Case Study: Skilled Surveyor Shortage Causes Delay on Seattle Highway Reconstruction (2019)
Project Overview
• Name: I-5 South Seattle Highway Reconstruction
• Location: Seattle, Washington
• Year: 2019
• Project Size: $410 million
• Scope: Major highway reconstruction requiring detailed surveying and layout work
• Lead Agencies/Contractors: Washington State DOT /
Category of the Issue, Problem, or Challenge
• Skilled Trades Shortage
• Surveying and Layout
Summary of the Issue, Problem, or Challenge
The project experienced delays when a shortage of certified surveyors slowed critical layout and staking operations. Competition from nearby construction projects and tech-sector growth pulled survey professionals away.
Root Cause Analysis
- Limited pool of licensed surveyors in the region.
- High demand from other construction and tech infrastructure projects.
- Inadequate early labor market evaluation and scheduling.
- Lack of cross-trained personnel able to assist with surveying tasks.
Impacts Due to the Issue, Problem, or Challenge
• 2-month delay in critical path activities reliant on survey data.
• Increased costs due to overtime and subcontractor premium rates (~$1.8 million).
• Project schedule compressed, affecting downstream trades.
Corrective Actions Taken
- Contracted additional survey firms and licensed personnel from neighboring states.
- Implemented cross-training for field staff to assist with basic survey tasks.
- Improved scheduling coordination to maximize survey team utilization.
Lessons Learned
- Skilled surveyor availability is critical for heavy civil project schedules.
- Early labor market forecasting and cross-training reduce risk.
- Collaboration with multiple survey firms increases labor pool flexibility.
Audit & Prevention: Project Control Questions to Ask on Future Projects to Help Control the Situation
- Has surveyor labor supply and demand been thoroughly analyzed?
- Are cross-training opportunities being utilized?
- Is scheduling optimized to maximize survey team efficiency?