Phils' sample house layout

Our Sample House is Also a Simple House. We have now done the Math to give us our excavation dimensions ; First we will now go to lot area where have removed the top soil, and using our 5 foot larger scraping dimensions, lets measure in 5 feet from 2 sides toward one corner, drive an 18 inch stake about 6" to 8" deep at this point. From there we will continue down the long side of the scrape for a distance of 42 feet, place another stake at this point. Across the clearing, 26 feet from these 2 stakes we will place 2 more stakes. Now comes the math answer, we start checking our 26 X 42 foot dimension, maintaining those while we get the diagional dimension to 49' 4 1/4" on both of the diagionals. After moving the stakes a few times. Hint; move the stakes inward or outward , toward square, 1/2 the distance of the difference in dimension, until exact equality of the diagional distance is reached. Next, those stakes are only 18 inches long for a reason; we now stretch a string from stake to stake, around the circumference of the house, (all 4 steaks). Then shake flour or powdered lime on the string to mark the outside of the foundation. Now to excavate the basement area we (or your excavater) will know a standard basement is 8 feet from footer to top of the block or poured wall.