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Outdoor laser level and site layout tools

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#21 ·
I don't think we've ever used a surveyor for foundation corners.

It usually consists of going to the site with the owner, showing them where the kitchen window, or porch or whatever is going, then pulling a string for that wall so they can pick how they want the house oriented. After that line is established we square everything off it, put our batter boards in and paint it out for the excavator.

Then come back later, find half the batter boards smashed by the excavator, and layout everything again down in the hole.
 
#22 · (Edited)
I've only laid out one whole house. Add's are my usual bigger project.

Called for forms inspection and got bitched at because the engineer was supposed to lay the house out(?). They had to come out and verify the forms before the city would inspect.

Wouldn't ya know, I was 0.68-0.69" too deep?

Edit: foot, not inch.

Plans showed 13 course basement. Engineer decided it was a 12. 🤣🤣🤣 All 18 corners worked nicely, too!
 
#23 ·
There's a small city nearby and I won't work in the city limits anymore because of nonsense like that.

Code enforcement basically wants to stand behind you watching the whole time.

Get outside city limits, and it's great. Just keep the code guys up to date on your schedule and don't try to hide anything from them and they are super easy to work with.
 
#24 ·
Tight city lots where you’re building close to the setback, pretty common to need a surveyor.

On rural lots not so much.

Had to get a surveyor for one lot last year because they were close to the property line, and the county won’t use a fence line, for obvious reasons. That was a rural one.

Another one I built they had it marked as required on the submittals packet. I told her we were a minimum
of 60’ from the closest property line, and she waived that requirement.

So it just depends on the situation, lot, and how close to the lines you want to build.
 
#25 ·
Seven-Delta-FortyOne said:
Tight city lots where you’re building close to the setback, pretty common to need a surveyor.

On rural lots not so much.

Had to get a surveyor for one lot last year because they were close to the property line, and the county won’t use a fence line, for obvious reasons. That was a rural one.

Another one I built they had it marked as required on the submittals packet. I told her we were a minimum
of 60’ from the closest property line, and she waived that requirement.

So it just depends on the situation, lot, and how close to the lines you want to build.
Click to expand...
Mine was smack dab in the middle of a 3 acre lot, in a city (rare lot). More than most lot's full width away from line. Just a buncha crabbyasses.
 
#26 ·
Just bought this one in January.... Havent used it a whole lot but the green laser has much better visibility outside than the red lazer dot from spectra we used for quite a few years. The 360 beam and the detector I bought for it make it the best I've used so far. Almost any lasers should be much more accurate than blowing string lines and sagging tape measures.
Image
 

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#28 ·
I carry an old beat up Double Prism on a staff for ROUGH layout...deck or whole house...when you're trying to guide the front loader in for clearing a vacant lot...or grade out, level down and dress up an addition, deck or concrete for new work.

Basically...you peep through the center slot and look at the locators at 90° to the left or right of where you want to mark off your site layout. In this way, I can set the staff alongside the foundation at one point of the width of the addition and have someone put in a stake dead center to the prism mark and have a very close right angle to where we need to be. For new lots....locate the rear pin (for a small lot) or set up incremental stakes along one line for your sight in the center slot...mark your set back position on that boundary line. Move to the set back stake....locate the rear stake or incremental stake in the center slot and then have someone put a stake or two in to mark your front set back line (aka building set back or building line).

Clear the area on a vacant lot after locating more stakes and then using the front set back at 90° to a side line...measure down to meet your layout plan line. You can pull your side set back parrallel with the side boundary line and build your rectangle from there. Once you know you're "square"....get out the 100ft tape...and adjust diagonals for the "loose end" (the fixed end being the side yard set back line). Once square...bump out everything on the plans until you have your footprint to excavate.

Don't forget to leave enough room in your excavation for your batter boards stand-offs and string/cord.

I would always suggest...the best place to learn about setting out and laying out for a foundation is in your backyard or part of an off season ballfield. The Double Prism is only a moderately accurate tool for rough layout...the best tool for the job sits under your hat. Learn to use it...by practicing how to do one of the most important tasks on any new job. Whether you screw it up or let some numbnutz screw it up for you....YOU'RE the responsible party as GC.

