Calculate stake count, spacing, and station labels for any distance and interval. Used by survey crews for construction staking and layout.
Total stations and GPS rovers make staking faster and more accurate. Shop survey equipment at Express Tools.
Shop Express Tools →Stake count = floor(Total Distance ÷ Interval) + 1 (for the starting stake). A 500 ft line at 50 ft intervals needs 11 stakes labeled 0+00, 0+50, 1+00 … 5+00. If the distance doesn’t divide evenly, add a partial stake at the end with the true ending station.
Staking interval selection is a judgment call based on the feature type, required precision, and terrain. For road subgrade and base, 50-foot intervals are standard — close enough to catch grade breaks, fast enough to keep the staking crew productive. Pipe grade work uses 25-foot intervals because small elevation errors over a longer distance compound into serious flow problems — especially on gravity sewer with minimum 0.08% slope. Building pad layout uses tight 10–25 ft intervals to verify the finished subgrade surface matches the design across the full footprint. On tight curves or irregular terrain, shorten your interval to capture the actual ground profile accurately.
Always set your starting station correctly — staking errors compound if the baseline station is off. Combine with the Grade Percentage Calculator to determine elevation at each station, or the Pipe Grade Calculator to verify invert elevation at every stake point.
| Feature Type | Typical Interval | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Road subgrade / base course | 50 ft | Enough control for grading equipment; efficient |
| Asphalt paving grade line | 25–50 ft | Tighter for crowned sections and superelevation transitions |
| Gravity sewer pipe | 25 ft | Grade errors compound — tight control prevents ponding |
| Water main (pressure) | 50–100 ft | Less critical; no minimum slope requirement |
| Building pad subgrade | 10–25 ft | Verify flatness across full footprint |
| Ditch and channel bottom | 25–50 ft | Grade control for drainage flow |
| Pile/column layout | 1 per location | Each pile staked individually by coordinates |
| Rough earthwork/mass grade | 100 ft | Early-phase volume tracking; tighten as finish grade approaches |
Log your staking data with Sitemark →
Record GPS coordinates, elevations, and notes at every stake point. Auto-generates field reports for inspector sign-off and closeout documentation.
Start free trialA staking interval is the distance between stakes set along a line or curve. Common intervals are 25, 50, or 100 feet depending on the job and required precision.
A station is a point along an alignment expressed as distance from a starting point. Station 1+00 is 100 feet from the start, 5+50 is 550 feet. Stations are used to reference specific points along roads, pipes, and other linear features.
Intervals depend on the feature: road subgrade 25–50 ft, pipe grade 25 ft, building layout 10–25 ft, rough grading 50–100 ft. Tighter intervals give more control but take longer to set.
Enter project length and staking interval to generate a complete station list with stake count.
Recommended Staking Intervals by Work Type
| Work Type | Typical Interval |
|---|---|
| Road subgrade / rough grading | 50 ft |
| Pipe grade (sewer, water, storm) | 25 ft |
| Curb & gutter / high precision | 25 ft |
| Building layout | 10–25 ft |
| Solar pile layout | Per row spacing |
| General utility / open areas | 50–100 ft |