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

There are a handful of DIY site programme options, and one of them is sure to be a skilful fit for you. If not, nosotros've got alternative suggestions for letting an experienced drafter do the work for you.

This guide does iv things:

  1. We propose where you might find an existing site plan for your holding.
  2. The post explains what information is needed on a site program and where you can find it.
  3. Information technology discusses the most common DIY plot plan drawing options.
  4. If you lot determine a DIY site plan isn't for yous, we'll tell you lot where to observe a professional site plan at an affordable cost.

What we don't answer, here are the basics, such as what is a site programme is and why you need 1, explained hither: https://www.24hplans.com/what-is-a-site-plan-plus-12-elements-of-plot-programme/

Does a Site Plan Already Exist?

There's no reason to reinvent the wheel, and so to speak, if a site program was made for the property during an earlier stage – perhaps the initial building of the dwelling.

In our guide chosen Where Tin I Get a Site Program of My Property, we list the five nigh common places to locate one, if it already exists. https://www.24hplans.com/where-can-i-get-site-plan-for-my-property/

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

  • In the closing documents provided when you purchased the holding.
  • From the title company or bank that handled the closing or provided a loan.
  • Your county: Effort the Registrar of Deeds and the Building Department.
  • The builder: If the home was recently built and the structure company is withal around, it might take a site program on file.
  • The seller or realtor involved in the sale.

A Site Program Checklist

What is included in a site plan? Here's an overview.  For example, the Metropolis of Fairbanks, Alaska is representative of most cities in what the officials at that place crave of a site plan/plot plan.

Contact your local urban center or county office for a site plan checklist. We'll add a brief explanation where needed.

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

  1. Scale at which site programme is drawn (for example 1"= xx'). The scale can be adapted per the size of the lot and local requirements.
  2. North pointer. A north arrow shows the directional orientation of the property.
  3. All property lines and their dimensions. These items tin be found on before site plans, a survey and other places discussed below. They are readily available, and then no worries are necessary.
  4. Location, blazon and dimensions of existing structures or a driveway including a business firm and garage, discrete garage, shed, inground pool, retaining wall or other permanent structure.
  5. Location, type and dimensions for proposed permanent structures, whether attached to the original home or discrete, or driveways.
  6. Setback distances (distance off the property line) of all proposed structures, since each customs has required setback distances.
  7. Buildable area of the lot inside required setbacks to show how much space is available for new development.
  8. Names of adjacent road(s).
  9. Well or water principal location.
  10. Septic tank and field or sewer line location.

Items not included in the Fairbanks list only required by some cities and counties include topography (topo – not often required) summit and gradient, wetland areas (rare), large trees and utility easements.

Where to Detect 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's Map located where your taxes are nerveless or in the city/county offices
  • Tax Neb (In written course rather than drawn)
  • Subdivision Plat (available at the city/county office or from the developer)
  • Hiring a Surveyor (starting at about $300 and usually not necessary)

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

Utilities: Free locating and marking of underground utilities including electrical, fresh h2o, sewer, telephone and cable is bachelor in most areas. This prevents plush impairment during structure. Calling 811 should connect you to the free service.

Setbacks: If yous don't have a previous plan and they are non shown on the survey, you might demand to measure and decide setbacks and edifice dimensions, when required.

DIY Site Plan Options

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

How to Draw a Site Plan by Hand

Graph newspaper makes manus drawing a site program easy. The Fairbanks, AK document gives this encouraging word, "A site plan demand not exist professionally prepared and can be paw drawn. With a little work, you can draw an acceptable site plan for your projection."

Beware that not all local offices will accept a hand drawn programme, simply it's worth finding out, if you're inclined to DIY.

The City of New Smyrna Beach, Florida lists 4 like shooting fish in a barrel steps to drawing a site program. To summarize:

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

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

  1. Well and septic. Locate and draw in, if applicable, a well location and the location of a septic tank and drain field, aka leach field, existing or proposed. Notation: The distance between the wellhead and bleed field must be 75 feet or more in nearly counties.
  2. Sensitive areas and trees. Locate and marker wetlands, sinkholes, flood plans and bodies of water, if any of these exist on the property. In New Smyrna Beach, like in many cities, big trees (6" in diameter or larger in NSB) must be noted. Measure out the circumference at 54" off the ground and divide by pi, or 3.14, to get diameter.
  3. Changes. Show where construction activeness will occur – new dwelling house building, an addition, inground pool, driveway, etc.

