I get a frantic call from a good client. They are installing two new primary underground lines. One has been trenched, the conduits are in, plus the concrete transformer pad is in place. The other is just white lines painted to show where the trench will be, and the outline of the new transformer pad. The utility company needs two easements before they will do their thing. That is reasonable.
I prepare the two legal descriptions and sketches. Then I get another frantic call from the client. The utility company won't proceed until I stake the lines. I explain why this is silly, and the client goes off to talk to the utility company. Nope, no go until I stake the lines.
So, I set up my trusty GPS unit and stake the centerline of the easement and the four corners of the transformer easement with tall stakes and plenty of pink and black flagging. Amazingly, the centerline points fall in the middle of the trench, and the concrete pad is centered on the four corner stakes. Then I go to the other end of the site and stake the centerline using nails and pink paint, with four tall stakes at the four corners of the transformer easement. Equally amazing, my points fall right on the white paint.
Now the utility company is happy. My pink points made all the difference in the world, and they are proceeding.
I kid you not.
Couldn't you offset the actual line say, to the edge of the easement or at some safe distance? (I'm guessing you wanted to do that but the utility company insisted on centerline?)
Rules are Rules you know and deviating from official doctrine is not warranted unless those enacting policy know what they are doing, seldom the case. A degree on the wall with no hands on training is the norm along with having good party behavior. Won't change until the lowly janitor using his god given ability's is again allowed to advance up to and including the CEO position. Those were the kind of people in management when this country was doing well.
jud
As stupid as it may seem, these days I don't look a gift horse in the mouth. I haven't been busy enough to find any paying gig a waste of my time.:-|
Well, you have to admit, they are covering their collective butt. They don't want someone to come back to them and say.....that isn't in the easement.
From A Liability Standpoint........
.....I'm surprised they went ahead without a filed plat.
😉
I had to do an elevation certificate for a guy building on the side of a mountain (15% ave slope, about 7500 elev). His lot was about 15 acres as well as all the other surrounding lots. New house in middle of area. Stupid rules are still rules I suppose. If this place ever floods 95% of the US will be under water.
I don't know all the why's but I can't imagine any reason why they would need an elevation certificate for this house.
If a client wants something and pays me, I will do it.
Some of the dumb things I have done for clients are:
Rear lot corners of a new subdivision are marked with pipes and red and white posts.
Power poles will be located in the centerline of a 10-foot easement adjoining the
rear line. Electrical contractor asked for each pole to staked. After the poles are
placed at angle points in the rear easement , the developer wants a stake set on the centerline of the easement on each side of the pole.
Besides offset stakes, the drainage contractor wants an outline of the storm
sewer inlet painted on the dirt. Contractor wants us to look at each structure
and drop flagging from the structure to its location. It took about 10 rolls
of flagging for ten structures.
Client wants an 18-foot pipe set at a section corner in a 12-foot deep pond.
We also set 2 foot pipes at the banks where the section lines crosses. He doesn't
want to be charged for the 2 foot pipes. Three months later the 18-foot pipe is
gone; how or where, who knows? The client wants the section corner restaked.
He doesn't pay for the restaking bill.
Contractor is gay; he asks our supervisor to send only males on the survey crew.
Supervisor says ok.
Developer has an 80 lot subdivision. Instead of the proverbial,
"I will pay you to stake every other lot.", he wants every third lot staked.
The problem is that the lots which all have existing road frontage become
overrun by construction vehicles (very little house construction is taking place)
We come out to find lot corners (every third one), there is all kinds of crap
distracting the metal locator. Client asks, "What is this costing me?" Party
chief says, "$60 per hour." The client grabs the sharpshooter and digs.
Staking the centerline of anything that is just going to get torn out is stupid. That's why then invented offsets... duh. Then again, staking the c/l is a good way to eliminate your liability, and potentially re-stake when the inspector comes along and wants stakes.
But I've staked lots of actual locations for things so planners, lookers, and people who like to revise things can see where they go. Never intended for construction. They just don't have the capacity to relate the plan in their hands to reference objects, and it makes them feel important.
Those heavy-equipment operators only know how to aim for survey marks and take them out. Didn't you know that?
I've seen Zone A in some pretty weird places.
A school in Parkfield is in Zone A. Most of the property except the lowest corner is in Zone A. They built the Teacher's house (remote rural location so they provide a house) on the lowest part of the property in order to avoid the nightmare of dealing with Zone A.
Why do you carry a grade stake into the woods?
If you get lost, drive the stake into the ground. Five minutes later, a D8 will come along and run it over. Follow the D8's path back out.
🙂
Better put some flagging on it or the dozer operator may not see it.
