Stakes are driven into the ground around the perimeter of the building site and batter boards are attached to help lay out the foundation. Batter boards are horizontal boards attached to stakes driven outside the building corners. Strings are stretched between the batter boards and used to mark the outline and grade of the foundation. This ensures all foundation walls are at right angles and the proper elevation.

1. STAKES
 A pointed piece of wood or other material driven or to be driven into the ground as a marker or support.
BATTERBOARDS
 Suitable marks placed for use as references or guides during the initial excavation and rough grading of a building
construction and/or a sewer line stakeout.
 Temporary devices that support the stretched cords that mark the outline and grade of the structure.
 Batter boards ensure that all of the foundation walls are at the right angles.
Stakes are driven about 3 to 4 ft away from the building line where they will not be affected by the
construction. They are driven far enough apart to straddle the line to be marked. Note in figure 14-40, only
three stakes are driven on outside corners because one of them is a common post for two directions.
The length of the stakes is determined by the required grade line. They must be long enough to accept the 1- by 6-in.
crosspiece to mark the grade. The 1- by 6-in. crosspiece is cut long enough to join both stakes and is nailed firmly to
them after the grade has been established. The top of the crosspiece becomes the mark from which the grade will be
measured. All batter boards for one structure are set to the same grade or level line. A transit is used to locate the
building lines and to mark them on the top edge of the crosspiece.
A nail is driven at each of these marked points, or a V notch is carved at the top outer edge of the crosspiece
towards the marked point and the nail is driven on the outer face of the board. When a string is stretched over the top
edge of the two batter boards and is held against the nails or against the bottom of the notch, the string will define the outside
building line and grade elevation. Sometimes a transit is not available for marking the building line on the batter boards,
but the corner stakes have not been disturbed. A cord is stretched over two opposite batter boards, and plumb
bobs are held over the corner stakes; then the building line can be transferred to the batter boards. The cord is moved on each
batter board until it just touches both plumb bob strings.

2. This position of the cords is marked, and nails are driven into the top of the batter boards .Batter boards are set and marked as
follows:
1. After the corner stakes are laid out, 2-by4-in. stakes are driven 3 to 4 ft outside of each corner. These are selected to bring
all crosspieces to the same elevation.
2. These stakes are marked at the grade of the top of the foundation or at some whole number of inches or feet above
or below the top of the foundation. A level is used to mark the same grade or elevation on all stakes.
3. One- by six-in. boards are nailed to the stakes so the edge of the boards is flush with the grade marks.
4. The prolongation of the building lines on the batter boards is located by using a transit or by using a line and plumb
bob.
5. Either nails are driven into the top edges of the batter boards or the boards are notched to mark the building line.
Putting up you’re the Batter boards using 3 stakes:
Peg the Corners
You will be using the building plans to put up your batter boards, so make sure that they are somewhere visible and easily
accessible. Your pegs are used as guides for building your batter boards and once the foundation is made, will be disregarded.
Because of this, your pegs can be made out of any building material.
According to the building plans, place your first peg in one of the corners of the structure. Using the measurements in the plans,
measure the proper distance from the first pegged corner to where the second corner should be and install a peg. Once again
using the measurements from the building plan, measure from the second pegged corner to where the third peg should go and
add the third peg. Repeat to place the final peg.
Place Support Stakes
You will need 12 stakes made out of 2 X 4 pieces of wood. Each corner requires two additional stakes. Measure out 4 feet
diagonally from the first corner stake and hammer your stake into the ground. Measure 8 feet from this stake to the left and
the right, placing the other two stakes. Repeat for the remaining three corners. Don’t worry about whether or not you drive the
stakes in equally; you will be marking and leveling the cross boards later.
Place Your Batter Boards
At the corner where the ground is highest, make a level mark about 6 inches up on the outside of all three stakes. Using that
corner as a guide, make level marks on the remaining stakes.
Once you have achieved a level line and all of the stakes have been marked, nail the batter boards to the outside of the stakes.
When nailing the batter boards, make sure that the top of each batter board is flush with the level line. Using a level, double
check that each batter board is level once you have attached it. When done, each corner’s batter boards should make an L
shape.
Place the Strings
Secure a piece of string from batter board to batter board width-wise and then length-wise. Make sure the string is taut and
passes directly over the guide pegs. Attach the string between two guide nails.
Checking Your Diagonals and Parallels
Next you need to double check to make sure that you have a perfect square. Measure the distance between the strings on the
horizontal and vertical lines. Both horizontal should be the same distance and both verticals should be the same distance. Next,
check the diagonals to make sure that they are equal as well. If your measurements are off, you will need to make some
adjustments. Once everything is equal, you have a perfect square to start building your foundation.
(report courtesy of BT-1 reporters under the 8:00-9:00am batch, under Arch. Seno)