To holding owners and developers who enquire, "how do I draw a site plan?," this guide answers with, "allow us count the ways!"

At that place are a handful of DIY site plan options, and one of them is sure to be a proficient fit for you. If not, we've got alternative suggestions for letting an experienced drafter do the work for you.

This guide does four things:

  1. We suggest where you might find an existing site plan for your holding.
  2. The post explains what information is needed on a site plan and where you can detect information technology.
  3. Information technology discusses the most common DIY plot programme drawing options.
  4. If y'all make up one's mind a DIY site plan isn't for you, we'll tell you lot where to find a professional site plan at an affordable price.

What we don't answer, here are the basics, such as what is a site plan is and why you demand i, explained here: https://www.24hplans.com/what-is-a-site-plan-plus-12-elements-of-plot-programme/

Does a Site Plan Already Exist?

In that location'due south no reason to reinvent the wheel, and then to speak, if a site plan was made for the property during an earlier phase – mayhap the initial building of the home.

In our guide chosen Where Can I Get a Site Plan of My Property, nosotros list the 5 most common places to locate one, if it already exists. https://www.24hplans.com/where-can-i-get-site-programme-for-my-belongings/

Here are the places you may desire to cheque to see if the site program for the property in question already exists:

  • In the closing documents provided when y'all purchased the property.
  • From the title company or bank that handled the closing or provided a loan.
  • Your canton: Try the Registrar of Deeds and the Building Department.
  • The architect: If the domicile was recently congenital and the construction company is still around, it might have a site program on file.
  • The seller or realtor involved in the sale.

A Site Plan Checklist

What is included in a site plan? Here's an overview.  For case, the City of Fairbanks, Alaska is representative of most cities in what the officials in that location require of a site plan/plot plan.

Contact your local city or county office for a site plan checklist. We'll add a cursory explanation where needed.

Following the list are a few items that other cities and counties want to see on a site plan.

  1. Scale at which site programme is drawn (for instance one"= twenty'). The calibration can exist adjusted per the size of the lot and local requirements.
  2. N arrow. A north arrow shows the directional orientation of the property.
  3. All property lines and their dimensions. These items can be found on earlier site plans, a survey and other places discussed below. They are readily bachelor, and so no worries are necessary.
  4. Location, blazon and dimensions of existing structures or a driveway including a firm and garage, detached garage, shed, inground puddle, retaining wall or other permanent construction.
  5. Location, type and dimensions for proposed permanent structures, whether fastened to the original home or detached, or driveways.
  6. Setback distances (distance off the belongings line) of all proposed structures, since each community has required setback distances.
  7. Buildable surface area of the lot inside required setbacks to show how much space is available for new evolution.
  8. Names of adjacent route(s).
  9. Well or water main location.
  10. Septic tank and field or sewer line location.

Items non included in the Fairbanks list but required past some cities and counties include topography (topo – not oftentimes required) peak and slope, wetland areas (rare), large copse and utility easements.

Where to Find Information Required for a Site Plan

Dimensions: Dimensions and possibly the location of utility easements, if they exist, can be constitute on several documents:

  • Property Survey
  • Belongings Revenue enhancement Assessor'due south Map located where your taxes are nerveless or in the city/county offices
  • Taxation Beak (In written form rather than drawn)
  • Subdivision Plat (available at the city/county office or from the programmer)
  • Hiring a Surveyor (starting at about $300 and usually not necessary)

Structures: A previous plot plan volition show the location of permanent structures. The Google Maps satellite role and services like Google Earth and InstantStreetView.com are useful, besides, providing aerial satellite views and a 360% street view of the property.

Utilities: Free locating and marking of underground utilities including electrical, fresh water, sewer, phone and cablevision is bachelor in most areas. This prevents costly impairment during construction. Calling 811 should connect you to the free service.

Setbacks: If y'all don't take a previous programme and they are not shown on the survey, you might need to measure and determine setbacks and building dimensions, when required.

DIY Site Plan Options

Drawing your own site plan ranges from literal hand-drawing to using sophisticated software. Of the latter, at that place are costless and paid options, online and downloadable versions for many.

How to Depict a Site Plan by Paw

Graph newspaper makes hand cartoon a site program piece of cake. The Fairbanks, AK document gives this encouraging word, "A site plan need not be professionally prepared and tin be hand drawn. With a piffling piece of work, you can draw an acceptable site plan for your project."

Beware that non all local offices will accept a hand drawn programme, but it's worth finding out, if you're inclined to DIY.

The Urban center of New Smyrna Beach, Florida lists four like shooting fish in a barrel steps to drawing a site plan. To summarize:

  1. The basics. Choose a scale for the graph newspaper such every bit 1 square equals 20 or 25 feet, and note the calibration in a prominent place on the cartoon. The squares are usually a quarter inch, so your calibration might be ¼"=xx'.

So draw the lot lines and place the house, driveway, sidewalk and other permanent structures as accurately every bit you can. Measure and write in feet the closest distance from the firm to the nearest lot line to show the construction (existing or proposed) meets local setbacks rules. Depict your North arrow.

