SITE PLAN
WHAT IS A SITE PLAN SURVEY?
A site plan can be described as part of a set of construction drawings showing the arrangement of structures and other components. Site plans include information for a parcel of land and the landscape features, showing and explaining the precise way the land relates to the features found on the property and surrounding areas. They can be used as guides that will ensure proposed plans meet with existing authoritative codes for local building and zoning requirements.
IMPORTANCE OF GETTING A SITE PLAN SURVEY:
Contractors/Developers: Site plans can be used as a set of construction drawings by a builder or contractor to make improvements to a property. Once a site has received inspection and approval from a local agency, the contractor can move right into the various stages of construction of the underground utilities, retaining walls, buildings, site lighting, and parking lot/street paving. Site plans are a necessary part of a construction process because they verify the accuracy of land parcel measurements and ensure that the proposed building is constructed according to codes and regulations. If in need of a procedure similar to a subdivision for commercial use, a binding site plan might also suffice. For binding site plans to be used, local governments must adopt procedures for their review and approval.
Residential Landowners: Any time a building is constructed, even on private land, there are both physical and legal considerations involved, to the point that even the difference of a few inches can make a structure unsafe or in violation of code. After a building project is completed, a surveyor can complete a correction survey to determine elements' locations. Any time you are planning for an improvement that interacts with your land, a site plan survey may be necessary, even if local authorities do not require it.
REASONS FOR A SITE PLAN SURVEY:
Site plan surveys are most often requested to obtain building permits for a home extension or create new outdoor walls/fences in order to meet city/town requirements. Here are just some of the types of planned addition/renovation projects that would benefit from a site plan survey:
There are other reasons to obtain a site plan survey besides just getting a permit. If the site is in a flood plain, an engineer may need to look at a site plan in order to come up with a strategy for grading the land. Additionally, these surveys can also serve as a measure for accuracy to ensure the building or addition is being built correctly.
TYPES OF SITE PLAN SURVEYS:
Binding Site Plan
- May only be used for divisions for industrial or commercial use, lease of mobile homes or travel trailers—typically a mobile home park—or condominiums.
- Involves a division of property as an alternative to the subdivision process.
- Provides exact locations and detail for the type of information appropriately addressed as a part of property division, such as infrastructure, certification, and other requirements typical of subdivisions.
Site Layout Staking
- Once a site has received inspection and approval from a local agency, features that are underground (ie. sanitary sewer lines, storm drain lines, water lines, electrical lines) are installed and above-ground features are staked for construction.
- The building corners are staked along with any interior grid lines throughout the building and onsite items (ie. fire hydrants, curb and gutter, walls/planters, catch basins and area drains)
Tree Survey
- Locates desirable/significant (specific species or trunk size) trees on a property which are frequently needed for design purposes or to adhere to a community landscape ordinance.
- If being made in order to comply with a community landscape ordinance, the trees which are applicable to the requirements of the ordinance are identified, measured and tagged.
- Trees measured will be shown on a topographic survey of the property.
WHAT IS INCLUDED WITHIN A TRADITIONAL SITE PLAN SURVEY?
Typically, a house site plan will include an AutoCAD drawing of the land to scale. The level of detail in a site plan is usually determined by the governing jurisdiction for the site. However, standard site plans usually include the following information:
