distance by total station is longer than tape

> But if the temperature was around 86°F (what is that, 30°C?) at the time you did your taping that would fully account for the difference you observed.

Have to say that is probably the most likely scenario this time of year. Also the best practical example. Steel tapes expand with rising temperature. Linear co-efficient of the expansion of steel is something like 6 x 10^-6 per foot I believe, but that has been a lot of years since I worked that one.

Someone correct me.;-)