TIL a simple grade check saved me $15k on a slab pour last month

I was laying out a 12,000 sq ft warehouse slab in Phoenix and decided to double-check the grade with a water level before the truck showed up. Turned out the laser line was off by 3/8 inch across 80 feet, which would've meant tearing out the whole pour. Has anyone else caught a big mistake just by going old school with a hose and some water?

2 comments

2 Comments

logan63225d agoMost Upvoted

My buddy had a sub run a whole foundation off a laser that was reading wrong. They poured it and it was almost a foot low at one corner. Took a month and a lot of lawyers to fix it.

the_julia25d ago

Hate to push back, but a 3/8 inch difference across 80 feet isn't going to ruin a warehouse slab, your concrete trucks would've just adjusted the mud a bit. I've seen way bigger swings get fixed on site by the finishers without a tear out. Might've wasted that $15k on a fix that wasn't needed.