National Surveyors Week 2026: Celebrating the Foundation of Every Great Project
Article by Eric Cooper, PLS, CP, Surveys & SUE Section Head
Each year, National Surveyors Week provides an opportunity to recognize the professionals who establish the framework for our communities, infrastructure, and digital landscapes. From boundary retracements and construction staking to mobile LiDAR, UAS mapping, and GNSS control networks, surveyors ensure that every project begins with accuracy, reliability, and confidence.
As we celebrate National Surveyors Week 2026 (March 15-21), JMT proudly highlights the essential contributions of our Surveying & Geomatics teams across the company.
Surveying’s Legacy—and Its Relevance Today
Surveying is a profession steeped in history. Many of our forefathers were surveyors–George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln all got their starts as land surveyors before becoming presidents.
US presidents aren’t the only ones who began their careers as surveyors. A couple of other famous surveyors in history:
– Henry David Thoreau. Although he is best known for his 1854 book Walden, his longest-held job tenure was as a land surveyor.
– Benjamin Banneker. The first well-known African American land surveyor was also a mathematician, almanac author, and scientist. He was hired in 1789 by then-Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson to survey the borders of Washington, D.C.
Today, surveying remains vital, both for determining boundaries and as an integral part of modern infrastructure, which demands data precision at a level unimaginable even a generation ago. Modern infrastructure projects demand high-precision data because they are more complex, more digital, and more interdependent than ever before. The shift has occurred rapidly—largely within the last decade—driven by leaps in GNSS accuracy, LiDAR density, drone adoption, real-time analytics, and the rise of BIM and digital twins. As a result, surveyors have evolved from field measurers into highly technical geospatial data integrators who support the entire lifecycle of today’s infrastructure.
Surveyors are no longer just measuring distances and angles; they are integrating advanced sensors, real-time positioning technologies, and highly automated workflows that fuel today’s digital design and construction ecosystems.
JMT’s Surveying Capabilities
At JMT, our survey professionals support projects across transportation, water resources, buildings and facilities, environmental restoration, and community development. Their work directly enables:
– Accurate planning and engineering designs
– Safe construction sequencing and verification
– Digital twins and GIS integration
– LiDAR-based mapping for large-scale corridors
– Asset inventories for state and local agencies
– Reliable boundary and ROW determinations
– Aerial imagery and UAS-collected photogrammetry
Every discipline we serve relies on survey data, and our teams deliver that foundation with exceptional rigor and professionalism.
Looking to the Future
Technology continues to transform the surveying profession, and JMT remains ahead of the curve. Our teams leverage:
– Terrestrial, mobile, and UAS LiDAR systems for rapid capture of high-density 3D data
– GNSS networks and hybrid robotic total stations for millimeter accuracy
– Real-time data integration with engineering design platforms
– ArcGIS and advanced geospatial workflows to streamline client deliverables
– Automated field to finish processes that improve efficiency and reduce errors
– Digital compliance with evolving federal mandates such as ASDA/OMB M2602
These capabilities don’t just enhance deliverables; they strengthen our reputation as industry leaders in geospatial technology.
The use of LiDAR is expanding daily as we leverage sensor fusion to integrate terrestrial, mobile, SLAM, and UA LiDAR to produce detailed 3D maps. The biggest gain from using this technology is the safety it provides for JMT staff and the public affected by our work.
The automated field-to-finish process has been around for a long time but has seen significant improvements recently. Data is transferred from the field to the office immediately and quickly taken from raw data collection to 3D mapping. These improvements allow real-time data integration, giving designers access to the data much more quickly and allowing solutions to be developed sooner.
As infrastructure programs continue to grow nationwide, the demand for high-quality surveying will only increase. National Surveyors Week reminds us not only of our history but also of the powerful role surveyors play in shaping the future.