Introduction
If you've ever dug around a corner monument and found three, four, or even ten separate pins all within a couple of feet of each other, congratulationsâyou've encountered one of the land surveying profession's most persistent and damaging phenomena: the pincushion corner.
Itâs one of the most visible signs of disunity in our field. Not only does it confuse property owners, courts, and future surveyorsâit directly undermines public confidence in what we do. And yet, it keeps happening, decade after decade, across urban subdivisions, rural metes-and-bounds, and everywhere in between.
Why?
This article explores the why, the how, andâmost importantlyâhow we fix it, not just through better tools or tighter rules, but through mentorship and professional growth.
What Is a Pincushion Corner?
A pincushion corner is the result of multiple surveyors, over time, setting their own physical corner monumentsâiron rods, pipes, caps, etc.âin the same general location, but not in agreement with one another.
Youâll find one pin set in the 1970s, another in the 90s, maybe two more from the 2000s, and a fresh one from last weekâall within a foot or two of each other. Each surveyor likely believed they had the ârightâ spot.
But only one of those pinsâif anyâaccurately reflects the true boundary corner based on the legal, historical, and physical evidence available.
The rest? Misplaced good intentions, fear, pride, or shortcuts.
The Damage It Does
-
Creates legal ambiguity â Clients are left wondering: Which pin is correct?
-
Breeds distrust â Courts, attorneys, and the public begin to see surveying as arbitrary.
-
Increases costs â Future retracements become more difficult and expensive.
-
Erodes the profession â When we donât agree on corners, we lose our authority as boundary experts.
How Pincushion Corners Happen
To fix the problem, we must understand its causes. Pincushioning is not randomâitâs rooted in psychology, training gaps, poor habits, and systemic issues within the profession.
Letâs examine the most common causes.
1. Ego and Overconfidence
Some surveyorsâespecially those early in their career or those who've never had a strong mentorâdevelop an over-reliance on their own calculations.
âThis doesnât fit my math, so it must be wrong.â
They might disregard existing evidence because their CAD drawing or GPS shot says otherwise. This mindset overlooks a key truth: you are not the first person to survey this land, and your job is to retrace, not redesign.
2. Fear of Liability
Another common reason surveyors set new corners is fear. Fear of being wrong. Fear of accepting a prior monument that might not be âperfect.â So they default to what feels safe: setting their own corner and disclaiming the old one.
âIf I hold this old rebar and it's off by 0.5â, I might get sued. Better to set a new one and say itâs mine.â
But this is legally backwards. If a prior monument is defensibleâsupported by record evidence, longstanding occupation, or historical consistencyâholding it is often the most defensible thing you can do.
3. Lack of Historical Understanding
Too many surveyors rely solely on coordinates, record plats, or modern deed calls, without digging into the historical context that shaped the property in the first place.
They might have no idea that the original survey was run with a chain and compass, or that the local custom was to measure from a centerline, not a lot line. So they treat the deed like gospel and ignore reality on the ground.
This is especially common in places like:
-
Rural Appalachia, where deed descriptions might start with âfrom the big rock near the creekâŠâ
-
New England towns, where 200-year-old stone walls are better evidence than any rebar.
Without a mentor, it's easy for new surveyors to miss these nuances.
4. Production Pressure
Some survey firms prioritize speed over precision. Youâve got 8 boundary surveys due this week. Your boss wants them fast. So you use the record data, do a quick traverse, and drop a new corner without full recovery.
âIâve got no time to chase down an old fence corner or dig for buried ironâjust set the pin where it math-checks and go.â
This isnât surveying. Itâs corner-littering. And itâs one of the biggest contributors to pincushioning in subdivision work, especially in fast-developing states like Florida, Arizona, and Texas.
5. Poor Training and Isolation
Many surveyors are trained by schools or firms that focus more on data collection and equipment than on evidence analysis. They may have never been taught how to:
-
Resolve conflicting deed calls
-
Evaluate occupation evidence
-
Research historical records
Without mentorship, they default to what they do know: math and control points. So they set pins that fit the numbers, not the law.
6. A Culture That Tolerates It
Letâs be honestâour profession hasnât always done a good job of calling this behavior out. In some areas, itâs almost become the norm.
