Expanding Bohler's Land Surveying Services: A Q&A with Billy Logsdon

This article was first published on Bohler's blog here.

For?Billy Logsdon, PLS, land surveying is about more than locating, describing, and mapping a site’s boundaries – it’s about delivering accurate and detailed information early in a project that empowers developers to make informed, data-driven decisions.

As Divisional Director of Surveying, Billy leads with more than 20 years of private land development surveying experience. In 2018, Bohler tapped Billy to expand its surveying operations in Texas. Earlier this year, Billy collaborated with?Collin Woodyard, CISEC, LSIT, to launch?Bohler’s surveying services?throughout Florida.

Today, Billy is responsible for the firm’s surveying operations across the Central and Southeast regions. Under his direction, Bohler’s North Carolina, Florida, and Texas-based teams are focused on providing comprehensive survey services and timely information that sets the foundation for quality design.

We recently caught up with Billy to talk about the value surveyors bring to the due diligence process, trending markets, and what he’s looking to accomplish in his new role.

The due diligence process is critical for giving developers an understanding of potential property. What’s the first thing you recommend to developers when evaluating a new project?

Never underestimate the value of?thorough due diligence?and an?ALTA survey. The ALTA survey includes a title search and provides an opportunity to review public records in the early stages of a project. A surveyor can bring awareness to potential easements, restrictions, and other encumbrances that can significantly impact a developer’s vision for a property. Though it’s tempting in today’s market to expedite this process, a complete understanding of the project leads developers to make more informed decisions that could impact a project’s budget and schedule in the long run.

In your opinion, where can surveyors provide the most value in a project?

Surveying is one of the first real costs that a developer incurs during the process of development, so it’s important for surveyors to understand what their survey will be used for so they can look for cost-saving opportunities. Are we building a site plan from it or simply using it for the sale of a property? When a surveyor is keyed into the purpose of the survey, as well as specific client requests and local jurisdictional requirements, they can fine-tune their scope and fee to meet the client’s needs more accurately. Often, we can exclude information that’s not needed or make recommendations that can reduce both the cost and the time to complete the survey.

What’s the biggest benefit of working side-by-side with Bohler’s civil engineering teams?

Having both surveying and civil engineering services in-house results in faster speed-to-market for our clients. Not only are we working for the same clients as our engineers, but in sharing office space, we can easily collaborate and streamline due diligence, design processes, and construction administration.

Maybe even more importantly, the collaboration results in better control of a client’s project from start to finish. My team has a vested interest in providing a quality survey because it will be used as the foundation of our civil team’s design.

You’re involved in the early phases of all types of real estate deals throughout the southern and central U.S. Where are the booming markets, geographically speaking?

Currently, we’re seeing development activity rise in all of our markets. I’m particularly excited about the projects we’re seeing in Florida. Collin Woodyard is leading our survey teams out of Bohler’s?office in?Boca Raton. Collin began his career in Bohler’s Mid-Atlantic region and moved to Florida to help support our clients in that growing market. His field crews are focused on making sure our clients are working from accurate data.

What motivates you?

It’s very rewarding to see a project move from essentially a plot of dirt to a residential neighborhood, a retail shopping center, or other vital piece of a community. As I drive around town with my family, I’m always pointing out shopping centers or residential developments that I’ve been a part of.

Growing up, I spent some time on a dairy farm and learned the value of hard work. To this day, I work hard to provide my kids a better life than I had. In addition to surveying, I umpire youth and high school baseball and have served as a Director for Frisco West Municipal Utility District since 2018, having recently been elected to another four-year term.

What are you hoping to accomplish in your role as a Divisional Director of Surveying?

Currently, I’m focused on fostering collaboration between our survey teams across the South, optimizing survey processes, and providing technical leadership to strengthen our capabilities. My goal is to provide Bohler’s clients with the same level of quality and service as our civil engineering teams provide.

Need fast, accurate land surveying services? Contact Bohler's surveying professionals here.