The short answer
In California design review, a staking plan, a silhouette plan, a story pole plan, a temporary framing plan and a height pole and netting plan are all the same document. It is a simplified roof plan showing where each temporary pole goes, how high it must reach, and which poles are connected by string line to trace the ridges and eaves of a proposed building. The name depends on the town. (This is a construction and planning term; it has nothing to do with staking cryptocurrency or a stakeholder plan.)
What a Staking Plan Contains, Whatever the Town Calls It
- Pole locations, numbered, at the outer wall corners, the ends of the main ridges, and any element the town wants shown (decks, chimneys, accessory buildings).
- Elevations: the top-of-roof elevation each pole must reach, tied to existing or finished grade so the pole shows the final building height with grading accounted for.
- Connections: which poles are strung together along which ridges and eaves, and where netting or flagging goes.
- A legend, in towns that require one, listing each pole's number, location and height, plus any ground stakes or string lines outlining the footprint.
Good ones simplify. Tiburon and Santa Barbara both describe the goal as a simple box that outlines the mass of the building, not every articulation.
Who calls it what
| Term | Where it is used | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Story pole plan | Hillsborough, Mill Valley, Burbank, Malibu, Calabasas, Santa Barbara, most towns | Hillsborough wants it as an 8.5 x 11 copy of the roof plan on the site plan; Burbank as 11 x 17 plus PDF with poles in red; Malibu on a reduction of the roof plan at the same scale |
| Staking plan | Laguna Beach | The municipal code calls the whole process “staking”: the staking plan is prepared per the current submittal checklist and the poles are “staking poles” (LBMC 25.05.040) |
| Silhouette plan | Southern California HOAs; Burbank describes poles as “silhouette structures” | Common in HOA architectural guidelines in Pacific Palisades, the Palos Verdes Peninsula and coastal Orange County |
| Temporary framing plan | Bay Area towns and installers | Used by our company for the same drawing |
| Height pole and netting plan / Story Pole Plan | Los Gatos, Los Altos Hills, Monte Sereno | Los Gatos calls the poles “height poles” and the drawing a “Story Pole Plan,” optional but recommended, approved by the project planner before placement (Town of Los Gatos, policy PDF) |
Why the name matters anyway
Two reasons. First, the planner recognises the sheet by the town’s own term, so titling it “Staking Plan” in Laguna Beach or “Story Pole Plan” in Hillsborough removes a question at intake. Second, each term comes with its town’s format rules, and those are what get a plan rejected, whether that is the wrong sheet size, no table of elevations (Mill Valley), missing plan notes (Malibu), missing license number (Calabasas), or color where black and white is required (Hillsborough). We keep every town’s current checklist and draft to it. How we draft story pole plans.
Three examples
- Laguna Beach staking plan. Shown as notes and diagrams on the full-size roof plan, representing the full extent of the structure including decks and eaves, submitted with the design review application; the poles are certified 21 days before the hearing. Laguna Beach page.
- Mill Valley story pole plan. Numbered poles matching numbers on the poles themselves, plus a table per pole: location, ground elevation, structure elevation, pole height and the maximum height allowed at that point. Mill Valley page.
- Malibu story pole plan. A reduction of the roof plan at the same scale, every pole's elevation and the natural and finished grades, and two required plan notes about markings and safety, approved by the case planner before placement. Malibu page.
From the drawing to the site
Whatever it is called, the plan is what the crew installs to and what the surveyor certifies against. When we draft it, the field work matches the sheet; when your architect drafts it, we install to theirs. Either way the installation follows the plan the town approved. Our requirements guide lists the plan format each town expects.
Send the plan set and address to hello@AllAmericanStoryPoles.com, or call or text (650) 613-1721 (Northern California) or (310) 980-2543 (Southern California). Most story pole plans go back within 1 to 2 business days.
Frequently asked questions
What is a staking plan in construction?
In California design review, a staking plan is the drawing that shows where temporary staking poles go, how high they reach and how they connect to outline a proposed building on site. Laguna Beach uses the term in its municipal code; other towns call the same drawing a story pole plan or silhouette plan.
Is a silhouette plan the same as a story pole plan?
Yes. Silhouette is the term many Southern California cities and HOAs use for story poles, and the silhouette plan is the same drawing of pole locations, heights and connections.
Who prepares the story pole plan?
The applicant’s architect, engineer or designer, or a story pole company like ours. Some towns (Los Gatos) make the plan optional but recommend it; most require it before installation and approve it first.
What size does the plan need to be?
It depends on the town: 8.5 x 11 in Hillsborough and Malibu (as a reduction of the roof plan), 11 x 17 plus a PDF in Burbank, the full-size roof plan in Laguna Beach. We draft to the town’s format.
Story pole requirements are set by each city, town, county or review board and change from time to time. Town details in this guide reflect published policies as of September 2026. Confirm current requirements with the planning department before your submittal.
