What is a permanent survey marker?
Typically, a surveyor will hammer a 1/2-inch diameter or larger iron pipe to ground level (or even below ground level to protect the pipe, necessitating a metal detector to locate it). The pipe will generally be 2-1/2 feet long with a brass or plastic tag containing the surveyor or engineer’s registration number on top. In concrete there may be a lead plug with a tag instead of a pipe. Significant locations in roadways, bridges, etc., may have more elaborate and stable monuments. Wooden stakes or lath with ribbon, or nails in asphalt with paint marks are not considered permanent markers.
