In order to bring a building’s design to fruition, construction stake-out surveys are key. Land surveying companies take construction plans, apply them to a site, guide the construction process, and ensure the project can be completed successfully. The following guide explains everything you should know about stake-out surveys.

What Is a Stake-Out Survey?

A stake-out survey is completed by a licensed land surveyor that maps out the blueprints of the actual site where the construction will take place. This provides an accurate reference for the transition from planning to construction.

Land surveying services can also help identify potential problems with construction plans, such as safety hazards and security flaws. These issues can bring projects to a halt and require major changes when discovered in the middle of construction. Knowing about problems during site development allows project managers to correct plans before building even begins, rather than wasting time and money on later adjustments.

What Is Involved in the Process?

When survey companies are hired for construction staking, they must use the architect’s or engineer’s designs and models as references to place physical stakes in the ground. These stakes need to pinpoint the exact dimensions and locations indicated by the blueprints. Each stake can represent a variety of structures and features, including the inner and outer walls of a building, sidewalks, fences, storm drain lines, and underground utilities.

Are There Different Types of Stake-Out Surveys?

Each project is different, but land surveying services offer rough grade staking and site layout staking to account for these differences. Rough grade staking is used to map general locations of site improvements in relation to the final grade elevation of the property. This is useful for building parking lots, roads, building outlines, and slopes, as well as preparing the site for a grading contractor to begin their work.

Site layout staking is much more comprehensive. In this stage, the land surveyor places the final and precise locations of proposed improvements. Generally, they start with underground structures, such as water and electrical lines.

They then stake out all of the above-ground features, including building corners, interior grid lines, site lighting, gutters, and area drains. Actual construction can typically begin once this phase is complete.

If you need a reliable company to perform a construction stake-out survey for your next project, you can count on Raber Surveying in Summerdale, AL. Serving contractors and homeowners in the Baldwin County area for over 20 years, their experienced team uses state-of-the-art equipment and training to provide you with prompt and accurate property mapping. No matter the size and scale of the job, they will help streamline the building process and ensure the success of your project. Learn more about their professional land surveying services online, or call (251) 975-7525 to discuss your upcoming project with a construction surveying expert.