Southern Survey and Design is a land surveying and site consulting business based in East Texas that specializes and offers extensive experience in topographic design and construction layout, advanced geomatics, technical inspections, consulting, feasibility surveys, title surveying for realty, and oil/gas development.

At Southern Survey and Design, we believe deeply in this set of core values:

• Dedication to Surveying in Practice and Profession

  • Everyone works daily to improve our skill sets in Technology, Comprehension, Quality, and Completion to advocate our clients and the public

• Demonstrating our Character

  • Our team members perform without Excuse and without Exception so that the integrity of our work shines to our clients

• Profiting Through Efficiency

  • We work Smarter and Harder to be a profitable business

• Quality of Life

  • Our Professional fulfillment is enabled by our Personal lives; and our Personal success outside of work is encouraged by our livelihood.

As survey technicians and licensed surveyors we have surveyed over 40 regional airports, developed more than 300 gas wells, completed miles of pipeline work around East Texas, and multiple municipal developments. We are experts at residential platting and civil development. Southern Survey Company formed in 2009 to offer premium quality surveys on your schedule.  In 2013, our company became a subsidiary of Trendsetter Construction, Inc. to improve our safety program, increase our client base, facilitate the spatial aspect for Trendsetter’s operations, and improve the site design process.

We are active members of the Texas Society of Professional Surveyors, the Association of Petroleum Surveying and Geomatics, Pipeline Open Data Standard, East Texas Users Group, and multiple local organizations.  Southern Survey and Design has a “stake” in our community, adding value to your property and profit in your projects.

Terrestrial LIDAR

Since 2013, Southern Survey and Design utilizes a phase based, Trimble TX5, laser scanner to collect LiDAR data in blue sky and mechanical scanning applications monthly.  We decrease our resolution to 1/5 and increase our setup frequency to provide the most comprehensive point cloud coverage.  On site, the use of spherical targets guarantees quality post-process registration.  The addition of survey control practices places the scan world on the client’s defined coordinate system.  Delivery of scan data is usually in Autodesk’s ReCap format, but we are capable of converting to any file type.

Topographic

Data collected for large scale mapping projects assist civil engineers and contractors be creating a digital terrain model.  Included in the data are planimetric point and line features as well.  Southern Survey and Design implements best practices to assure completeness in the dataset and chooses the appropriate field method to collect the data with high precision, accuracy, and efficiency.  Our models can also be subsidized by additional remote data sources by using GIS to deliver the highest quality product.

Design

It is difficult for large projects to move forward without the benefit of a feasibility survey.  From frac ponds in wetlands with multiple landowners to preliminary pipeline routes to 30 acres gas facility sites needing cut/fill balanced, Southern Survey and Design adds value to your projects early on.  This professional input allows the conversation between investors, engineers, land managers, land owners, and constructors to shape our world.

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)

UAS have been a valuable tool to our clients since 2014.  Not only did we have our Section 333 Exemption early, but our staff pilot has his FAA UAS Remote Pilot’s License.  With the use of a visual observer, we currently fly a DJI Phantom Pro 4 with autonomous location or ground control targets to produce ortho raster images or derived volume products by structure from motion (SfM).  During site construction, we fly several times a month for client audits.  In bare earth scenarios, the UAS option can be more cost effective than LiDAR to create high density point clouds.

Construction

The application of spatial data in the field for construction is called “laying-out” or “setting-out”.  Our technicians set construction points, offsets, local benchmarks, vertical shems, and chalk lines daily.  The liability is high and the layout require a high level of accuracy and precision  Often the construction site is busy with other tradesman creating a complicated work environment.  We work at the pace of construction, so good communication between the site superintendent and our office is a must! 

Asset Management

Data driven decisions have permeated all systems of management and quality of data is paramount!  Whether a lack of validation or completeness in the dataset for legacy assets is costing your company an unknown amount of money or your company has determined to implement a total data creation program, Southern Survey and Design has the experience to collect those positions in whatever enterprise GIS schema works for you.

Boundary

A licensed land surveyor is authorized to locate boundaries on the ground.  This is done by collecting and evaluating boundary evidence collected in the field and researched in the public records.  The application of the plats, descriptions, and exhibits produced from our office aid in real estate transactions, property improvements, parcel partitions, and underwriting.  We complete over 20 boundary surveys a month in a timely and quality manor.

Site Engineering

Construction plans are prepared from several entities, in different formats, with multiple revisions.  In addition, rarely is the designed coordinate system localized at the site prior to construction.  Our staff specializes in establishing, validating, and perpetuating site control points in plant grid systems, geodetic coordinate systems, or alignments.  If your project is escalating cost due to poor control, Southern Survey and Design troubleshoot jobs as outside consultants several times a year.

Energy Industry

Our primary clientele work in upstream, midstream, and downstream.  For exploration, we stake wellheads, pad design, lease road location, and all exhibits for global clients doing work in East Texas and Louisiana as well as smaller outfits.  For midstream, from the meterloop to the sale point and everything in between, Southern Survey and Design is your go to vendor.  We continue to work in capex programs for cracking plants and other downstream facilities to provide LiDAR data and construction layout.