  1. Well and septic. Locate and depict in, if applicable, a well location and the location of a septic tank and drain field, aka leach field, existing or proposed. Note: The distance between the wellhead and drain field must be 75 feet or more in nigh counties.
  2. Sensitive areas and trees. Locate and marking wetlands, sinkholes, flood plans and bodies of h2o, if any of these exist on the property. In New Smyrna Beach, similar in many cities, large trees (6" in diameter or larger in NSB) must be noted. Measure the circumference at 54" off the basis and divide by pi, or three.fourteen, to get diameter.
  3. Changes. Prove where construction activity will occur – new habitation building, an addition, inground puddle, driveway, etc.

If there is significant slope to your land and you have nearby neighbors, you might besides need to show slope and the pattern of h2o runoff. This might be the largest challenge to DIY site programme drawing.

The Fairbanks guide shows a good case of a DIY site programme.

Using Software to Create a Site Plan

If you enjoy making use of technology and/or hand drawn site plans aren't accustomed where yous live, costless and fee software is available for the purpose.

A search will produce a list of results to explore, but a few we constitute most useful are these:

RoomSketcher Site Plans (Free)

This site allows you lot to create 2D and 3D printable site plans on a PC, Mac or tablet. It starts with inputting measurements for property line dimensions to create the "framework" for the drawing. Measurements can too exist supplied to infinite objects on the DIY site programme and to testify setbacks, zone/construction sizes and total expanse calculations.

Click, drag and drib elements like structures, landscape items and other necessary elements. Text, labels and symbols can be added too. When the site plan is complete, generate and print it from the RoomSketcher software.

The 3D proper noun, whether with the RoomSketcher or other services, tin can sometimes exist somewhat misleading, since the plans are plain are ii-dimensional. Withal, using advanced engineering, the drawings can take photorealistic depth like the 3D renders from 24H Plans.

  1. Create a Costless business relationship
  2. Wait for the RoomSketcher email to confirm your business relationship
  3. Download the RoomSketcher App
  4. Start the App
  5. Cull 2D or 3D Site Plans, and explore

The Free account allows you to create 5 projects.

SmartDraw (Free)

SmartDraw site programme software gets a 5-star rating from CNET. You have the pick of using the online edition of SmartDraw, an reward over RoomSketcher, or downloading an app or desktop edition.

SmarDraw offers integration with Microsoft Role and G Suite, and drawings tin be saved to Google Bulldoze, OneDrive, and Dropbox.

A disadvantage is that instead of being allowed 5 free projects, you're given a x-twenty-four hour period free trial catamenia. If you don't complete your project during the trial, the price is $ix.95 per month.

  1. Ready up your gratuitous business relationship
  2. Download the software and/or work online
  3. Generate your drawing
  4. Print the drawing or consign information technology to another supported format to Visio VSD or VSDX, Google Drive, OneDrive, etc.

Microsoft Visio

This isn't a gratuitous service, and plans aren't cheap, starting at $5 per calendar month but with an annual commitment, then $60 minimum.

However, many individuals and companies already have access to Visio, and yous can make site plans with Visio. See the lengthy footstep-by-pace process here.

To summarize:

  1. Choose File > New and search Site Plan. Notice Site Plan in the results, and choose Create.
  2. Use Tools to draw structures or insert a CAD drawing or copy and paste an existing Visio drawing.
  3. Enter roads, landscape, symbols, text and other features.

Autodesk AutoCAD

A one-yr subscription to AutoCAD is near $i,700. But again, many companies and professionals already accept AutoCAD, and a site plan characteristic is included.

The creation of a site program with AutoCAD is a little more complex than with the other options listed in a higher place. This 9-minute tutorial on YouTube walks y'all through the process.

Getting an Affordable Professionally Fatigued Site Plan

If none of the options above meet your needs, then having a programme fatigued professionally is easier and more affordable than you lot might call up.

An accost is all it takes: You have to supply nothing more than the address of the property – or if it is vacant land, it'due south survey coordinates. Companies similar 24H Plans take if from there using the about advanced technologies.

24H Plans Team: They are CGI artists and draftsmen specializing in site plans and similar drawings. The specialists utilise AutoCAD and other leading software options to create site plans of the highest detail, clarity and quality.

They Find the Information for You: Where does 24H Plans get the information needed? From canton packet maps, revenue enhancement information, GIS and updated satellite images, along with other public records. There is no demand for visiting your site.

Your Next Step to an Affordable Site Plan

At present that yous know how to draw a site plan and empathise your options, which works best for you?

If you're a natural DIYer, then trying 1 of the free options makes sense – SmartDraw or RoomSketcher. If you have admission to Visio, see the page on how to draw a site plan on Visio, and give it a try. AutoCAD is a more complex tool that takes some experience to successfully work with. Notwithstanding, it is a highly accurate and robust tool. Information technology'due south what the pros at 24H Plans use, merely they've mastered AutoCAD and know how to get fantastic results.

While surveyors accuse up of $ane,000 for a professional site programme, the drawings start at less than $100 from 24H Plans – and the results are equal to or superior to what surveyors and civil engineers produce. Contact 24H Plans today, and give them your accost. Y'all'll take a professional person site plan of premium accuracy and quality in less than i business organisation day.

Annotation: Here'southward how we can help:24hplans has team of highly-trained, professional person architects and drafters who can prepare any kind of site plan in the shortest amount of time possible, then that you can hands obtain that building permit and get on with your projection. Use the promotion lawmaking:24hplans-20off to get a20% discount off any bundle. — Please notation this is a express time offering, exclusive to the readers of our blog. This offer is not being advertised anywhere else.