I’ve been reading this forum for the last few months and learning a lot from the posts here. It’s great to have a great resource like this.
I’m planning to start building my house next spring and have been thinking more about site placement, drainage, driveway, and eventual site grading.
I’m familiar with using a transit to set sightlines and a grade rod. My father retired from the road construction business and is more than willing to show me more than I need in that aspect. But with the new laser systems is it possible to combine this? I know that the cheap models wont shoot over 100ft, but I’m building a house and small steel outbuilding on a one end of a 10ac site and think I could possibly do it with a laser level and a grade rod? Using a laser level I could then use it for other projects inside the house later. (trim, drywall, pipe runs ect…)
I know that I will need to use something because I have been around sites that “eyeballed it†causing the owner to be unhappy later when the drainage was not correct.
My plan was to excavate the site with my tractor. (Case IH 1594 MFWD) I will take off the topsoil in the area and store it off to one side to be reused for final topcoat. Then remove the clay base underneath to make a 36’ X 48’ X 12’ walkout basement. I’m in Kansas and the relative elevation drop for the whole site is 15ft from high point to roadway. (I know that seems easy compared to you folks in the hills with rocky soil.)
I know someone has some tips out there that will be handy.
Thanks
Heath