Do I need to get a topographic survey before i start my pole barn build. The ground is pretty flat but i am sure it isn't as level as it looks. The company i am using to build the garage does everything but site prep. What does everyone recommend?
New build
- Thread starter lkempf
- Start date
rustyshakelford
Well-known member
If you can't tell that it's off by quite a bit, I don't think I would waste the money on a survey. Have a Dozer man out to build a pad and tell him it needs to be level. He will shoot grades with his laser and should be able to get it at a maximum +-1" if he's worth a ****. If he has to build it up much at all the pad should be rolled with a loaded dump truck or vibratory compactor every 6". At least that's how we do it here. I think up in your neck of the woods people have to worry about frost heave or someone and do footers with knee walls or something????
Contact a Dozer guy and go from there. Going rate here is about $750 per day plus dirt if that helps
Brett
Contact a Dozer guy and go from there. Going rate here is about $750 per day plus dirt if that helps
Brett
matt_i
Well-known member
Another tool to rent or borrow is a rotating laser with sensor. Typically good to at least a 100ft radius. Put the sensor on a story pole like a 2x2 or 3/4" PVC pipe and you can do a fast survey yourself to understand what is happening. Should be good enough for your typical pole barn footprint.
A really good idea is to set a master grade pin or concrete block, poured monument which stays untouched during the build, but you can use as a reference to go back when you are spreading rock, doing footings, snapping lines for the finished concrete floor level in the forms, etc, etc, etc. The laser level will always be available as a tool to help assess heights from wherever it can "see" the laser beam, but it needs an absolute reference to "calibrate" the difference in height between the current plane and the feature you are trying to layout.
Another possibility is to keep the tripod unmoved and take the laser level's head unit only back inside, but part of mine which I thought was weather-resistant, started to rust
A really good idea is to set a master grade pin or concrete block, poured monument which stays untouched during the build, but you can use as a reference to go back when you are spreading rock, doing footings, snapping lines for the finished concrete floor level in the forms, etc, etc, etc. The laser level will always be available as a tool to help assess heights from wherever it can "see" the laser beam, but it needs an absolute reference to "calibrate" the difference in height between the current plane and the feature you are trying to layout.
Another possibility is to keep the tripod unmoved and take the laser level's head unit only back inside, but part of mine which I thought was weather-resistant, started to rust