[3][4] The institution began in 1969 as the Association of Surveyors in Civil Engineering, became a registered educational charity in 1992, and received a royal charter in 2009.

[8] Further publications include industry white papers, and client guides to subjects such as utilities survey and infrastructure monitoring.

[3][11][12] Uren and Price considered the 1997 book The Management of Setting Out in Construction to be one of the most important practice guides published by the Geospatial Engineering Board.

[17] CICES is an internationally recognised qualifying body established to regulate, educate and train surveyors working within civil engineering.

[20][21] Members of CICES are eligible, as engineers, to directly undertake consultation or instruction of Bar Council barristers via the licensed access scheme.