Lay Out + Square a Structure | Mad County Barndominium Ep4 

There are several ways that one can go about laying out a building. I was a home builder for more than forty years, and i personally laid out hundreds of houses during that time. First off in most cases, lot sizes require that the placement of the home be pretty precise. That requires that the lot corners be located by a survey prior to staking the house. After that, its necessary to determine any corner of the home by pulling measurements from the property lines. Drive a stake in the ground at that corner and partially drive a nail in the top of it. Set up your transit with a plumb bob hanging directly over that nail. Next by using a tape and measuring from that nail, establish another corner, drive another stake in the ground and another nail in the top of that also. Next align the transit on that nail, set the scale of the transit on zero, then turn 90 degrees for another corner and drive another stake with another nail. Continue to turn 90s untill all the corners are located, and tape from those for others. Batter boards are as a rule set in the same manor once two corners of the building are established. This method does require 2 people, but is a much faster and a very accurate way to stake out any type of building.

I have watched a half dozen videos on this, and this is by far the best. Not too wonky, but clearly demonstrates how to get a square layout...Thank You!

Beautifully and well explained to a novice like me. You have truly made my day. Thank you for your time in explaining this process. Very helpful indeed

I am so happy to have found this. This the exact dimensions of our new house

For us old Arm Chair Generals, thanks for the explanations as you progress through your building project. Good lessons.

What a simple and easily understood way to lay out a building.. thank you

Pretty solid practical explanation of Pythagorean theorem at work. The only other step I would add, is to keep all of your batter boards at a consistent elevation. Use a line level as a last resort, if you don’t have a laser or a builders level. Even a pair of winding sticks can get you close (although that would require a helper).

Just sent this to my apprentice …. Thanks for making the video …

You have no idea how helpful this series is. I'm about to start the same process, 15 acres, building (mostly) solo. Thank you!

Great videos .

Obviously you're long past this point but for any of your viewers a simple way of squaring is the 3, 4, 5 method. Just like checking a window or door opening for square. You mentioned pyhtagorean theorem which is basically what I'm talking about. if you measure 3' out one leg of your string and 4' out the other (the bases of your triangle) and mark those spots just pull a tape across the corner (the hypotenuse) to the spots you marked. If it is exactly 5' it's square, if it isn't you need to adjust one of the legs out to meet the next. Then go around the building in one direction, checking your back leg as you go. You can also due multiples for large triangles like a building foundation. So like with your 40' leg you could go 30', 40' and 50' or any other multiple like 9,12, 15. Easy peezy lemon squeezy. A few extra hands and tape measures are helpful. Also try to keep your strings all level when doing it so the slope doesn't throw off your measurement. On a side note in your vid before this you mentioned renting equipment and people could look at renting a laser level or if they're building a house buy a decent quality one for a few hundred bucks and learn to use it. It'll well pay for itself until you finish the build.

huge help, thanks from South Australia

Great job, thx

Measure 3ft along one line. 4ft along the perpendicular line. Then measure if there is 5 ft between those two marks that corner is square/90 deg. Then double check with diagonal check

A pesar que esta en Inglés, llegó a entender gran parte de tus videos. Excelente trabajo. Será posible al castellano. Un abrazo

Spent 30 minutes trying to do this with my new cheapo Huepar 2-line laser before realizing horizontal and plumb really aren't that useful at this stage. So, I used the pythagorean theorem on my desired dimensions (46x16) to get my diagonal length. Then just put down 2 stakes for one side which I knew were good, and pulled diagonals from both of those. Took 5 min of going back and forth to get them equal, however pretty simple if you don't have a long 90' reference square. Just looked and you can actually get a cheapo 90' laser for $13 at AMZ. Probably a lot easier to take get a helper to hold a framing square at the base on a known good stake and pull string along with a tape meaure to really make it simple.

Great works

Very grateful for all this knowledge.

I like it,thanks for the lesson....mm

Thank you for posting this series. Surprised you did not mention elevation (or I missed it) when staking out the building. Is there a rule of thumb when you would need to consider elevation?

There is another way to get a string line tight and that is by spinning the line about 5 or 6 times and then taking that loop and slipping it over the screw. Then you have some leverage to pull on the bitter end and making the line guitar string tight. After you pull the string line tight, pull the string back towards the screw. This will compress the spin of that line and lock it in so that it will not move and there you go.

How tight do you pull the tape? If it’s steel it sags, but I guess if you keep the sag consistent that would work, or try to pull it real tight. Steel tapes don’t stretch but u got to pull them tight as hell

You’re making your math teacher proud

How do you know how tall to make your first stakes and board?

You laid down the 1st wall of the garage then measured back 40' off the two ends; how did you know you were going perpendicular off that 1st wall??? Would it have been easier to use a laser that shown two beams that were 90 degrees apart ; or two tape measures anchored to the ends of the front wall???

Do you think of solar orientation when deciding the frontage of your house? Or any of tge other sides?

I know this isn't related to this video, but I was just wondering how long the permitting process was for you? I live in San Jose, CA and I want to build a very similar home for my family but with an antebellum style finish and approximately 6500-7000 sq ft

Curious why you set the back line at 'about' 40', then actually measured the 40' and moved the line?? Measure first, then set line??

Should the layout be done with a steel tape for accuracy?

What kind of a tape measures did you use when measuring the 2 sides?

What does the app for the diagnol name

Hi. What’s the app you use Thanks Andy

What is the square app that you said you used?

What size

What is the app you used for the diagonal measurement?

Works good but your dependent on the app and internet those can not work slot of times and places

What app do you use for this

are you going to have a pool table in this home, as there is plenty of space for it .. ?

What app are you using?

The fastest way to get the diagonal is to add the perimeter and square root the total..

You didn’t show height of batter boards?

House measurements made my OCD kick in. I would have established a true N-S or E-W line with a couple small concrete monuments and then located one house corner off that. And then lay out a 3-4-5 triangle with a laser.

What are the dimensions of the actual house

40 feet = 12.192 metres (or meters)

When I watch one ep, when I click the next in line; it isn't consistent? the episodes are all over the place Paul. Any suggestions? thanks

Hi

56 feet = 17.068 metres

I am totally lost in what you are trying to explain to us what you are doing. I suggest you go through the process using a large sheet of paper or plywood to show you are laying out the house. This will show an over view of the project. Then you can go into the field and explain what you are doing with reference to the large over view drawing. I can tell you know how to lay out a house.

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maybe it's me but your explaination was not very clear. I have done this hundreds of times useing 3, 4 5 and its comes out square every time.

couldnt you just have cut thru all the bullshit and got the diagnal measurement right away and just went with that, no idea why every single vid without exception leaves me more confused that I was before

Hope you're faster building than laying out!

This was painful to watch. So much measuring and extra work. Just drive pins in the ground and measure long side and diagonal off those to find the next pin location for each corner of the building, then put your strings above the pins. The strings will be close to square and all you have to do is small adjustments at that point.

I did that and 36 x 40, turned out front to back 36ft left corner ..diagonal 54' 2.75" 40 ft to the 54' 2.75" and the right side came ou three times 38' 6" @both end @t 40" on the 54'2.75 mark front and back@ 40ft but the other side TWO AND A HALF FT OFF three times????

What app are you using?