addresses the seal and signature requirements for engineering and land surveying documents.

Connecticut Standards of Practice for Land Surveying: minimum requirements for boundary surveys, ALTA/NSPS surveys, topographic surveys, and construction layout.

Boundary survey minimum standards: research of public records, field evidence, monumentation, and a map showing all evidence and basis of the boundary determination.

Monumentation: corners must be marked with durable monuments (e.g., iron pins, concrete monuments) set to the standards of the Connecticut Association of Land Surveyors.

Continuing education: Connecticut requires professional land surveyors to complete continuing education hours per renewal cycle as set by the State Board.

Subdivision regulations: C.G.S. § 8-18 et seq. authorizes municipal planning commissions to adopt subdivision regulations and to approve or deny subdivision plans.

Zoning: C.G.S. § 8-2 authorizes zoning commissions to regulate the use of land, lot sizes, setbacks, and building heights.