Texas land survey rules
TBPELS licenses surveyors and enforces the Texas Engineering and Surveying Practice Acts, according to the board's General Information page.
Who licenses land surveyors in Texas
Surveying in Texas is governed by the Professional Land Surveying Practices Act (Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1071), which the TBPELS firm page cites when it warns about unregistered firms.
The board's surveying rules sit in Title 22 Texas Administrative Code Chapter 138; Subchapter E holds the professional and technical standards (as published by Cornell LII).
TBPELS says more than 2,800 Registered Surveyors offer services in Texas.
Sources: Board: Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS); Governing law: Professional Land Surveying Practices Act; Board rules: 22 TAC Chapter 138
Who may survey
TBPELS states that only duly licensed and registered persons may perform or offer surveying services to the public.
A business offering land surveying to the public must register with the board.
A registered surveying firm must also employ a Registered Professional Land Surveyor full time to offer surveying services.
Firms renew their registration each year before January 1; otherwise the registration expires.
Sources: Only licensed and registered persons may survey for the public; Surveying firms must register with TBPELS
Minimum standards for a boundary survey
Under 22 TAC 138.87, when a surveyor delineates a boundary the surveyor must set, or leave as found, enough stable monuments to mark or reference the corners.
Where practical, monuments a Texas surveyor sets at boundary corners must be marked so they can be traced to the surveyor or firm (22 TAC 138.87(d)).
22 TAC 138.91 requires the survey drawing to note which monuments were found, which were set by the survey, and other record monuments relied on.
The survey drawing must show the firm name and registration number, the surveyor's name, address and phone, seal, original signature, and date surveyed (22 TAC 138.91(d)).
When a subdivision plat goes to a city or county for review and recording, the surveyor must follow the Surveying Act and board rules for the perimeter boundary (22 TAC 138.93).
Sources: Monuments at boundary corners; Drawing must say which monuments were found or set; Subdivision plats follow the same rules
Checking a surveyor's license
TBPELS publishes online rosters to look up RPLS registrants, licensed state land surveyors, SITs and surveying firms.
The board also offers roster files in CSV format, updated daily; the RPLS file shows which surveyors work for a firm.
Since September 1, 2023, the published roster no longer shows mailing addresses and phone numbers of individual surveyors (Senate Bill 510).
Source: Online roster search
Filing a complaint
Complaints against a licensed surveyor use the board's complaint form, which must be mailed with supporting documents.
The board asks complainants to complete the form fully and include drawings, contracts, letters, photographs and reports.
Complaints against businesses, government entities or unlicensed individuals are made in writing rather than on the form.
The board accepts anonymous complaints.
The board says it does not investigate inquiries based only on suspicion or speculation.
Common questions
What must a boundary survey include in Texas?
Under 22 TAC 138.87, when a surveyor delineates a boundary the surveyor must set, or leave as found, enough stable monuments to mark or reference the corners.