Licensed Surveyors

The Danish Association of Licensed Surveyors in Private Practice

Cadastral work, or surveying for legal purposes, in Denmark is the monopoly of licensed surveyors in private practise. Licenses are granted to the surveyors after they have completed a university degree, M.Sc. in Surveying, Planning and Land Management and worked for a surveyor in private practice for three years. There are about 120 private surveying firms, employing about 3000 surveyors in total.

Most licensed surveyors are members of PLF - "The Danish Association of Licensed Surveyors in Private Practice". You are currently visiting our web site. We observe the political interests of our members and arrange activities in the fields of continuous professional development and business development. Along with the other organisations for chartered surveyors and the permanent office of FIG, our administration resides in "The Surveyors' House" in Copenhagen.

When land is to be parcelled out or a property boundary changed, landowners must apply to a surveyor in private practice for a legal survey and the preparation of documents needed for their application to The National Survey and Cadastre for the Cadastre to be updated. This application includes documentation of legal rights and approvals in accordance with planning and land-use regulations.

Cadastral work accounts for about 40% of the output of a private surveying firm. The rest is made up by engineering surveying (20%), mapping (10%) and land-use management, GIS etc. (30%). Surveyors in private practice perform the role of consultants in this field and have traditionally epitomized the Danish surveyor.