Most surveyors are employed in the Cadastre and Rural management sectors as civil servants. The National Land Survey of Finland is responsible additionally to mapping, for the supervision of cadastres and legal fixed boundary surveys. It also co-ordinates the technically integrated and computerised land information systems including cadastres, juridical registers of land ownership and records for land use planning. Special land courts deal with disputes. Surveyors are also involved in land acquisition and other management activities.
Local authorities are responsible for spatial planning.
The Ministry of the Environment has only a general advisory and supervisory role in physical planning. Surveyors are responsible for spatial planning in rural municipalities, regional planning, and master plans of cities, whilst architects are mostly working in city planning. Environmental impact assessment has an increasing part to play in the planning processes in Finland. The use of GIS and land management also create more tasks for surveyors. Valuation for public tasks, like property expropriation and taxation, is carried out by public authorities employing surveyors.