Foundation Staking

We use spray paint to mark the corners

And provide at least four pegs offset from the construction for the string lines.

Often the builders will erect profile boards and we place a nail in them.

Anything you put in gravel of that gradation is going to be loose. I'd prefer to use something long enough to get through the gravel and bite on the ground below. 60d spikes probably aren't going to cut it for that. So maybe 3/8" rebar, perhaps 12 " long depending on the thickness of the gravel.

Another option is a rough staking for the footings, then mag nails in the concrete footings once poured.?ÿ?ÿ

Posted by: @big-al

Getting ready to stake house foundation corners.?ÿ Seems like concrete guys around here don't like batter boards and string and plumb bobs any more, they want me to come out and stake at each step.?ÿ I'm sure its easier for them, and has the added benefit from their perspective of making someone else responsible for the layout. ?????ÿ

Putting that aside, I'm curious if any of you have specific suggestions on materials and methods in the hole.?ÿ I typically use 8" nails with flagging to mark corners of walls in the hole.?ÿ Typically the bottom of the hole has been leveled with 3/4" to 1-1/2" gravel.?ÿ The nails work but seem rather insubstantial.?ÿ The concrete guy this morning said sometimes a rock can be good, scribed and painted.?ÿ I've been thinking about using rebar.?ÿ Also thought about some sort of quick hardening bright colored plastic that could be poured in the vicinity of the corner and then drilled or scribed.

What sorts of materials do you use to mark foundation corners??ÿ Any suggestions appreciated.

Al

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Rebar is a real pain, especially working solo and having to drill in rock...but we do it for customers that request it and and they pay more for it because they're saving having us nail the top of the footings for them.?ÿ

I use a mix of 6" and 8" ardoch nails, preferably galvanized only because the pole tip doesn't slip off when they go in crooked. We used to only use 6" but I thought that was insufficient in some softer materials so I got 8" as well.?ÿ

I also put some points on line for step downs for one of the local formers, because the steps downs aren't very common and it makes it easier for them..plus they try to make my life easier also.?ÿ

It's easier if we all help each other on the construction sites.?ÿ

Posted by: @norman-oklahoma

Another option is a rough staking for the footings, then mag nails in the concrete footings once poured.?ÿ?ÿ

@norman-oklahoma?ÿ

The last couple of houses I've staked; that's how I did it.

I use 18", pointed, 1"x2" stakes for rough staking.

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Our foundations are usually in washed sand (micro gravel), so I use 18" 2x2 hub and tacks.?ÿ I set the minimum number of hubs plus two.?ÿ

Batter boards and string lines are a thing of the past in my neck of the woods.?ÿ We typically set 8 stakes on the dig, double offsets of the boxed out building envelope.?ÿ From there, they can pull tapes and layout their own footings.?ÿ They have us come back after the footing is poured to pin the foundation corners for their wall forms.?ÿ We do that with half inch masonry nails.

On large commercial buildings, we we allot of, they'll have us stake the forms in the hole on a small offset so they can set their rebar and forms for the pour, then still have us come back and pin the footing.?ÿ It's amazing how much hand holding we do these days and how wrong they sometimes get it.?ÿ

Galvanized spike with pink whiskers

@norman-oklahoma?ÿ

I remember staking a foundation with long hub and tack in some very deep gravel. As the guys walked by, I could see the hubs move. I knew that wouldn't work. I found some 2' hubs, and that worked.

@dmyhill?ÿ

Wow. I don't think that gravel would pass the compaction tests around here. Guess that's why we can get away with 6" or 8" nails.?ÿ

Most of the formers are only going to be within 3cm on average of where we laid them out. The ones that have us nail the footings with concrete nails are usually within a centimeter or 2.?ÿ

I appreciate all the suggestions.?ÿ Interesting how varied the methods and materials are.?ÿ I've been using 8" mag hubs, but have found them to be somewhat loose in the gravel.?ÿ Thinking out of the box of using fast setting concrete.?ÿ Sets in 1/2 hour.?ÿ Build a little micro footing under each footing corner....

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Professional land surveying is not about staking foundations, as a matter of fact (law) you donƒ??t have to be licensed to do so.?ÿ

if you want PLS to stake your concrete, thatƒ??s fine, pay me $125/Hr to check and calc your site plan and foundation plan, and $225/Hr to set offsets based upon your plans.?ÿ

@pls?ÿ

But if your foundation plan specifies offsets from the boundaries, who is going to know where those boundaries are?

@pls there are any number of tasks we do that do not require a license. If I can stay in my lane and make money giving professional service I'll do it.

I haven't worked in an area where things are built that tight in a long time.?ÿ But when I did, most of the time staked offsets did the trick.?ÿ

If it was tighter than that, we'd set stakes for the footings, and then go back and pin them with masonry nails.

@pls?ÿ

We get $180/hr for the first task, $200/hr for the second.?ÿ

Architects here do not produce dimensioned foundation plans any more, so there can be an inordinate amount of calc time. I recently filed a complaint with our BTR over one who would not provide a dimensioned drawing OR a CAD file. I asked him how he thought that a mason could build his project with no dimensions and he was speechless - I don't think he had ever considered that aspect of the project. He did have a site plan with ties to the building corners to the nearest 1/16"...

Posted by: @big-al

Seems like concrete guys around here don't like batter boards and string and plumb bobs any more, they want me to come out and stake at each step.

How big and elaborate is the house? If it is just a "normal" house and the formboard/concrete crew can't figure out how to place a house in a "box" I'd get rid of them. ?????ÿ

Worked with a chief who would set form pins at the corners down in the hole - the ones that hold the forms together when poured. Long enough to grab the deeper soil and hold position, skinny enough to easily penetrate packed gravel, and relatively inexpensive.

@flga-2-2?ÿ

It will be a fairly big, fairly elaborate home. ?ÿFull basement, enclosed garage, walkouts, etc. All the walls are square so nothing out of the ordinary.?ÿ

The concrete contractor is experienced. Weƒ??ve worked together in the past. I think he likes the results when I am involved. ?ÿThings line up. Plus itƒ??s easier for him to have me do it. ?ÿOur equipment (total station) is better than anything they have. ?ÿIt pleases the framing crew too when their work lines up.

I suppose there are cheaper ways to build, but my fee is reasonable, the results are good, and the client is happy.?ÿ

@peter-lothian?ÿ

Around here in "the limestone city" there is nowhere that you can set anything very deep without digging down and then drilling. You will basically always hit rock.?ÿ

Also 2 out of the 3 local concrete formers will have the framers swearing every time. It doesn't matter how well I lay out the points, the walls curve, distances don't fit well, etc. They go for high production instead of quality.?ÿ