Google Street View has been capturing road imagery since 2007. For survey monuments at or near roadways, that archive is a free, multi-year timeline of the monument site — pavement condition, utility pole relocations, road reconstructions, and visible evidence of disturbance. Here is how to use it systematically.
Why Capture History Matters
A monument that was flush with the pavement in 2015 may be buried under an asphalt overlay today. A brass cap set at the top of a curb may have been destroyed when the curb was rebuilt. Reviewing the full capture timeline — not just the most recent image — lets you identify when disturbance occurred and whether any evidence survived.
What Corner-Plot Shows You
- Every available Street View capture date for the monument location, sorted chronologically
- AI monument classification per date (detected / not detected / unclear) with surface description
- A multi-approach panorama set: overhead view aimed at the monument, and approach views from north and south
- The actual Street View capture position (pano latitude/longitude) so you know how close the camera was
Reading the Camera Angles
Corner-Plot aims the Street View camera at the monument from three positions per capture date. The overhead view (pitch −78°, FOV 30°) looks nearly straight down — best for seeing a monument flush with the pavement surface. The approach views (pitch −38°, FOV 55°) give a shallow angle from a vehicle approach position — best for seeing raised caps, pipe tops, or chiseled squares in ledge rock. Both perspectives are shown side-by-side in the History tab.
Tie Object Verification
Each bearing-and-distance tie from the CP&F form gets a directional Street View sight-line link in the Ties tab. The FOV is calculated from the tie distance — a close tie at 25 feet gets a wide FOV (~90°), a distant tie at 450 feet gets a narrow FOV (~18°). Click the sight-line link to verify the pole, tree, or fence is still where the record says it should be.
Limitations to Keep in Mind
- Street View only covers roadsides — rural corners off-road may have no coverage
- Capture frequency is irregular; some locations have one image from 2010 and nothing since
- Small brass caps at ground level are often invisible from the vehicle camera position
- The AI classification is a first-pass review aid, not a definitive monument survey
The goal of Street View review is not to replace field work — it is to walk into the field with better questions. Is the curb still there? Is the pole still in place? Has the road been reconstructed? The office can answer those before the truck leaves.