California Surveyors Forums

1- Does anybody know where to purchase the monument box in Bay Area?
2- Do you know anybody who is specialized in setting monument boxes? (drilling the hole, following the detail drawing, etc.)
3- Has anybody bought this item from Berntsen? "Wrench for the heavy duty monument box"
It's a wrench, I'm not sure if it helps opening a jammed monument box.
thanks

Chrisp Co
Road construction company in Fremont, California
Address: 43650 Osgood Rd, Fremont, CA 94539
Phone: (510) 656-2840

I worked with Chrisp on one project that called for them to install a 1-meter Feno rod with cap, a concrete surround, and an NGS-style cover in all locations except one. That one was in pavement, and it called for installing a standard city monument (1" capped iron pipe in concrete) with a traditional water-valve style well. Generally they did a good job, except for the one in pavement. When I arrived to punch the cap, I opened the well and found a Feno rod and cap instead of a capped iron pipe in concrete. I thought that was odd, but figured it might be okay as long as it was solid, so I grabbed the cap and tugged. To my surprise the whole rod came up out of the ground -- they had either forgotten or weren't able to deploy the spikes. I told them they needed to redo that one, and when I came back a few days later I found the pipe in concrete that had been specified.

Corky at United Striping 101 out of Penngrove CA always did a good job on monument installs

Wingding,
do you have any contact info at Chrisp for installing the monument box? The contractor went there, they just gave him info about the box.

Steve Martin,

I don't think he would travel to Fremont.

10+ years ago it was $800per box so ........

Crisp is the only company that I know who installs monuments.
It's been a few years, but they are expensive and have various prices depending on the number of monuments to set.
I want to say twice as expensive as Wingding said.

Rhetorical I suppose, but that is a lot of money to install a box that, depending where you are, might get torn out by the reigning city or municipality as is done in San Diego. Just set a pipe.

mpallamary wrote:Rhetorical I suppose, but that is a lot of money to install a box . . . . Just set a pipe.

The installation includes setting a disc and concrete from your set straddlers. The monument and monument well is what we set per City Requirements and is more stable than just a pipe. Old pipes in San Jose are common to be found 1' +/- below grade, so now how do you set a pipe at a depth like that without digging a hole big enough to swing a hammer to drive it down? (Just asking for a friend, lol)

I hear you but it seems there is a limited number of companies that set well monuments.

mpallamary wrote:I hear you but it seems there is a limited number of companies that set well monuments.

This is true, especially up here in the Bay Area.
A couple of us had discussed a few years ago how to set up a company to compete with Crisp.
While employed at San Mateo County, I actually had to set a few monument wells around existing pipes to perpetuate.
See attached RS where I spoke with Alameda County and they had an extra box in the yard and gave it to me to set around a found 2" IP and noted it on the map.

If you know me, I am one to think outside of the box, heheheee!

Indeed!

Fencing companies are equipped for the heaviest tasks. You might need to supply the boxes. Do provide a good quantity diagram showing how the box and lid are separated from the actual monument.
Local agencies usually have the required diagrams.

The subcontractors for installing/raising water valve boxes can also do the job from swing ties.

Fencing companies are equipped for the heaviest tasks.

I'd be very leery of trusting a fencing company with setting monuments. A long time ago I hired one to set a bunch of disks in concrete for a rail project, and despite very clear instructions from me they did a dismal job. We lived with the results, but I learned my lesson. Furthermore, fencing companies aren't used to working in traffic (the demand for fences in street centerlines has never been high), which raises lots of potential for disaster and/or sanction from the controlling public agency.

There is a company that does monuments for the city of Glendale, California. You might give the city a call.

sako wrote:Wingding,
do you have any contact info at Chrisp for installing the monument box? The contractor went there, they just gave him info about the box.

Steve Martin,

I don't think he would travel to Fremont.

I used to use United Striping 101 all over the East Bay and their pricing was generally more competitive than Chrisp Co.

Steve

On a side note, I had to open couple of monuments in the City of Santa Clara Lately. It was interesting to see there was a pvc pipe installed vertically in the box, so that the excess water is drained. This should be a standard for all monuments to be set, from a surveyor's point of view. (see attached)
Regarding Chrisp, they set the brass disk 12" below the surface, I had hard time punching the thing. The longest punch tool I found is 8".
What do you guys think about automatic center punch like this: https://youtu.be/X2YxlO3ougA

The automatic punches are useful in the shop, but even with the spring fully loaded they don't make much of a mark. But if the choice is between an auto punch and no punch, well...

My favorite punch is a reclaimed pavement grinder bit that I sharpened. It has a tungsten carbide tip and will punch most any metal object, even a concrete nail. But it's so short that I mounted a handle on it to avoid smashing my fingers.

For anything that's below the surface I carry a 12" punch in my truck. It's a Dasco Pro 606, and when I look on the web it's called a drift punch, not a center punch. I must have ground the point myself, though I have no memory of doing so. In any case, it allows punching most deep monuments, and is also handy for opening the well lids. Amazon carries it, but most hardware stores probably do, too.

Jim Frame wrote:The automatic punches are useful in the shop, but even with the spring fully loaded they don't make much of a mark. But if the choice is between an auto punch and no punch, well...

My favorite punch is a reclaimed pavement grinder bit that I sharpened. It has a tungsten carbide tip and will punch most any metal object, even a concrete nail. But it's so short that I mounted a handle on it to avoid smashing my fingers.

For anything that's below the surface I carry a 12" punch in my truck. It's a Dasco Pro 606, and when I look on the web it's called a drift punch, not a center punch. I must have ground the point myself, though I have no memory of doing so. In any case, it allows punching most deep monuments, and is also handy for opening the well lids. Amazon carries it, but most hardware stores probably do, too.

IMG_20210210_223529.jpg

Thanks, Jim.

sako wrote:

Jim Frame wrote:The automatic punches are useful in the shop, but even with the spring fully loaded they don't make much of a mark. But if the choice is between an auto punch and no punch, well...

My favorite punch is a reclaimed pavement grinder bit that I sharpened. It has a tungsten carbide tip and will punch most any metal object, even a concrete nail. But it's so short that I mounted a handle on it to avoid smashing my fingers.

For anything that's below the surface I carry a 12" punch in my truck. It's a Dasco Pro 606, and when I look on the web it's called a drift punch, not a center punch. I must have ground the point myself, though I have no memory of doing so. In any case, it allows punching most deep monuments, and is also handy for opening the well lids. Amazon carries it, but most hardware stores probably do, too.

IMG_20210210_223529.jpg

Thanks, Jim.

The Dasco Pro 606 I ordered from Amazon just arrived. To my surprise, it has a 1/4" point (6.4 mm), who punches such a big punch in 2" brass disk? where and how did you grind it?