Employee Spotlight: Kevin Weeks Brings Experience, Accuracy, and a Sharp Eye to the Field
When Kevin Weeks arrives on a job site, the finished project may still be difficult to imagine.
There may be open land, construction stakes, and a set of plans. Years later, that same site could have roads, utilities, buildings, and families moving through it every day.
Kevin, Survey Coordinator at USA Engineers, has seen that transformation more than once.
“When you start out there, the cows are there,” he said. “When you get done, the kids are catching the school bus.”
That transformation is one of the most satisfying parts of a career Kevin originally found almost by chance. His brother-in-law was working for USA Engineers when a position became available, and Kevin took it. What started as an opportunity became years of field experience and a deep understanding of the work behind successful construction projects.
Turning Plans Into Points in the Field
For people outside the industry, surveying can sometimes be difficult to picture. Kevin describes it simply.
“We take plans and mark locations and elevations in the field so contractors know where to build roads, utilities, buildings and everything else.”
The equipment used to do that work has changed considerably over the years, but Kevin believes one skill remains especially important: Knowing how to read a set of plans.
It is a point he comes back to often.
Before crews begin laying out what is shown on a drawing, an experienced surveyor needs to understand what the plans are communicating, and the surveyor must also recognize when something doesn't add up.
“The biggest thing that helps is knowing how to read a set of plans and making sure they are right first,” Kevin said.
Technology helps surveyors work faster and more precisely, but it doesn't replace that judgment. Kevin says an experienced surveyor should be able to recognize discrepancies between the plans, the equipment, and what is actually happening in the field.
Catching those issues early matters.
A problem identified before construction progresses can often be corrected. The same problem discovered later can cost significant time and money.
Accuracy Starts With Taking Your Time
Kevin has a straightforward rule that has followed him throughout his career.
“Before you leave at the end of the day, double check your work.”
It's also part of what he teaches younger surveyors working alongside him. Take your time. Don’t get in a hurry. Pay attention.
Those habits may sound simple, but in surveying, small details can have major consequences. The locations and elevations established in the field help guide contractors as they build, which makes accuracy essential from the beginning.
Kevin also emphasizes that being a good surveyor requires more than technical ability. Dedication matters, as does communication.
Survey crews regularly coordinate with contractors in the field and engineers in the office. Engineers rely on Kevin and his crew for accurate information, clear communication, and photographs that help them understand field conditions.
When those teams communicate well, Kevin says, problems are more likely to be caught before they make their way further into construction.
“If you catch things early, it saves time and money later,” he said. “You can get exactly what the engineers want.”
No Two Days Are Quite the Same
Of course, surveying also comes with a few experiences that are harder to predict from a set of plans.
Kevin has walked up on a coyote in a ditch, an encounter that ended with both Kevin and the coyote quickly heading in opposite directions. He’s also looked down to discover he was stepping on a snake.
Snakes, coyotes and skunks are all part of the stories accumulated over years spent working outdoors. And that variety is one reason the job still keeps his attention.
“There’s always something different,” Kevin said.
But the fundamentals remain the same: Understand the plans, communicate with the team, take the time to get the work right, and check it again before heading home.
That experience helps USA Engineers identify problems earlier, give engineers reliable information, and help projects move from plans on a page to places people use every day.
Sometimes, all the way from cows in a field to kids waiting for the school bus.
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