A combination of in-situ stress measurements with low-energy electron diffraction and scanning tunneling microscopy is used to investigate structural transitions during film growth. The formation of misfit distortions during the growth of Fe on W(110) and the formation of different coincidence structures for the growth of Ni on W(110) are identified with high sensitivity by characteristic changes in the stress versus coverage curves. The influence of structural changes on the magnetic properties of Fe films is examined with magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements.