When a U.S. land surveying firm considers outside drafting support, the first assignment is often less about volume and more about fit. Can the CAD team follow your template? Are instructions understood correctly? Are questions raised before assumptions find their way into a drawing?
A well-defined Survey CAD trial project gives both teams a practical way to answer those questions. You do not need to assemble every possible record or document; you need to provide the information relevant to the agreed scope.
1. Select a Manageable, Representative Assignment
Choose a project that reflects work you may regularly need help with. An ALTA/NSPS drawing update, boundary draft, topographic drawing, easement exhibit, deed plot, or CAD cleanup assignment can each work as a trial when the scope is clearly defined.
Identify the specific task, such as:
- Creating initial survey CAD linework
- Plotting record information
- Incorporating client redlines
- Applying client-specific CAD templates
- Preparing drawings for client review
A trial works best when both teams understand what is included in the assignment and what is outside the agreed scope.
2. Share Your CAD Files and Drafting Standards
Every surveying firm may have its own CAD standards, drawing conventions, and review requirements.
Providing these materials helps the drafting team work within your established production workflow instead of introducing a different drawing style.
Recommended files and references include:
- Base DWG or DXF files
- Relevant external references (Xrefs)
- Client CAD templates
- Layer naming and organization standards
- Blocks, symbols, and annotation styles
- Preferred sheet sizes and title blocks
- Plotting and PDF presentation requirements
- Previously approved drawings for reference
For an established survey team, consistent layers, labels, line types, and sheet organization can be just as important as the geometry itself.
A representative completed drawing helps communicate the presentation standard expected from the assignment.
3. Provide the Relevant Survey Source Information
The required source documents depend on the project type and requested drafting scope.
Boundary Survey Drafting
Common inputs include field or coordinate information, recorded deeds, subdivision plats, adjoining parcel information, and relevant surveyor instructions.
ALTA/NSPS Survey Drafting
Typical inputs may include the surveyor's instructions, applicable title commitments, supporting Schedule B-II exception documents, field information, existing CAD files, and requested Table A information where relevant.
Topographic Survey Drafting
Source materials may include surveyed point files, feature codes, breaklines, utility information, elevation references, and available base drawings.
Easement and Legal Description Exhibits
Relevant materials may include approved source descriptions, bearings, distances, curves, parcel information, and the requested exhibit format.
CAD Revisions and Cleanup
Provide the latest DWG files, client templates, clear markups, and instructions distinguishing requested changes from unresolved items.
Important: Aerial imagery can provide helpful visual context, but it should not be treated as the sole basis for property boundaries, recorded easements, or field-observed survey information.
4. Identify Open Questions and Items Requiring Surveyor Decisions
Survey drafting projects sometimes involve incomplete documents, unclear record references, or information that requires additional professional review.
Examples include:
- Unclear easement references
- Inconsistent deed calls
- Missing survey points
- Conflicting source information
- Annotations requiring confirmation
These items should be communicated clearly rather than resolved through unsupported assumptions.
Professional boundary decisions, survey interpretations, certification, and final approval remain the responsibility of the client and responsible licensed surveyor.
5. Specify Deliverables and Review Expectations
Before production begins, clearly identify the files and supporting information you expect to receive.
Depending on the project, deliverables may include:
- Editable DWG files
- DXF files where required
- Review-ready PDF drawings
- Survey exhibits
- Supporting tables
- Agreed drafting issue lists
- Updated drawings following client redlines
Clarify whether the assignment involves an initial draft, a revision set, or a drawing update for your team's review.
Also confirm how review comments will be communicated, who will consolidate redlines, and whether additional revisions fall within the agreed scope.
6. Confirm Scheduling and Confidentiality
Provide your preferred delivery date and discuss the project's priority requirements.
The actual production schedule should be confirmed after reviewing the project scope, available files, and drafting requirements.
Missing documents, unresolved questions, or additional requirements may affect the time needed for completion.
Before sharing sensitive survey drawings, title documents, or client information, confirm any applicable nondisclosure requirements and use an agreed secure file-transfer method.
Survey CAD Trial Project Checklist
Before sending an assignment to a drafting support team, review the following checklist:
- Project Scope: Identify the project type and requested drafting work.
- CAD Files: Provide the latest base drawings and relevant references.
- Drafting Standards: Include your templates, layers, blocks, and sample drawings.
- Source Documents: Provide applicable field data, deeds, plats, title documents, or other supporting information.
- Project Instructions: Highlight special requirements, priorities, and unresolved questions.
- Deliverables: Confirm the required CAD files, PDFs, exhibits, and supporting information.
- Scheduling: Communicate the preferred turnaround and confirm the agreed delivery schedule.
- Confidentiality: Confirm file-sharing and nondisclosure arrangements before transferring sensitive materials.
Not every project requires every item listed above. Provide the information relevant to the agreed assignment.
Start Small. Evaluate What Matters.
A useful trial project is not necessarily the largest or most complicated assignment.
It is one that helps your firm evaluate whether an external Survey CAD team can follow instructions, communicate clearly, work within your established standards, and prepare organized drawings for review.
RRA CAD SOLUTION supports U.S. land surveying firms with specialized Survey CAD drafting based on client-provided project information, CAD templates, and established review workflows.
Our objective is to provide dependable drafting support while respecting each client's standards and professional review responsibilities.
Have a Survey CAD Project in Mind?
Start with a suitable assignment and explore how RRA CAD SOLUTION can support your existing drafting workflow.
You can also explore our Survey CAD drafting services to learn more about our production capabilities.