STAKE-OUT SURVEY

Among the most principal services a land surveyor provides is a stake-out survey.  A stake-out is the process of demarcating or recovering certain points on the ground that a client is particularly interested in.  This is commonly referred to as locatiing a property's boundaries. If a corner or segment of a boundary is readily accessible, a surveyor would most likely place a boundary marker on said point.  However, if for some reason a  marker cannot be set at the exact desired location, a witness marker will be set at an offset.  

Coincidentally, if an old survey marker is found at the calculated property corner, this will be considered as a recovery of said corner.  The recovery of this terminus is documented by citing details such as the location of marker, type of material utilized, and the name of the surveyor who placed it there.

Aside from boundary lines, the staking of a point is also used for marking the horizontal locations of certain points on the ground like proposed structures such as building foundations, proposed extensions, walls & fences, etc.  Customarily, this demarcation is accompanied by a vertical reference point called a benchmark.  A benchmark is used as a guide to measure from when determining elevation limits for the foundation, grading and other height restricted structures.  Staking and benchmarking are critical services that guide other interested parties to stay within the limits of a project.

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