Highway Surveying Manual
The Highway Surveying Manual presents surveyors' methods and departmental rules that apply to highway surveying operations of the Washington State Department of Transportation. The manual is intended to help standardize surveying practices throughout the department and to be a useful tool for department surveying crews.
Individual chapters
Chapter 1 Survey Team (PDF 236KB)
Chapter 3 Equipment (PDF 270KB)
Chapter 4 Electronic Data Controllers (PDF 234KB)
Chapter 5 Public Lands Survey System (PDF 5MB)
Chapter 6 Survey Datums (PDF 1.64MB)
Chapter 7 Accuracy Classification and Standards (PDF 367KB)
Chapter 8 Global Positioning System (GPS) (PDF 994KB)
Chapter 9 Total Station System (TSS) (PDF 291KB)
Chapter 10 Differential Leveling (PDF 391KB)
Chapter 11 Geometrics (PDF 1.5MB)
Chapter 12 Photogrammetry (PDF 198KB)
Chapter 13 Control Survey Procedures (PDF 267KB)
Chapter 14 Location Survey Procedures (PDF 437KB)
Slow down – lives are on the line.
Excessive speed was a top cause of work zone collisions in 2024.
Phone down, eyes up.
Work zones need our undivided attention.
It's in EVERYONE’S best interest.
96% of people hurt in work zones are drivers, their passengers or passing pedestrians, not just our road crews.