To property owners and developers who ask, "how practise I draw a site plan?," this guide answers with, "allow u.s. count the means!"

There are a handful of DIY site plan options, and one of them is sure to be a good fit for you. If non, we've got alternative suggestions for letting an experienced drafter do the work for you.

This guide does iv things:

  1. Nosotros advise where you might find an existing site programme for your property.
  2. The post explains what information is needed on a site plan and where you tin detect it.
  3. It discusses the near common DIY plot plan drawing options.
  4. If you decide a DIY site plan isn't for you, we'll tell you where to find a professional site plan at an affordable cost.

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

Does a Site Plan Already Exist?

In that location'south no reason to reinvent the wheel, so to speak, if a site plan was fabricated for the holding during an earlier stage – perhaps the initial building of the home.

In our guide called Where Tin can I Get a Site Plan of My Property, we list the v well-nigh common places to locate one, if it already exists. https://www.24hplans.com/where-can-i-go-site-programme-for-my-property/

Here are the places y'all may want to check to see if the site plan for the property in question already exists:

  • In the closing documents provided when y'all purchased the property.
  • From the title company or banking company that handled the endmost or provided a loan.
  • Your county: Try the Registrar of Deeds and the Building Department.
  • The builder: If the home was recently built and the construction company is notwithstanding around, it might have a site plan on file.
  • The seller or realtor involved in the auction.

A Site Plan Checklist

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

Contact your local city or county office for a site program checklist. Nosotros'll add a brief explanation where needed.

Post-obit the listing are a few items that other cities and counties want to encounter on a site plan.

  1. Scale at which site programme is drawn (for instance 1"= twenty'). The scale can exist adapted per the size of the lot and local requirements.
  2. North arrow. A north arrow shows the directional orientation of the property.
  3. All property lines and their dimensions. These items can exist constitute on earlier site plans, a survey and other places discussed beneath. They are readily available, and so no worries are necessary.
  4. Location, type and dimensions of existing structures or a driveway including a house and garage, discrete garage, shed, inground puddle, retaining wall or other permanent structure.
  5. Location, type and dimensions for proposed permanent structures, whether attached to the original domicile or detached, or driveways.
  6. Setback distances (distance off the property line) of all proposed structures, since each community has required setback distances.
  7. Buildable area of the lot inside required setbacks to bear witness how much space is available for new development.
  8. Names of adjacent road(s).
  9. Well or water master location.
  10. Septic tank and field or sewer line location.

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

Where to Discover Information Required for a Site Plan

Dimensions: Dimensions and perchance the location of utility easements, if they exist, tin can be found on several documents:

  • Property Survey
  • Belongings Tax Assessor's Map located where your taxes are collected or in the city/canton offices
  • Tax Nib (In written form rather than fatigued)
  • Subdivision Plat (available at the city/county office or from the programmer)
  • Hiring a Surveyor (starting at near $300 and unremarkably non necessary)

Structures: A previous plot plan 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 marker of underground utilities including electric, fresh water, sewer, phone and cable is available in about areas. This prevents costly damage during structure. Calling 811 should connect you to the free service.

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

DIY Site Plan Options

Drawing your own site program ranges from literal paw-drawing to using sophisticated software. Of the latter, there are free and paid options, online and downloadable versions for many.

How to Describe a Site Programme by Mitt

Graph paper makes mitt drawing a site plan easy. The Fairbanks, AK document gives this encouraging word, "A site plan need not be professionally prepared and can be mitt drawn. With a little work, you lot tin draw an acceptable site programme for your projection."

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

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

  1. The basics. Cull a scale for the graph paper such as 1 square equals xx or 25 feet, and notation the scale in a prominent place on the drawing. The squares are usually a quarter inch, so your scale might be ¼"=20'.

Then depict the lot lines and place the house, driveway, sidewalk and other permanent structures as accurately as you can. Measure and write in anxiety the closest distance from the business firm to the nearest lot line to show the structure (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. Note: The distance between the wellhead and drain field must be 75 anxiety or more in about counties.
  2. Sensitive areas and trees. Locate and marking 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 (half dozen" in bore or larger in NSB) must be noted. Measure the circumference at 54" off the ground and carve up by pi, or 3.xiv, to get bore.
  3. Changes. Show where construction activeness will occur – new abode building, an improver, inground pool, driveway, etc.

If there is pregnant slope to your land and you have nearby neighbors, you might also demand to show slope and the pattern of water runoff. This might be the largest challenge to DIY site plan cartoon.

The Fairbanks guide shows a skillful case of a DIY site program.

Using Software to Create a Site Plan

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

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

RoomSketcher Site Plans (Free)

This site allows you 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 cartoon. Measurements can besides exist supplied to space objects on the DIY site program and to show setbacks, zone/structure sizes and total area calculations.

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

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

  1. Create a Free account
  2. Wait for the RoomSketcher email to confirm your account
  3. Download the RoomSketcher App
  4. First the App
  5. Choose second or 3D Site Plans, and explore

The Gratuitous account allows you to create 5 projects.

SmartDraw (Free)

SmartDraw site plan software gets a v-star rating from CNET. You have the selection of using the online edition of SmartDraw, an advantage over RoomSketcher, or downloading an app or desktop edition.

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

A disadvantage is that instead of existence allowed 5 free projects, you're given a 10-day costless trial catamenia. If yous don't complete your project during the trial, the price is $ix.95 per calendar month.

  1. Ready your free business relationship
  2. Download the software and/or work online
  3. Generate your drawing
  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 costless service, and plans aren't cheap, starting at $five per month but with an annual commitment, then $60 minimum.

Nonetheless, many individuals and companies already have access to Visio, and yous tin make site plans with Visio. See the lengthy stride-by-step process here.

To summarize:

  1. Cull File > New and search Site Programme. Find Site Plan in the results, and choose Create.
  2. Use Tools to depict structures or insert a CAD cartoon or re-create and paste an existing Visio cartoon.
  3. Enter roads, landscape, symbols, text and other features.

Autodesk AutoCAD

A one-year subscription to AutoCAD is about $ane,700. But again, many companies and professionals already have AutoCAD, and a site plan feature is included.

The creation of a site program with AutoCAD is a little more than circuitous than with the other options listed higher up. This 9-infinitesimal tutorial on YouTube walks you through the procedure.

Getting an Affordable Professionally Drawn Site Plan

If none of the options above meet your needs, and so having a plan drawn professionally is easier and more affordable than you might think.

An accost is all it takes: You have to supply nothing more than than the address of the property – or if it is vacant land, it's survey coordinates. Companies similar 24H Plans accept if from there using the well-nigh 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 item, clarity and quality.

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

Your Side by side Footstep to an Affordable Site Plan

Now that y'all know how to draw a site plan and empathise your options, which works best for you?

If you're a natural DIYer, and then trying one of the free options makes sense – SmartDraw or RoomSketcher. If you have access to Visio, see the folio 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 accurate and robust tool. It's what the pros at 24H Plans use, merely they've mastered AutoCAD and know how to go fantastic results.

While surveyors charge upwards of $i,000 for a professional site plan, the drawings first 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. Y'all'll have a professional site programme of premium accuracy and quality in less than ane business organisation twenty-four hour period.

Annotation: Here's how we tin help:24hplans has team of highly-trained, professional person architects and drafters who can ready any kind of site plan in the shortest amount of time possible, and then that you can easily obtain that building permit and become on with your project. Use the promotion code:24hplans-20off to get axx% discount off whatsoever package. — Please note this is a express time offer, exclusive to the readers of our blog. This offer is not being advertised anywhere else.