Home Building FAQs: What is the Lot Stakeout & Cut Sheet?

Welcome to Home Building FAQs where I answer common home building questions we get from clients. My goal is to provide you with a quick answer (under 300 words – is that quick?) to a common question and when I can, give you resources to find more information on the topic. Many of the Q&A’s I’ll cover are (buried) in other (longer) posts but this will be a quick resource for you!

First up, what is a lot stakeout & cut sheet?

What is a stakeout?

The lot stakeout is performed by the grading plan engineer. A surveyor will go out to the site to “stakeout” the corners of the house. This provides guidance to the excavator when digging the foundation. They literally put wooden stakes in the ground and write the “elevation” or “cut” for that corner of the house. The “cut” is how deep to dig.

When is the stakeout done?

After the lot is cleared, silt fence and construction entrance installed, the stakeout is ordered. The lot will look like this when it’s time for the stakeout.

What is a cut sheet?

The cut sheet is prepared by the site engineer after the stakeout is complete. The engineer will transfer the “cuts” to a cut sheet.

The cut sheet is essentially a report of the stakeout that is used during excavation. We never, ever, dig a foundation without a cut sheet. Ever.

For more information on the lot stakeout, cut sheet and what goes into prepping your lot for construction, click HERE.

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