I need to level up for a footer, and concrete pad, what tool do I need ?
 

Transit? Rotary lazer level? This is not my wheelhouse, but I'm going to give it hell anyhow .

yes and yes. You could use either.

With a transit or builders level you need another person with a stick or tape measure

Need more info.

House footing? Laser or good transit.

A/C pad? 2' level.

Pour the footing loose enough, and it's self levelling. ;)

Um you don't need anything fancy or expensive..

And if you need to turn corners... simple math and trig....

https://www.johnsonlevel.com/News/LineLevels

some 3 4 5 maths... and hey you can build pyramids!

The old way was to dig a sealed trench and measure up from water.

Make a water level? Bucket and a length of clear hose. And a tape measure of course.

This. Unless you have a laser level to make life a little simpler.

get it close enough, fill it with rebar and let the concrete find it's level.

make sure the j bolts are high enough.

just a pad ? why level water will pond slope to drain away

if for something that needs level string level should work at mini cost

Don’t over water the concrete mix. The higher the water:cement ratio, the weaker the final product. That why high strength mixes has water reduction agents to give you a workable mix and a strong final product.

I use a rotary laser level. First shoot the road, then shoot the lot, then determine where I want the foundation. Hopefully the two readings allow me to have the floor of the building above the road. If you were closer I'd pop by and do a few readings for ya!

+1
What are you actually doing?

A cheap builders level will work. A laser level is overkill, but doing it by yourself, it’s handy.

For quick work, I use this. It’s a handheld level.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1590447461.jpg

I rented a transit, tripod and stick for a day from a tool rental location. I think it might have been $25. Well worth the money to do the job right.

FRED, if you need one of these, i'll mail you one.

in my opinion they are are just okay. i just used one an hour or so ago, and i got anywhere from 24-30 inches elevation between two spots 25 feet apart. good enough for government work, but not for what you want.

i'm better with a string line and a 4 foot level, but it requires a friend. that isnt a knucklehead.

A hundred years ago, I was using a transit to set elevations of sole plates for a large brown boveri steam turbine-generator.
The tolerance was +- .005" which is about as good as I could hit it with that tool. I used a 12" starrett 98 level to nail the actual level once I got the elevation dialed in.

The pipe fitter foreman asked if I could shoot in the elevation on a pipe support next to the foundation.
I said sure, and checked his print for the elevation and did the basic maths. But it didn't list the tolerance. So I says to him, how close does it have to be?
He said it has to be dead nutz, within a quarter inch. ;)

I'm, sorry what were we talking about again?

Thanks for the replies, and offers guys, I am building a 20x40 quonset hut garage at my house . Im going to try to do it all myself . Dig , form, and pour the footer, pour the pads, and erect the building Im thinking about doing the floor in 4 smaller pours .
I did some smaller pads this spring to get a feel for how much concrete I think I could handle single handed.
I have string and a 4 foot level, but a friend who is not a knucklehead, could be a tough one . Im using my 14 year old for cheap labor .

You know the saying - you get what you pay for! :)

So you are doing basically a two wall foundation for a quonset hut? Pouring the footer and the wall at once? No forming above ground level? What?

I'm not familiar with code quonset hut construction. Do you pour a footer and build up/pour a wall to above ground level and bolt your quonset structure to it, or just pour a footer, bold the structure to it, and back fill over the steel?