Precisions for different methods of measuring distances are given below:-
Pacing (ordinary terrain): 1/50 to 1/100
Taping (ordinary steel tape): 1/1000 to 1/10,000.
Baseline (invar tape): 1/50,000 to 1/1,000,000
Stadia: 1/300 to 1/500
Subtense bar: 1/1000 to 1/7000
Now with technological advances, a technique called Electronic distance measurement or EDM is replacing the use of steel tapes as they are much more precise then steel tapes.
