The incident happened around 12:55 p.m. at Flagship and Club drives where a construction crew was grading a site for three future homes, Vallejo police Lt. Herman Robinson said.
Robinson said a Caterpillar scraper, a large earthmover, was moving east through the construction site toward the two-man survey crew.
The driver of the scraper made a U-turn and did not see the employee holding the surveyor's pole. The driver looked back and saw the surveyor on the ground, got out to check him and called for medical aid, Robinson said.
The surveyor was pronounced dead at the scene, Robinson said.
California Division of Occupational Safety and Health spokeswoman Kathleen Hennessey said investigators with Cal-OSHA arrived at the site of the accident Friday afternoon.
Hennessey said the 51-year-old Newark man who died was employed by KDW Construction LLC in Vacaville.
The company did not immediately respond to calls Friday afternoon.