Image
 
#29 ·
We use the Topcon laser level with a receiver that is audible so no issue with seeing laser lines. About $1400 for everything including tripod and grade level. Pretty standard for establishing grades. We use 3,4,5 and diagonal measurements for deck layout and have a surveyor pin corners on larger structures. To save time for smaller repetitive corners, I sometimes make a square from very straight 2x4 x10 or larger (if you can get them straight) to keep for the duration of the project mostly for tie walls, steps etc.
 
#30 ·
DBD said:
I recently bought a $550 laser level for various deck projects that we have been working on. Indoors, it works perfectly, but outdoors in the daytime, it barely reaches ten feet. I suppose I should have expected that, or at least checked with the manufacturer before purchase. Can anyone recommend me a laser level that can shoot (ideally) three perpendicular lines (x,y,z axes) across solid surfaces outdoors during the day? We are trying to find quicker, less laborious ways to layout and square our sites for foundation pours and post/beam work.

Additionally, we don't have a quick and easy way to find a 90 degree angle from an existing exterior wall. For instance, to attach a rim joist to the deck ledger, we usually just use a new piece of plywood or a carpenter's square to find the 90 degree line. It works, but I don't trust it over longer distances, and we are starting to pull bigger projects this season. If anyone can recommend the tool or method they use for this purpose, I would also greatly appreciate that.

I know this sounds fairly beginner, but we are a new company, and last year we mostly just did interior remodels and basic odd-job/home improvement type of work. This year we've been getting calls for more decks, sheds and even additions. The boss wants to break into the new build game, as there is significant demand in our area. We can absolutely handle it in terms of ability, but I think that we are outgrowing our tools. In general, I am just looking for ways to increase our speed and efficiency for these larger builds.
Click to expand...
 
#31 ·
Knowing how to layout is first and foremos but if your in need of seeing the laser quite a bit better during the daytime outside, I would recommend getting a pair of red lens safety glasses Or any kind of red lens to look through. There for a while I was using a brake light lens cover. I promise it will do wonders. I even use th‘em in indoors just to see my laser line better.
 
#32 ·
DBD said:
Additionally, we don't have a quick and easy way to find a 90 degree angle from an existing exterior wall. For instance, to attach a rim joist to the deck ledger, we usually just use a new piece of plywood or a carpenter's square to find the 90 degree line.
Click to expand...
This is laughable,, I'll just stop reading here LOL!!!
 
#33 ·
DBD said:
I recently bought a $550 laser level for various deck projects that we have been working on. Indoors, it works perfectly, but outdoors in the daytime, it barely reaches ten feet. I suppose I should have expected that, or at least checked with the manufacturer before purchase. Can anyone recommend me a laser level that can shoot (ideally) three perpendicular lines (x,y,z axes) across solid surfaces outdoors during the day? We are trying to find quicker, less laborious ways to layout and square our sites for foundation pours and post/beam work.

Additionally, we don't have a quick and easy way to find a 90 degree angle from an existing exterior wall. For instance, to attach a rim joist to the deck ledger, we usually just use a new piece of plywood or a carpenter's square to find the 90 degree line. It works, but I don't trust it over longer distances, and we are starting to pull bigger projects this season. If anyone can recommend the tool or method they use for this purpose, I would also greatly appreciate that.

I know this sounds fairly beginner, but we are a new company, and last year we mostly just did interior remodels and basic odd-job/home improvement type of work. This year we've been getting calls for more decks, sheds and even additions. The boss wants to break into the new build game, as there is significant demand in our area. We can absolutely handle it in terms of ability, but I think that we are outgrowing our tools. In general, I am just looking for ways to increase our speed and efficiency for these larger builds.
Click to expand...
Well just a solution I found on similar situations as I was laying out an outside job. I took care of the marking early in the morning as it was still dark. Hope this will help!
 
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Edris
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