About · Seth Kursel, PLS · Boise, Idaho
One licensed surveyor, start to finish.
Scale and Key Surveying is a one-person land surveying firm based in Boise. On the firm's own surveys, Seth Kursel, PLS, answers the phone, researches the record, does the fieldwork, drafts the drawing and seals it.
Seth holds Idaho Professional Land Surveyor license 1181318, issued 18 May 2026. The firm holds Idaho Certificate of Authorization 3281730. It is a new firm, and this page says plainly what that means.
THE SURVEYORBackground
- Passed the NCEES Fundamentals of Surveying and Principles and Practice of Surveying exams
- Before licensure, worked on the survey staff of a Boise-area engineering firm, drafting and revising subdivision plats, ALTA/NSPS land title surveys, records of survey, lot line adjustments, topographic surveys and legal descriptions
- That work was done under a supervising licensed surveyor who signed and sealed it. Those were that firm's projects, not Scale and Key's
- FAA Part 107 remote pilot
- US Air Force veteran, trained in Air Force specialty 3E5X1 (Engineering)
- Boundary control and public land survey coursework, Idaho State University, 2026
THE FIRMThe firm at a glance
- Boundary surveys
- Topographic and existing-conditions surveys
- ALTA/NSPS land title surveys
- Construction staking
- Legal descriptions and exhibits
- 3D laser scanning, LiDAR and drone mapping, done with rented instruments and scoped in the proposal
- Treasure Valley: Ada and Canyon counties
- Wood River Valley: Blaine County, including Hailey, Ketchum, Sun Valley and Bellevue
- Drawings are prepared in Civil 3D 2026
- Veteran-owned, and wholly owned by its licensed surveyor
How a job runs
From first call to delivery.
1. Call and scope.
You describe the property and what the survey is for, and send the deed, plat or title commitment. You get a written scope and fee before any work begins.
2. Research and field.
Once you authorize the scope and access is arranged, Seth researches the record and surveys the site.
3. Draft, check, deliver.
Seth drafts the survey, checks it against the field data and the record, seals it and sends it to you.
Working with a one-person firm
What it means for you.
- You talk to the surveyor who will seal the work
- The person who read your deed is the person who looks for your corners
- Questions during the job go to the person who made the measurements and the decisions
- One person can be in one place at a time, so the schedule in your proposal reflects the jobs already booked
- If a project needs more than one surveyor can provide, Seth will tell you before you authorize it
An inquiry does not book field work. Dates are set in the proposal.
Questions
What people ask before they call.
Who does the work?
Seth Kursel, PLS, from the first call to the finished drawing.
Who signs and seals the survey?
On Scale and Key surveys, Seth does, as the licensee in responsible charge. On overflow work for another firm, that firm's licensee seals it. Under Idaho law a licensee's seal, signature and date certify that the work was done by the licensee or under the licensee's responsible charge.
How do I check the license?
Idaho land surveyors are licensed by the Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, within the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses. Open the Division's license search, linked as "Search for a License" on the Board's page, and look up Seth Kursel, license 1181318. The firm's Certificate of Authorization is number 3281730; call and Seth will send a copy of either.
Can you work under our firm's standards?
Yes. Send your template, point codes and layer names and name the tasks. Work issued under your licensee's seal stays under your licensee's responsible charge, and handoff and review duties are written into the scope.
Where do you travel?
The firm is based in Boise and works across Ada and Canyon counties and in Blaine County. Projects farther out are considered one at a time, and travel is stated in the proposal.
Has Scale and Key done projects like mine?
Not yet under its own name. Scale and Key is a new firm. Seth's experience with plats, ALTA/NSPS surveys, records of survey and topographic surveys was gained before he was licensed, on a prior employer's survey staff under another licensee. Ask about your project type and he will tell you what part of that work he did.