Shoutout to the $40 magnetic torpedo level that caught a 3/4 inch wall lean
I picked up a magnetic torpedo level for about $40 at a supply house in Boise back in March. On a tenant buildout, one stud wall was leaning 3/4 inch over 8 feet and my old bubble level kept reading fine because I was holding it wrong. The magnet stuck to the steel track and showed the lean right away, so we fixed it before drywall went up. My PM said a redo on that wall would have cost us close to $900 in labor and board. Now I keep it in my pouch and check every wall before I close it. What small tool has saved you from a big rework bill?
That bit about holding it wrong is exactly what got me too, spent weeks chasing phantom plumb on a remodel until I clipped a magnetic level to the pipe and saw the real deal. A $12 laser square saved me a tile tear out last year.