When thinking about building your own home, you will probably have a lot of questions and one of them may be, “what does a land engineer do?” It’s important to understand this individual’s role in your home construction before hiring your own land engineer. Let’s dive into some fast facts about land engineers!

What Is A Land Engineer?

Land engineers, also known as civil engineers, handle infrastructure on small and large scales. Civil engineers can work for the government or in the private sector, and these individuals can work on projects as large as highways, airports, and bridges, or can also work on smaller projects like personal homes.

What Do Civil Engineers Do?

While some of their work can be done in an office, many land engineers go to project sites to oversee construction.

Mostly, civil engineers will do a combination of the following:

• Determine the feasibility of a project and make sure plans meet zoning requirements and don’t conflict with other municipal regulations
• Plan the construction of drainage, utilities, waste management, and similar systems
• Test the ground and surrounding areas to determine the effects of building or development in that area
• Write up proposals, status updates and other reports
• Provide expertise and advice for managing building, soil conversation, etc
• Design and test agricultural equipment
• Work to restore water and electricity supplies

Civil engineers carry out plenty of research and are heavily involved in the planning of new construction. They can provide support to their clients and also provide consultancy services.

How Do Land Engineers Become Qualified?

All land engineers will have college degrees in civil engineering or other closely related fields and many continue their education with a master’s degree for a competitive edge.

If these individuals are signing off on plans or managing other engineers, they’ll likely have numerous other licenses to follow your state’s regulations. These licenses are commonly only obtainable through years of work and several tests. Once civil engineers have obtained all of their licenses, they’ll get a title upgrade, and earn the ranking “professional engineer.”

What Qualities Should I Look For When Hiring A Civil Engineer?

First, check their qualifications. Degrees and licenses speak for themselves, but you can also reference their previous work. You’ll also want to look at their problem solving capabilities. How do they handle unexpected issues?

Determine their comfort with advanced mathematics like geometry and calculus. You’ll also want to ask yourself, does this engineer communicate well and easily? These individuals will be responsible for overseeing crucial steps in your home building process, so it’s important to be able to communicate clearly and openly.

Also consider their personality and how easy it is to work with them. Since they’ll be in contact with many important individuals (including the surveyor, architect, etc) while building your home, you’ll want to be sure they can work together well.

Why Do I Need to Hire a Land Engineer?

Land engineers can be extremely helpful when building a new home because with their knowledge, civil engineers can save you time and money by recommending the most beneficial solutions to any predicaments that arise. These individuals can help you understand your town’s building codes and zoning regulations to make sure you are in compliance. With a land engineer’s guidance, the process of building your new home can be smooth and much less stressful.