Write proper disclaimers when delivering GIS-grade versus survey-grade data

Steps

1. Determine which category the deliverable actually falls into: survey-grade output comes from a licensed boundary/control survey workflow with centimeter-level, verifiable positional accuracy, while GIS-grade/mapping-grade data (typical of handheld or mapping-grade GNSS) is order(s) of magnitude less precise, commonly in the roughly 0.5–5 foot range depending on equipment.
2. State the achieved accuracy quantitatively using an ASPRS-consistent accuracy statement (RMSE-based, per the current ASPRS Positional Accuracy Standards) rather than a vague 'approximate' label, whenever accuracy testing was performed.
3. Explicitly disclaim that GIS-grade/mapping-grade deliverables are not a boundary survey and do not establish legal property lines or corners — this line is required to avoid implying licensed survey work occurred when it did not.
4. If a licensed surveyor did not seal the deliverable, do not use survey terminology (e.g., 'boundary,' 'corner,' 'survey') that implies licensed practice in the disclaimer or on the map itself, since this can raise unauthorized-practice-of-surveying concerns under state law.
5. Include datum, coordinate system, collection method/equipment class, and date of collection alongside the accuracy disclaimer so downstream users can judge fitness for their intended use.