Contour Survey

Monument Preservation for Construction

§8771 compliance for contractors and agencies: monuments referenced before construction, reset after, Corner Records filed both times — so the monuments can be reset and the project avoids a costly retracement.

Protect Monuments Before the Excavator Arrives

Pre-construction monument preservation surveys required by California Business & Professions Code §8771. When grading, paving, utility trenching, or demolition will disturb survey monuments — street monuments, property corners, benchmarks — the law requires that a licensed land surveyor reference them before construction and reset them afterward, with Corner Records filed with the county surveyor both times. Contractors and public agencies are increasingly required to show monument preservation compliance before permits are issued on capital projects, and destroying a monument without preservation exposes the responsible party to the cost of a full retracement survey — far more than preservation would have cost. We locate the monuments in the work zone, set reference ties outside the disturbance area, file the pre-construction Corner Records, and return after construction to reset the monuments and file the post-construction records.

  • Business & Professions Code §8771 compliance
  • Corner Records filed before and after construction
  • Reference ties set outside the disturbance zone
  • Protects contractors and agencies from retracement liability
  • Fast mobilization to keep construction schedules moving
  • Serving contractors, cities, and utility districts
Survey monument with flagging, located by Contour Survey
Monument Preservation

Monument Preservation

Monuments referenced before construction destroys them.

Monument ties and Corner Records filed before and after grading, paving, or trenching.

Monument tiesCorner RecordsPre-construction

Projects That Trigger §8771

Street paving, reconstruction, and grinding

Utility trenching, sewer and water main replacement

Grading and demolition near property corners

Public capital projects with monument clauses in the specs

1

Monument Search

We research record maps and locate every monument within the construction disturbance zone — street centerline monuments, property corners, and benchmarks.

2

Reference Ties & Corner Records

Each monument is tied to durable reference points outside the work area, and pre-construction Corner Records are filed with the county surveyor.

3

Construction Proceeds

Monuments are referenced before your project grades, paves, or trenches, so they can be reset afterward. We remain available if unexpected monuments are uncovered during the work.

4

Reset & Final Filing

After construction we reset the monuments from the reference ties and file post-construction Corner Records, completing the statutory record.

Monument Preservation FAQ

Section 8771 requires that before survey monuments are disturbed or destroyed by construction, they be referenced by a licensed land surveyor so they can be reset afterward, with Corner Records (or a Record of Survey) filed with the county surveyor documenting both the references and the reset. It applies to street monuments, property corners, and other survey markers.
Under §8771(d), the government agency performing or permitting the work is responsible for making sure the agency or landowner doing the work provides for monument perpetuation. If a monument is destroyed without preservation, re-establishing it requires a retracement survey from surrounding evidence — dramatically more expensive than referencing it beforehand. Agencies and cities commonly require proof of preservation before issuing encroachment or grading permits.
Street paving and reconstruction, utility trenching, sewer and water main replacement, grading, demolition, and any construction disturbing streets or property corners. Public capital projects routinely include §8771 compliance in their specifications.
A Corner Record is a filing with the county surveyor documenting a monument's position and character — a lighter-weight instrument than a Record of Survey. Monument preservation uses paired filings: one documenting the references before construction, one documenting the reset monument after.
Monument preservation is usually a short-duration field task, and we prioritize it because it sits on the critical path for permits. Contact us with your work limits and we will identify affected monuments from record data before the site visit.

Boundary Determination

Establish clear, legally defensible property boundaries with a licensed Bay Area boundary surveyor — including difficult boundaries on hillside lots, irregular parcels, post-1906 SF blocks, fire-rebuild areas, and properties with conflicting record evidence.

Deformation Monitoring

Survey-grade deformation and settlement monitoring for distressed structures, buildings adjacent to excavation and shoring, retaining walls, and moving slopes.

Construction Staking

Translate design plans into precise field locations for construction.

Monument Preservation Across Northern California

Local conditions, permitting, and county recording differ city to city — see how we handle monument preservation where your project is:

San FranciscoOaklandBerkeleyAlamedaEmeryvillePiedmontAlbanyEl CerritoRichmondWalnut CreekSan LeandroKensingtonOrindaMoragaLafayetteMartinezConcordPleasant HillPinoleHerculesBeniciaVallejoSan PabloEl SobranteRodeoCrockettAntiochPittsburgBrentwoodNapaPetalumaSanta RosaSan RafaelMill ValleyNovatoSausalito

Construction Near Survey Monuments?

Send us your work limits — we'll identify affected monuments from record data and quote the preservation scope before your permit deadline.

Get a Quoteor(510) 543-2220

Meeting-first estimates • Response within 24 hours • Serious projects only

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