When you complete a survey ask yourself:

Can I back up what I did and why I did it? You may understand it, but can you present in a way that the court and a lay person understand it.

Did you complete your internal surveyor’s report at the end of the survey while the reasoning is still fresh in your mind? Not the day you get the notice that it is going to court. Oh, you do not do an internal surveyor's report on each job? Why not?

Did I meet the survey requirements of the Board of Surveyor’s and Mappers at the time of the survey? Keep a copy of the rules at the time of the survey. Keep a copy of the backup. You never know when your survey will be brought into question.

On the more difficult surveys set up a meeting with the party chief and at least two or three surveyors in your office and go over the issues of the survey.  Everyone needs to be free to speak what they think. Do not block them out if they disagree with your conclusions. Open your mind to what they are saying and if it makes more sense than your analysis incorporate their's into the survey.

Thoughts on the rules:

Think of 5J-17 as a contract with your client: in this case the Board.  As you move through the rules you will see the constant theme of “Truth in Labeling”, on the face of the survey “tell what you did.”  This was a big part of the rewrite from Minimum Technical Standards to Standards of Practice.

5J-17.015 Statement Regarding Lack of Insurance. In addition to the office sign required by section 472.015, F.S., if neither the business entity nor the individual licensee has professional liability insurance, a written notification shall be provided directly to the client prior to commencement of any work, in the form of a written statement that clearly and conspicuously states to the client that neither the business entity nor the individual licensee has professional liability insurance. The notice shall be retained for a period of six years from the date of creation pursuant to paragraph 5J-17.053(5)(a), F.A.C.