About Us
Welcome to QRLS. We are a full-service land surveying and mapping firm serving clients throughout Northern California.
We often hear people say, “Love your logo, and that quiet river is so peaceful – is there a story there?” Well, yes, the founder of QRLS grew up in the mountains of Colorado and began his survey career in 1977 near the banks of the Eagle River and in the shadow of the Gore Mountain Range near Vail. He worked with many talented and dedicated land surveyors/mountain men that both loved surveying and loved the mountains and being outside. After all, land surveyors spend at least five days a week working outdoors in all types of weather and conditions…then go camping, fishing, hiking, and/or skiing on the weekends.
That can be difficult at times and requires health, endurance, the right equipment, heart, and a deep love for both the outdoors and the work of measuring land. But it also has many stunning rewards and blessings, especially for mountain surveyors.
Many were the days when the crew was set up early in the morning in a peaceful meadow, only to turn around and see a small herd of elk come out through a stand of Aspen trees and head down to a small creek to get a drink of cold mountain water. Or watch a curious red-tailed hawk on the wing overhead come by to check us out while looking for her breakfast.
And there is nothing else like sitting down next to a quiet, peaceful, crystal-clear river flowing by your feet. The sights, the sounds, the smells, the beauty, the power and strength, the elusive bounty below the surface – there is life along a river where a complex network of coexisting organisms and creatures are dependent upon each other for health and survival. One need only sit quietly by that river and watch for a while to think more clearly, to better understand life and your place in it, and to be refreshed, renewed, and reminded before getting up and moving on.
Living in the Bay Area of California in 2022 certainly has a different pace and rhythm from the mountains of Colorado in the ‘70s and ‘80s, and those elk are few and far between on most days, but the quiet river is a marvelous place to consider each morning glancing at the logo on the trucks and our maps and helps to remind us of the importance of protecting and preserving what is valuable – even priceless – while we work together with all types of people and creatures, too, as we experience this interesting and amazing thing we call life.
And in our life, we are surveying and mapping professionals that serve other professionals so they can do what they love to do. We value all our clients highly and treat them with respect and dignity, as we understand that your success is ours and that we trust and depend on each other in many ways for our mutual vitality. So, I invite you to take just a minute out of your busy day to look at a few river photos before you can see our survey instruments, tripods, services, and projects. Come by whenever you need some quiet time by a river.
Kevin M. McGuire, CA PLS #6437, President and CEO, founder of Quiet River Land Services Inc.
Professional Land Surveyor Holding Current Valid License in Three Western States:
- PLS #23897, Colorado, Obtained in 1986
- PLS # 6437, California Obtained in 1990
- PLS # 18828, Hawaii, Obtained in 2019