Program Overview
Survey monuments are physical markers that pinpoint boundary lines throughout San Francisco. These markers can take many forms, among them – chiseled marks in curbs, brass tags on sidewalks, stone monuments embedded in streets. They may sit directly on a boundary line or offset from it, on, above or below the surface and range from highly noticeable to almost invisible.
These monuments provide a critical function: They provide permanent reference points that preserve the legal boundaries of private property and public rights of way. They are used in communities across the globe.
Here in San Francisco, both State of California and local code protect survey monuments from destruction, placing responsibility on the City and County of San Francisco to ensure these markers are preserved during construction or infrastructure work. This protection maintains the integrity of the boundary lines that define ownership and public access throughout the City – helping to prevent disputes and litigation.
What to do before your construction project begins
San Francisco Public Works Order 187592 requires licensed land surveyors to file a Corner Record or Record of Survey with the County Surveyor before any construction, reconstruction, maintenance, resurfacing or excavation work begins within 20 feet of an existing survey monument. These survey maps document the precise location of affected monuments, enabling their preservation or accurate replacement if disturbance is unavoidable.
Public Works has created a virtual inspection form to help small residential and commercial projects and Public Works whether survey monuments exist within 20 feet of their work area and whether monument preservation is required. preservation is required.
This form is for residents and businesses conducting small, permitted activities in the public right of way that may require monument preservation, including excavation, sidewalk repair, trenching, sewer repair and curb cuts.
Completing this form is the first step in determining whether monument preservation is required for your project. Applicants will document their project scope and submit photos of the curb, sidewalk and building separation line for both their property and adjacent properties.
Public Works will review your submission and respond by email with one of two outcomes:
No monument referencing required: We'll send confirmation that you may proceed without additional survey work.
Monument referencing required: We'll provide guidance on how to fulfill this requirement. You can either hire a private licensed surveyor or request that Public Works perform the work. The choice is yours.
After you submit your virtual inspection form: Once you submit the Monument Preservation Site Review form with your project scope and photos of the curbs and sidewalks, Monument Preservation will review your submittals and will email the applicant within 1-3 business days.
What to do before you begin our virtual inspection form:
Instructions for taking photos
Walk along the apparent boundary line separating your property from neighboring properties. Survey markers in San Francisco are typically located in the curb and sidewalk along this line.
Upload at least three high-resolution photos taken along each boundary line that capture the entirety of the boundary line, as shown in the diagram below. You may submit additional photos if needed to show the full work area.
Photo 1 should be taken one to two feet above the curb.
a. Example of a photograph showing a chiseled “L” survey mark.
Photo 2 should show the sidewalk from the curb to the building.
Photo 3 should show perspective from 5 to 10 feet away from the curb looking toward the curb where photo 1 was taken. Be sure to show the curb, sidewalk and lower portion of buildings, walls or other features where the sidewalk meets the building.
If you see an object in the sidewalk that may potentially be a land survey monument, place a cone next to the object so its location can be seen in the photos. Take a photo of it and upload it under “additional photos.”
Example of a survey nail-and-tag monument in the sidewalk.
If survey monuments are identified:
Once we review your virtual site inspection review form, we will check the photos and City records to determine whether any survey monuments are within 20 feet of your work area and require a monument reference survey.
If no monument reference is required:
Monument Preservation will email you a confirmation notice to proceed with your project if the underlying permit for such work as excavation or repairs have been approved. No survey work is required.
If monument reference is required: We'll send you an email with instructions on how to complete this requirement. You will need to choose one of two options:
Option 1: Hire a Private Licensed Land Surveyor.
If you choose to hire a licensed private surveyor, they will need to provide the following:
- Pre-Construction Letter – Your surveyor should email a letter to Monument.Preservation@sfdpw.org stating:
- They have performed records research and a field site inspection
- The number of monuments found and their descriptions
- That monuments within 20 feet of the construction limits have been referenced
- That Corner Record(s) for all potentially affected monuments are either:
- Submitted along with this letter
- Or noted that the Corner Record is in progress and will be submitted at a later date.
- Note: If the surveyor believes that monument referencing is not required for some or all the identified monuments and that those monuments will not be affected by construction for project-specific reasons, they should describe this in detail and we will consider the information submitted and provide a determination on whether or not monument referencing will be required.
- Pre-Construction Corner Record – Your surveyor must submit Corner Record(s) to Subdivision.Mapping@sfdpw.org and CC Monument.Preservation@sfdpw.org. Corner Record(s) should be submitted along with the Pre-Construction Letter but may be submitted subsequently if necessary.
For licensed Land Surveyors: Once we receive and review the Pre-Construction Letter from your surveyor, we’ll send you email confirmation that construction may proceed. After construction is complete, your surveyor must verify whether any monuments have been destroyed or disturbed by construction and provide:
- Post-Construction Letter - Your surveyor must verify all monuments and report whether any were disturbed or destroyed during construction. Any destroyed monuments must be reset in place or be sufficiently retraceable without resetting by reference to measurements on the pre-construction Corner Record and monuments still in place. This is subject to approval by Public Works. Email letter to Monument.Preservation@sfdpw.org.
- Post-Construction Corner Record – If any monuments must be reset, submit Post-Construction Corner Record(s) for those monuments to Subdivision.Mapping@sfdpw.org and copy Monument.Preservation@sfdpw.org.
The cost of a private survey varies. Please check with the provider. Public Works only requires that the work is performed by a licensed surveyor. Find Public Works fee schedule here.
Option 2: Hire Public Works Monument Preservation
If you prefer that Public Works perform the monument referencing work, use this link to complete the application and email it to Monument.Preservation@sfdpw.org. All communications during this process will be conducted via email for documentation purposes.
The fee schedule for Public Works to perform the work can be found here: https://sfpublicworks.org/services/citysurveyor
