More compact than expected, cons are the spirit level only attaches to the first section which raises it about 30 inches off the ground when in use (to keep the pole vertical you have to bend over to see the level) and there is no adjustable score marker to quickly determine if a score is outside of the desired standard. However, I solved this problem by putting a rubber band around the stick at the desired height. Now I can easily see if the score is up or down.