Every other survey records what exists. Staking is the opposite. It takes the design and puts it back
onto the ground so the crew builds it in the right place.
Staking puts the plan on the ground at the tolerance the contractor has to build to.
What gets staked
Building corners and offsets, so excavation and footings go where the plan says
Rough and finish grade stakes with cut and fill information
Utilities, sewer, water, storm, with line and grade
Curb, gutter and pavement alignment
Retaining walls, footprints and elevations
Right of way and easement lines, so the crew does not build into one
Cut sheets are the part that matters
A stake by itself only gives horizontal position. What makes it useful is the
information written on it and the accompanying cut sheet telling the operator how far down or up to
go from that stake to reach design grade.
Get the format agreed with the contractor before the first visit. Different crews want it different
ways, and a cut sheet nobody on site can read is the same as no cut sheet.
Sequencing
Staking is not one visit. It happens in stages that match construction, and each stage generally
needs its own mobilization:
Clearing limits and erosion control
Rough grade
Utilities
Building corners and footings
Curb and pavement
Finish grade
As-built verification at closeout
Budget for restaking too. Stakes get destroyed by equipment routinely, and it is a normal cost rather
than a sign anything went wrong.
What the surveyor needs from you
The current approved plan set, in CAD if possible. Working from a superseded
revision is the single most expensive mistake on a staking job.
Site access and a realistic schedule
A point of contact on site who can answer questions
Notice. Staking is schedule-driven work and same-day requests are not always
possible
Version control is worth the fuss. If the design changes after staking, the stakes
are now wrong and nothing on site will tell anyone that. Make sure revisions get communicated to the
surveyor as a matter of routine rather than when somebody notices a problem.
Have a project that needs layout?
Send the location, the plan set, and your schedule.
Springfield Land Surveyor is a referral service. We are not a surveying
firm, we hold no Missouri land surveying license or corporate certificate of authority, and we do not
perform survey work. We connect property owners with Missouri-licensed Professional Land Surveyors.
