LAYING OUT

BUILDING
LINES
Laurence C. Fabiala
• Building lines pertain to lines
representing the side of the building
passing through the center of the
foundation posts. The final laying-out
is done on the batter board. Before
the builder can start the layout, he
has to decide which among the
building lines he is going to use.
 Procedure in Laying out the Foundation
Lines
1. Transfer the oriented line to the top
of the batter boards. This is done by
hanging a plumb bob to the oriented
line, and by making the corresponding
point on the batter board.
Procedure in Laying out the Foundation Lines
Procedure in Laying out the Foundation
Lines
2. Locate the center of the foundation
from the orientation line at the
opposite batter boards. Then mark
these two points with nails or a saw
kerf.
Procedure in Laying out the Foundation Lines
Procedure in Laying out the Foundation
Lines
3. Stretch string No. 1 on these two
marks. Anchor it to the batter boards.
This line should never be moved during
the process of squaring lines.
Procedure in Laying out the Foundation Lines
Procedure in Laying out the Foundation Lines
 Procedure in Laying out the Foundation
Lines
4. Tie a cord to this line to indicate the
original corner A. Align this cord to
the corner stake with a plumb bob.
 Procedure in Laying out the Foundation
Lines
5. Measure the length of the side that
falls on line 1, starting from the
original corner, and tie another cord to
mark this corner B.
 Procedure in Laying out the Foundation
Lines
6. Sketch line No. 2 square or
perpendicular to line 1, passing through
the cord tied at the original corner A.
Tie line 2 to nails on the batter boards.
 Procedure in Laying out the Foundation
Lines
7. From the intersection of lines 1 and 2
at the original corner A. Measure the
length of the side of the building that
falls on string 2. Tie another cord to
mark this corner C.
 Procedure in Laying out the Foundation
Lines
8. Through this corner just mark, stretch
string 3 square to string 2.
9. Measure the length of the side that
falls on line 3, and tie a cord to mark
corner D.
 Procedure in Laying out the Foundation
Lines
10. Through corner D, stretch line 4 to
the adjacent corner B on line 1. Check
the squareness of these two lines