A grade stake driven flush with the final subgrade or base course elevation on a construction site. Surveyors traditionally color the top of the stake with blue keel or paint to signal to graders and machinery operators that the top of the wood represents the exact finished grade.
Heard on the job
The dirt crew is waiting on us to set bluetops for the final pass on the roadway base.
Insider tip
When a grader operator sees a bluetop, they know their blade should just graze the top of the stake.
Also heard as
- blue top
- grade stake