Dioptra has been providing land surveying, construction staking, mapping, and G.I.S. services in all of Eastern Idaho from their office in Chubbuck, ID (from the Magic Valley on the west to the Wyoming state line on the east; from the Montana state line on the north to the Utah state line on the south) since 2000.
Prior to the creation of Dioptra, Rodney Burch was the original founder of a full service surveying & engineering company in Southeast Idaho. After selling the former company and serving as the Program Coordinator of the Civil Engineering Technology Program at ISU, Rodney returned to the consulting profession doing business as Dioptra Geomatics.
In 2007, Dioptra Geomatics merged with Centennial Enterprises to create Dioptra LLC. In 2015, Stewart Ward purchased Dioptra from Rodney Burch.
Stewart has been with Dioptra since 2006 and is excited to continue the professional service that Dioptra’s clients expect. Stewart, along with the great staff at Dioptra, strive to provide “Solution Oriented Surveying” on every project regardless of the size and complexity. In 2020, Adam Thayer joined the Leadership Team at Dioptra. Dioptra LLC has more than 30 years combined experience in the land surveying profession.
Dioptra serves clients ranging from private individuals to private businesses to local and state government agencies.
VISION: To Be The Leading Full-Service Land Surveying Company in East Idaho.
MISSION: To Provide Accurate And Effective Land Surveying Solutions That Are Responsive To Our Client's Needs In An Innovative, Professional, And Quality Manner.
VALUES: Integrity, Dependability, Professional Service
Dioptra Professional staff carry the following professional licensing:
Stewart K. Ward, Idaho PLS 15295, Utah PLS 7966606-2201, Alaska PLS 151425
Adam Thayer, Idaho PLS 19405
Dioptra staff is involved with the following service/professional organizations:
Idaho Society of Professional Land Surveyors (ISPLS) – State Membership
Idaho Society of Professional Land Surveyors (ISPLS) – Board of Governors
Eastern Section ISPLS – Leadership Positions
Idaho Geospatial Council – Cadastral Reference Workgroup, Geodetic Control Workgroup
Field of Heroes at Century High School in Pocatello, Idaho
National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS) Young Surveyors Network – Idaho State Representative
National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS) – Idaho State Director (2018-2025)
Managing Partner, Chubbuck Office Manager
Stewart K. Ward, PLS
Stewart is the Managing Partner of Dioptra and the Chubbuck Office Manager.
Stewart has over 20 years of experience in the Surveying field. Stewart started his career as a crew member for a small surveying firm in the Boise area in 2001.
Stewart is a Professional Land Surveyor licensed in Idaho, Utah, and Alaska and earned a bachelor’s degree in Geomatics Technology from Idaho State University, graduating in 2008. Stewart has been involved with surveying since 2001 and employed by Dioptra since 2006 and has been the Managing Partner since 2015.
Stewart has experience in land surveys, construction staking, topographic surveying, mapping and GIS applications, 3D laser scanning, and UAV drone surveying. Stewart has completed 3D scanning at airport runways, bridges, buildings, transportation corridors, by-pass tunnels for dam rehabilitation projects, and dam deformation monitoring. Stewart has completed and/or managed boundary surveys ranging from small city lots to large 1,000+ acres farms for private and commercial owners.
Stewart has experience in managing multiple construction surveying projects ranging from $10,000 (const. cost) to exceeding $100,000,000 (const. cost).
In 2018, Stewart was elected as the National Society of Professional Surveyors State Director for Idaho and previously served as representative for the NSPS Young Surveyors Network for Idaho. He also serves as a committee member of a statewide Cadastral Reference Technical Working Group and Geodetic Technical Working Group, a part of the Idaho GIS Community.
Partner, Project Manager
Adam Thayer, PLS
Adam is a project manager and Professional Land Surveyor licensed in Idaho and has over seven years of surveying experience. His experience includes construction staking, land planning, 3D scanning, aerial mapping, and boundary and topographic surveys.
Adam graduated from Idaho State University with a Bachelor of Science in Geomatics Technology. He is an FAA Part 107 Certified remote pilot.
Adam has authored numerous articles for xyHt, a magazine for geospatial professionals. He is an active member of the Idaho Society of Professional Land Surveyors and serves as the NSPS Young Surveyors Representative for Idaho.