If there is significant slope to your state and you have nearby neighbors, yous might also need to bear witness slope and the design of h2o runoff. This might exist the largest claiming to DIY site programme drawing.

The Fairbanks guide shows a good example of a DIY site plan.

Using Software to Create a Site Plan

If you enjoy making use of applied science and/or hand drawn site plans aren't accepted where you lot live, free and fee software is bachelor for the purpose.

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

RoomSketcher Site Plans (Gratis)

This site allows you to create 2D and 3D printable site plans on a PC, Mac or tablet. Information technology starts with inputting measurements for property line dimensions to create the "framework" for the drawing. Measurements can also be supplied to space objects on the DIY site plan and to show setbacks, zone/structure sizes and full area calculations.

Click, drag and drop 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 impress it from the RoomSketcher software.

The 3D name, whether with the RoomSketcher or other services, tin can sometimes be somewhat misleading, since the plans are obviously are two-dimensional. However, using advanced technology, the drawings tin can have photorealistic depth like the 3D renders from 24H Plans.

  1. Create a Free account
  2. Look for the RoomSketcher e-mail to confirm your account
  3. Download the RoomSketcher App
  4. Kickoff the App
  5. Choose 2D or 3D Site Plans, and explore

The Free account allows you to create five projects.

SmartDraw (Free)

SmartDraw site program software gets a 5-star rating from CNET. Yous accept the option of using the online edition of SmartDraw, an advantage over RoomSketcher, or downloading an app or desktop edition.

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

A disadvantage is that instead of being allowed 5 free projects, you're given a ten-day free trial period. If you don't consummate your project during the trial, the toll is $nine.95 per month.

  1. Set up your free account
  2. Download the software and/or work online
  3. Generate your cartoon
  4. Print the drawing or export it to another supported format to Visio VSD or VSDX, Google Drive, OneDrive, etc.

Microsoft Visio

This isn't a complimentary service, and plans aren't inexpensive, starting at $5 per month but with an annual delivery, so $60 minimum.

Yet, many individuals and companies already accept admission to Visio, and you tin can make site plans with Visio. See the lengthy step-by-step procedure hither.

To summarize:

  1. Cull File > New and search Site Plan. Find Site Program 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 1-year subscription to AutoCAD is nigh $1,700. But again, many companies and professionals already have AutoCAD, and a site programme feature is included.

The creation of a site plan with AutoCAD is a little more than complex than with the other options listed in a higher place. This 9-minute tutorial on YouTube walks you through the procedure.

Getting an Affordable Professionally Drawn Site Plan

If none of the options to a higher place encounter your needs, then having a plan fatigued professionally is easier and more affordable than you might think.

An accost is all it takes: You have to supply zippo more than the address of the holding – or if information technology is vacant land, information technology's survey coordinates. Companies like 24H Plans accept if from there using the nearly advanced technologies.

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

They Notice the Information for You: Where does 24H Plans go the information needed? From canton bundle maps, tax information, GIS and updated satellite images, forth with other public records. There is no need for visiting your site.

Your Next Step to an Affordable Site Plan

Now that you lot know how to depict a site plan and understand your options, which works all-time for you?

If you're a natural DIYer, then trying one of the free options makes sense – SmartDraw or RoomSketcher. If y'all have access to Visio, run into the page on how to draw a site programme on Visio, and give it a endeavour. AutoCAD is a more complex tool that takes some experience to successfully work with. However, it is a highly authentic and robust tool. It's what the pros at 24H Plans use, but they've mastered AutoCAD and know how to get fantastic results.

While surveyors charge upwardly of $1,000 for a professional site plan, the drawings kickoff 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 address. You'll take a professional site plan of premium accuracy and quality in less than one business day.

Note: Here's how we can help:24hplans has squad of highly-trained, professional architects and drafters who can prepare any kind of site plan in the shortest amount of time possible, and then that yous can hands obtain that building permit and get on with your projection. Apply the promotion code:24hplans-20off to go a20% discount off any parcel. — Please notation this is a express fourth dimension offering, sectional to the readers of our blog. This offer is not beingness advertised anywhere else.