Contact Information

Brad Heuer, Rock County Surveyor 

(608) 757-5658 | Brad.Heuer@co.rock.wi.us

51 S. Main Street, Janesville, Wisconsin 53545

Please Note: Due to the nature of the job, the office hours vary and we may be closed to walk-ins. We can provide most services online or over the phone.  Please contact us for assistance or if you would like to schedule an appointment to meet in person.

The County Surveyor reports to the Planning and Development Director and to the governing Planning and Development Committee and is a voting member of the County’s Land Records Committee.

The Surveyor’s office is responsible for many duties which includes, but is not limited to:

• Maintaining a modern filing system for all of Rock County’s survey records.
• Perpetuating the County Public Land Survey System Monuments.
• Reviewing survey documents to ensure they conform to the Min. Standards, State Statutes and Local Ordinances.
• Providing professional survey services to other county departments and officials.
• Providing research support of the County survey records and customer service to the public.
• Performing QA/QC of County orthoimagery and LiDAR data.
• Computing the geographical and county local coordinates for PLSS corners that serve as the foundation of the County GIS program.
• Establishing and maintaining the County’s horizontal and vertical control network.

Rock County consists of twenty townships. In 1833 Lucius Lyon surveyed the southern boundary, which is the Wisconsin, Illinois state line. In 1836 the final township was surveyed. From 1840 to 1975, the County Surveyors' position was elected and in 1975, the County Board changed it to an appointed position.

The original government surveyors and their field notes may be found at the Wisconsin Commissioners of Public Lands.

Can my cell phone or hand-held GPS unit locate my lot corners?
The short answer is "No". Land surveyors follow the laws, regulations and/or standards that govern surveying and use the legal descriptions maps and monuments called for on the same to retrace/create land boundaries. Coordinates and/or county parcel mapping data obtained via a GIS program on a cell phone or uploaded into a hand-held GPS unit are not a substitute for, and in no way constitute a replacement for, a property survey. Wisconsin statutes, national standards and/or local ordinances detail the specific requirements for the varying types of surveys. 
Cell phone apps for surveying

Can the County surveyor find my lot lines?
The County Surveyor cannot survey for private parties and only does field work for county projects. Private surveyors registered and licensed by the State of Wisconsin must survey your property. Our office does not endorse any company and a list of qualified firms in the area can be found via an internet search or, in the yellow pages.

Does every lot have to be surveyed?
A great number of parcels in Rock County were created by written legal descriptions and not by field survey. Therefore, it is likely that there are no physical markers in the ground to show lot corners. Surveys are now required for certain new land divisions as determined by municipal or county ordinance.

How do I know if my property has been surveyed?
The County surveyor's office is the custodian of thousands of surveys performed by private sector surveyors. Contact 608-757-5658 with questions about potential surveys of and around your property or, to schedule a time to come in and view records. If calling or visiting, please have your address and legal description available to aid in the search. We cannot guarantee the office will be open during a regular "walk-in" as field work and other tasks may require staff to be out of the office.

What are the signs that state ‘SURVEY MARKER – DO NOT DISTURB’ on them?
Oftentimes, orange carsonite markers with a warning similar to the example are sent near ties to, and actual government section corners, (PLSS corners). The orange markers are not marking the location of the corner itself, but are placed near the corner to preserve its location. Please DO NOT disturb or remove these marker signs. Removal or damage to a corner is a violation of the law, which will be subject to $1,000.00 fine, citation and further litigation.

What marks the corner of my lot?
If your parcel has been surveyed, it is likely that the lot corners are marked with an iron rebar or metal pipe, (aka monuments). However, many other different objects have been used including, but not limited to axles, metal rods of varying dimensions, stones, etc. If available, the drawing on your survey map should indicate the type of monument set. Most often the monument will be set at or below the ground surface to help avoid disturbance.

Where can I purchase a plat book?
Register of Deeds office.

Why should a property survey be made? When should property be surveyed? 
This brochure, Should You Hire a Surveyor, which is supplied by the National Society of Professional Surveyors, provides information regarding hiring a land surveyor.

What will a property survey cost?
It depends on a variety of factors.  Contact a private survey company for an estimate.

Wisconsin Society of Land Surveyors  WSLS is a statewide volunteer organization committed to the advancement of the surveying profession in Wisconsin.

National Association of County Surveyors  NACS is an organization that provides a national voice for County Surveyors.

Commissioners of Public Lands  The Commissioners of Public Lands provides original government field notes and plat maps of the Wisconsin public land survey.  

Wisconsin State Cartographer's Office  The SCO is Wisconsin’s resource for information about maps, cartography, geographic information systems (GIS), land information systems (LIS), and geospatial technology.

National Society of Professional Surveyors  NSPS is the voice of the professional surveying community in the US and its territories.