This Week in Survey: Expanding Our Capabilities by Land,
Air—and Water

Aug 11 2025

At McInnis Engineering, we’re committed to delivering uncommon engineering value—and that means continually investing in tools that improve accuracy, efficiency, and outcomes for our clients. This week, we’re excited to share some major upgrades to our survey equipment that expand our capabilities across Pierce, Thurston, and King Counties.

Eyes in the Sky: DJI Matrice 4E RTK Drone

We’ve added a DJI Matrice 4E RTK drone to our survey toolkit. This isn’t your hobby drone—it’s a precision-engineered workhorse equipped with real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning for centimeter-level accuracy. The Matrice 4E allows us to quickly capture high-resolution aerial data, generate detailed topographic surfaces, and perform volumetric calculations with speed and precision.

Whether we're mapping large development sites, tracking construction progress, or surveying hard-to-access terrain, this drone allows us to do more in less time—without compromising accuracy.

Boots on the Ground: New Leica Total Stations and GPS Units

In addition to the drone, we’ve upgraded to Leica’s top-tier survey instruments, including total stations and GNSS gear that set the industry standard. These tools improve field efficiency, reduce errors, and allow us to handle complex survey conditions with confidence.

For clients, this means faster turnaround, reliable data, and survey crews equipped to tackle the toughest site challenges.

Into the Water: A Boat for Pond Surveying

Not every job stays on dry ground. We’ve also added a survey vessel to support work in ponds, wetlands, and other water bodies. This boat is equipped for shallow water surveying, and it helps us safely and accurately gather data where traditional equipment can’t go.

It’s a key part of our commitment to environmental and stormwater-related survey work, which continues to grow throughout the region.

Why It Matters

These investments aren’t just about having cool gadgets—they’re about giving our clients better information, faster. Whether it’s a preliminary site survey, an as-built for a stormwater pond, or topographic data for design work, we’re bringing the best tools to the job.

If you’ve got a project coming up that needs surveying—whether by land, air, or water—we’d be glad to talk.

Events in the South Sound | August 2025

Aug 1 2025

Proctor Arts Fest: 2025

Where: North 26th and Proctor
When: 10am - 5pm August 2, 2025
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Paint the Park Purple

Where: Cheney Stadium
When: June 14th - 15th, 2025
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Free Entrance to Mount Rainier National Park

Where: 9000 State Route 706 E Ashford, WA 98304
When: August 4^th 2025

Glass Fest Northwest

Where: Museum of Glass 1801 Dock Street
When: Aug 8-9th
Time: 10:00AM – 5:00PM
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Tacoma History Ball

Where: 5415 S Tacoma Way, Tacoma, WA 98409-4312
When: Friday August 15, 7pm
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Broadway Farmers Market

Where: Broadway between 9th & 11th St. in Downtown Tacoma
When: Fresh Every Thursday: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
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47^th Annual LeMay Car Show

Where: 14601 4th Ave E Tacoma, WA 98445
When: August 30^th 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
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July 1 2025

Summer Flower Exhibit: Lounging by the Sea

Where: 316 South G St.Tacoma, WA 98405
When: June 18, 2025 - August 17, 2025
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Tacoma History Walking Tours

Where: Ruston Way, Downtown Tacoma
When: June 14th - 15th, 2025
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Summer Nights at the Pavilion Concerts 2025

Where: Fort Steilacoom Park, 9107 Angle Lane SWLakewood, WA 98498
When: Recurring weekly on Tuesday
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Tacoma’s Fourth of July Summer Blast

Where: 3939 Ruston Way, Tacoma, 98402
When: June 7th - 8th, 2025
Time: 11:00AM – 6:00PM
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Pretty Gritty Theatre Experience: Tacoma Aroma

Where: 5415 S Tacoma Way, Tacoma, WA 98409-4312
When: Thu, 24 Jul, 2025 at 07:00 pm UTC-07:00
Learn more →

Broadway Farmers Market

Where: Broadway between 9th & 11th St. in Downtown Tacoma
When: Fresh, Every Thursday: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Learn more →