Question about using a laser screed on a small garage floor

I rented a laser screed for a 24x24 garage pour last month, cost about $450 for the day. I figured it would save time and give a perfect flat floor. It did, but the setup and calibration took almost two hours for a slab that size. By the time we were ready to pour, my crew could have nearly finished hand screeding. Has anyone else found these only pay off on bigger jobs, or did I just get a slow model?

3 comments

3 Comments

milesbailey1mo ago

Yeah, a contractor buddy said the same thing about his laser screed... said the break even point for him was around a thousand square feet for it to really save time. That two hour setup sounds about right for a smaller crew, honestly.

susan_wright341mo ago

That break even point around a thousand square feet is so real. We rented one for a job that was just under that and honestly, by the time we got it dialed in and cleaned up, we probably just broke even on time. It's a beast for big pours, but the setup can eat your lunch on the smaller stuff.

victor20928d ago

Ever figure out a way to speed up that initial setup or is it just part of the deal?