Check state right-of-entry statutes before a surveyor enters private land

Steps

1. Confirm your state has enacted a surveyor right-of-entry statute — there is no common-law right to enter another's land to survey, so without a statute a surveyor risks civil or criminal trespass liability.
2. Look up the specific statute for your state (e.g., Maine Title 32 §18231, Oregon ORS 672.047, New York General Obligations Law §9-105, California Business & Professions Code surveying-practice provisions) rather than assuming right-of-entry rules are uniform nationwide.
3. Determine the statute's notice requirement precisely — some states require written notice delivered a set number of days in advance (e.g., Oregon requires mailed notice roughly a week ahead; Maine requires hand-delivered notice at least 24 hours ahead), while others (like California, for boundary evidence investigation) impose no prior-notice condition.
4. Confirm the statute's scope limits: most right-of-entry laws allow crossing/entering open land near the boundary being surveyed but do not authorize entering buildings, residences, or storage structures, or damaging/removing objects without consent.
5. Document compliance (notice sent, dates, method) in the project file, since the statutory notice is what converts entry from trespass into a protected activity.