âEveryone sets new corners. Thatâs just how itâs done here.â
Thatâs not how itâs supposed to be done anywhere.
How Mentorship Can Stop the Cycle
Mentorship is the only real long-term solution to the pincushion problem. Not stricter laws. Not fancier GPS. Not more CEU requirements.
We need more experienced professionals taking young surveyors under their wing and showing them what it really means to retrace a boundary.
Hereâs how mentorship makes the difference.
1. Teaching Evidence Hierarchy
New surveyors often donât know how to weigh different types of evidence. A mentor can teach:
-
Natural monuments over artificial ones
-
Record monuments over calculated ones
-
Senior rights over junior
-
Occupation lines vs. paper calls
Mentorship fills in what textbooks and licensing exams donât fully teach: how to think like a boundary expert.
2. Modeling Courage and Humility
A good mentor doesnât just show how to hold a monumentâthey explain why itâs the right decision, even when it goes against the GPS or the plat math.
They model humility: knowing when to accept prior work.
And they model courage: making tough calls and defending them professionally.
3. Emphasizing Communication
Mentors teach you how to talk to clients and neighbors:
âI didnât set a new pin because the one from 1968 is still valid and supported by three lines of evidence.â
That kind of explanation builds trust. It also discourages the next surveyor from dropping another pin just to âcorrectâ something they donât understand.
4. Encouraging Research Discipline
Young surveyors often want to get to the field fast. A mentor says:
âNot so fast. Letâs look at the road plans. Check the subdivision plat. Review the adjoining deeds.â
They teach you that boundary work begins at the courthouse, not in the truck.
5. Instilling Professional Identity
Ultimately, mentors instill a sense of professional identity that makes corner-littering unthinkable.
âWe are the keepers of the boundary record. We don't create confusionâwe clarify it.â
That mindset changes everything.
What Firms Can Do
Surveying firms must create environments that support proper practice, not just productivity.
Here are a few strategies:
-
Assign mentors to every new crew chief or LSIT.
-
Build in research time to your project budgets.
-
Encourage monument recovery reports, even when you donât set a pin.
-
Use peer review before setting monuments in complex retracements.
-
Include boundary analysis training in your onboarding.
If you're a firm owner or senior LS, ask yourself: Are we building surveyorsâor just draftsmen and rodmen with licenses?
What Licensing Boards Can Do
Boards can help by:
-
Requiring more robust boundary resolution case studies on exams
-
Penalizing repeated corner-setting without justification
-
Hosting mentorship roundtables or encouraging PLS-to-LSIT mentorship hours
-
Clarifying that accepting a prior monument is often more defensible than setting a new one
This isnât about creating fear. Itâs about restoring pride in doing things right.
What You Can Do
Whether youâre a 2-year LSIT or a 30-year PLS, you can help stop the pincushion problem in your work and your region.
If Youâre New:
-
Find a mentor. Shadow them on a retracement.
-
Study old survey notes, plats, and courthouse records.
-
Ask questions like: Why is this monument valid?
-
Never set a corner until you've exhausted the recovery process.
-
Learn how to defend a boundaryânot just locate it.
If Youâre Experienced:
-
Adopt a younger surveyor. Share your process, not just your product.
-
Host a âcorner conflictâ workshop in your firm or chapter.
-
Review retracement surveys from new LSsâdonât just redline, explain.
-
Talk about your own mistakesânormalize learning from them.
The profession only gets stronger when we pass down the right habits.
Conclusion: A Legacy Worth Leaving
The pincushion corner is a scar on our professionâs record. It tells a story of disconnectionâsurveyors working in silos, trusting their math more than the record, fearing mistakes more than they fear causing confusion.
But itâs not inevitable.
With the right mentorship, culture, and leadership, we can raise a generation of surveyors who know how to interpret, not just measureâwho understand that the corner you donât set might be the most important decision you make.
If we do that, we wonât just fix pincushioning.
Weâll rebuild something even more important: trust.
Trust in each other.
Trust in our monuments.
Trust in the publicâs belief that surveyors know where the lines areâand why they matter.
Let that be the legacy we leave.
Thoughts