What do property pins look like?

Most are iron bars driven into the ground at the corners and along the boundary of the lot, sometimes with a plastic or metal cap. They are often hidden under grass, soil or a driveway edge. Your survey shows where each one should be, and a metal detector helps find them.

Who puts a pin back if it is disturbed?

Only a licensed surveyor can re-establish a legal property pin. The demolition contract should say who arranges and pays for that visit if a pin is disturbed during the work. Settling it in writing before the job starts avoids disagreements later.

Are construction stakes the same as property pins?

No. Property pins mark the legal boundary and are set by a surveyor. Construction stakes mark where the new house will go and are usually placed later for the builder. Both should be protected, but losing a legal pin has bigger consequences for the permit and layout.

Do I need a new survey for my rebuild?

Often, yes. The new house permit usually relies on a current survey showing the lot and the proposed house. If your existing survey is old or does not show all the pins, the surveyor may confirm or reset them as part of that work, which also covers anything disturbed during demolition.

Planning

Will the demolition disturb my property pins and survey stakes?

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It can: the iron bars at the corners of the lot are easy to bury or catch with a machine. That is why the crew locates and flags them before starting, and why the surveyor re-establishes anything disturbed before the builder stakes out the new house.

A few minutes of care at the start avoids a return visit from the surveyor later.

Compact track loader removing a driveway with the base exposed

Why the rebuild needs the pins

The property pins mark the legal boundaries of your lot. The survey that the new house permit rests on uses those boundaries to show setbacks, lot coverage and the house position. The builder then lays out the new foundation from the same points.

If a pin goes missing, that chain breaks until a surveyor puts it back.

Flagging and protecting the bars

Pins are often hidden under grass, mulch or a driveway edge. Before any machine moves:

The crew locates each pin, using the survey and a metal detector where needed.
Each one is marked with a stake, paint or flagging so the operator can see it.
Equipment and debris stay clear of the marked points, especially near the front corners where trucks turn.

Construction stakes versus legal pins

They are not the same thing. Legal pins, usually iron bars, are set by a surveyor to mark the boundary. Construction stakes are wooden or metal markers placed later to show where the new house will go.

Construction stakes are often set after the demolition, so the crew's main concern is the legal pins. If stakes are already in place, they are protected the same way.

If a pin is lost

Even with care, a pin can be disturbed when working close to a property line. The demolition contract should say who arranges and pays for the surveyor to re-establish it. That is a matter to settle in writing before work begins, not after.

When a new survey is needed anyway

Many rebuilds need an up-to-date survey for the new house permit regardless of the demolition. If your survey is old, the surveyor may re-establish or confirm pins as part of that work. Knowing this in advance helps everyone plan the order.

What Bolan does about it

At the site walk, we look for the pins with you or your builder and mark them before our crew arrives. We keep machines and stockpiles away from them, check them again before handover, and tell you straight away if one is disturbed. The approach is part of every residential demolition and site clearing job. Request a free estimate and bring your survey to the site walk.

Frequently asked questions

What do property pins look like?: Most are iron bars driven into the ground at the corners and along the boundary of the lot, sometimes with a plastic or metal cap. They are often hidden under grass, soil or a driveway edge. Your survey shows where each one should be, and a metal detector helps find them.
Who puts a pin back if it is disturbed?: Only a licensed surveyor can re-establish a legal property pin. The demolition contract should say who arranges and pays for that visit if a pin is disturbed during the work. Settling it in writing before the job starts avoids disagreements later.
Are construction stakes the same as property pins?: No. Property pins mark the legal boundary and are set by a surveyor. Construction stakes mark where the new house will go and are usually placed later for the builder. Both should be protected, but losing a legal pin has bigger consequences for the permit and layout.
Do I need a new survey for my rebuild?: Often, yes. The new house permit usually relies on a current survey showing the lot and the proposed house. If your existing survey is old or does not show all the pins, the surveyor may confirm or reset them as part of that work, which also covers anything disturbed during demolition.