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Ann Arbor, Michigan
Land Surveying in Ann Arbor, MI
Boundary, topographic, and construction staking surveys that put the design on the ground accurately the first time. Ann Arbor and the surrounding MI area is covered on a project basis through our Detroit, MI regional hub.
- Dispatched from
- Detroit, MI regional hub (36 mi) · project-based staffing
- Lead time
- Scheduled by phone or proposal; lead time confirmed when the scope is set
- Laboratory
- Sugar Land, TX laboratory under chain of custody, or a mobile laboratory for large projects
- Reporting
- Reviewed and issued under a documented quality system; formatted for owner, engineer, and building-official review
- Serving
- Ann Arbor and the surrounding MI area — Detroit, Grand Rapids, Warren
- Coverage
- Michigan statewide · 27 regional hubs
- Technicians
- ACI- and NICET-certified field staff; licensed professionals in Michigan
- Call us
- (346) 420-5425
Scope
Survey services in Ann Arbor
- Boundary and title surveys for acquisition and permitting
- Topographic surveys for civil design
- Construction staking: building corners, utilities, paving, and grades
- As-built surveys for closeout and conveyance
Full scope, standards list, and pricing basis: Land Surveying.
Local conditions
Survey conditions in Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor's built environment spans dense urban infill near the University of Michigan campus, suburban residential growth along the outer corridors, and commercial and mixed-use development that must navigate the city's detailed ordinance requirements and Washtenaw County review processes. Accurate survey work is not optional here — right-of-way widths, setback requirements, and utility corridors leave little tolerance for positional error before a project reaches the foundation stage. Our firm dispatches licensed survey crews to Ann Arbor from our Detroit regional hub, providing boundary delineation, topographic surveys, and construction staking coordinated with your project schedule. Every deliverable is produced under a documented quality system, and field crews work under the direction of a Michigan-licensed professional surveyor. Whether you are breaking ground on a multi-family development, repositioning a commercial footprint, or tying a civil design into existing site controls, we put the design on the ground with the precision your downstream trades depend on.
Southern Michigan's glacially deposited soils — including silty and clayey till common to the Washtenaw County area — can shift benchmark elevations seasonally as freeze-thaw cycles affect surface monuments; crews account for this when setting and checking control points. Construction seasons here are compressed by winter weather, making early survey scheduling in the spring and fall windows particularly important to keep project timelines intact.
FAQ · Ann Arbor
How does Michigan's frost depth affect the reliability of survey benchmarks and control points set earlier in the project?
Frost depths in southern Michigan can exceed 42 inches in a severe winter, which can heave shallow monuments and shift temporary benchmarks. Crews verify control point elevations at the start of each construction phase rather than assuming earlier values hold. Permanent control is set below the expected frost line where site conditions allow, and any reestablished control is tied back to a stable reference before staking resumes.
Does Ann Arbor or Washtenaw County require a licensed Michigan surveyor of record on my site plan submittal?
Michigan's Occupational Code requires that surveys used for legal descriptions, plat preparation, and site plan submittals to local municipalities bear the seal and signature of a Michigan-licensed professional surveyor. Our deliverables are produced under the direction and seal of a licensed Michigan PS, satisfying that requirement for City of Ann Arbor site plan review and Washtenaw County recording purposes. Confirm specific submittal requirements with your project's reviewing agency.
What coordinate system and datum do Ann Arbor-area projects typically use, and will my survey match what the civil engineer has in their CAD files?
Most civil projects in the Ann Arbor area reference the Michigan State Plane Coordinate System, South Zone (NAD 83), with elevations on NAVD 88. We establish control consistent with those datums and deliver CAD files in formats compatible with standard civil design workflows. Confirm the required datum, units, and file format with your engineer of record before mobilization so deliverables integrate cleanly from day one.
Which office covers survey in Ann Arbor, MI?
Field work in Ann Arbor is dispatched through the Detroit, MI regional hub, about 36 miles away. Laboratory testing is performed in Sugar Land, TX under chain of custody, or in a mobile laboratory mobilized to large Ann Arbor projects.
Are the technicians you send to Ann Arbor certified?
Field sampling and testing in Ann Arbor are performed by our ACI- and NICET-certified technicians. Survey engineering and professional services are delivered with professionals licensed in Michigan, coordinated under one proposal.
Hiring: we staff this work locally. Field technician openings in Ann Arbor · all positions.
Scheduling & proposals
Need land surveying in Ann Arbor?
Call to schedule a technician, or send project documents for a written proposal.