To property owners and developers who ask, "how exercise I draw a site program?," this guide answers with, "let u.s. count the ways!"

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

This guide does 4 things:

  1. We propose where y'all might detect an existing site plan for your property.
  2. The post explains what information is needed on a site program and where you tin find it.
  3. It discusses the most mutual DIY plot plan drawing options.
  4. If you decide a DIY site plan isn't for you, we'll tell you lot where to discover a professional site programme at an affordable cost.

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

Does a Site Plan Already Exist?

In that location's no reason to reinvent the wheel, then to speak, if a site plan was made for the property during an before phase – perhaps the initial building of the dwelling.

In our guide called Where Can I Get a Site Plan of My Property, we list the five almost common places to locate i, if it already exists. https://world wide web.24hplans.com/where-tin can-i-get-site-programme-for-my-property/

Here are the places you lot may want to check to meet if the site plan for the property in question already exists:

  • In the endmost documents provided when yous purchased the property.
  • From the title company or banking company that handled the closing or provided a loan.
  • Your canton: Endeavour the Registrar of Deeds and the Edifice Department.
  • The builder: If the abode was recently built and the construction company is withal 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 plan? Here's an overview.  For case, the City of Fairbanks, Alaska is representative of near cities in what the officials at that place crave of a site plan/plot plan.

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

Post-obit the list are a few items that other cities and counties desire to see on a site plan.

  1. Calibration at which site plan is drawn (for example 1"= 20'). The calibration tin can be adapted per the size of the lot and local requirements.
  2. North pointer. A north arrow shows the directional orientation of the belongings.
  3. All belongings lines and their dimensions. These items can exist found on earlier site plans, a survey and other places discussed below. They are readily bachelor, so no worries are necessary.
  4. Location, type and dimensions of existing structures or a driveway including a house and garage, detached garage, shed, inground pool, retaining wall or other permanent construction.
  5. Location, type and dimensions for proposed permanent structures, whether attached to the original home or discrete, or driveways.
  6. Setback distances (altitude off the holding line) of all proposed structures, since each community has required setback distances.
  7. Buildable area of the lot inside required setbacks to prove how much infinite is available for new evolution.
  8. Names of adjacent road(s).
  9. Well or h2o primary location.
  10. Septic tank and field or sewer line location.

Items not included in the Fairbanks listing but required by some cities and counties include topography (topo – not oft required) elevation and slope, wetland areas (rare), big trees and utility easements.

Where to Notice Information Required for a Site Plan

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

  • Holding Survey
  • Property Revenue enhancement Assessor'southward Map located where your taxes are nerveless or in the city/canton offices
  • Tax Bill (In written form rather than drawn)
  • Subdivision Plat (available at the urban center/county part or from the programmer)
  • Hiring a Surveyor (starting at about $300 and usually not necessary)

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

Utilities: Free locating and marker of underground utilities including electrical, fresh water, sewer, telephone and cablevision is available in most areas. This prevents plush damage during construction. Calling 811 should connect you to the complimentary service.

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

DIY Site Programme Options

Drawing your ain site plan ranges from literal mitt-drawing to using sophisticated software. Of the latter, there are complimentary and paid options, online and downloadable versions for many.

How to Draw a Site Programme by Manus

Graph paper makes hand cartoon a site program like shooting fish in a barrel. The Fairbanks, AK document gives this encouraging word, "A site plan need not be professionally prepared and tin can be hand drawn. With a little piece of work, yous can depict an adequate site program for your project."

Beware that not all local offices volition accept a hand fatigued plan, but it's worth finding out, if you're inclined to DIY.

The Metropolis of New Smyrna Beach, Florida lists 4 easy steps to drawing a site plan. To summarize:

  1. The basics. Choose a scale for the graph paper such as i foursquare equals 20 or 25 feet, and note the scale in a prominent place on the drawing. The squares are commonly a quarter inch, and so your calibration might be ¼"=20'.

So depict the lot lines and place the house, driveway, sidewalk and other permanent structures equally accurately as you can. Measure and write in feet the closest distance from the business firm to the nearest lot line to prove the structure (existing or proposed) meets local setbacks rules. Draw your Northward arrow.

  1. Well and septic. Locate and describe 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 well-nigh counties.
  2. Sensitive areas and trees. Locate and marking wetlands, sinkholes, overflowing plans and bodies of water, if any of these exist on the belongings. In New Smyrna Embankment, like in many cities, large copse (6" in bore or larger in NSB) must be noted. Mensurate the circumference at 54" off the footing and separate by pi, or 3.14, to get bore.
  3. Changes. Show where construction activeness will occur – new home building, an addition, inground pool, driveway, etc.

If there is meaning slope to your land and you lot have nearby neighbors, you might also demand to show slope and the design of h2o runoff. This might exist the largest challenge to DIY site programme drawing.

The Fairbanks guide shows a practiced instance of a DIY site program.

Using Software to Create a Site Program

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

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

RoomSketcher Site Plans (Costless)

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 drawing. Measurements tin as well exist supplied to space objects on the DIY site plan and to show setbacks, zone/structure sizes and full area calculations.

Click, drag and driblet elements similar structures, mural items and other necessary elements. Text, labels and symbols tin exist added too. When the site plan is complete, generate and print information technology from the RoomSketcher software.

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

  1. Create a Costless account
  2. Await for the RoomSketcher e-mail to confirm your business relationship
  3. Download the RoomSketcher App
  4. Start the App
  5. Choose 2D or 3D Site Plans, and explore

The Gratuitous account allows you to create five projects.

SmartDraw (Gratis)

SmartDraw site plan software gets a 5-star rating from CNET. You lot 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 Function and G Suite, and drawings tin can exist saved to Google Bulldoze, OneDrive, and Dropbox.

A disadvantage is that instead of existence allowed 5 costless projects, you lot're given a x-solar day gratis trial period. If you don't complete your project during the trial, the cost is $ix.95 per month.

  1. Fix your gratis account
  2. Download the software and/or work online
  3. Generate your cartoon
  4. Print the drawing or consign information technology to some other 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 $5 per month but with an almanac delivery, so $lx minimum.

Nevertheless, many individuals and companies already have access to Visio, and y'all can make site plans with Visio. Meet the lengthy step-past-step process hither.

To summarize:

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

Autodesk AutoCAD

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

The cosmos of a site plan with AutoCAD is a little more circuitous than with the other options listed above. This 9-minute tutorial on YouTube walks you through the procedure.

Getting an Affordable Professionally Fatigued Site Programme

If none of the options in a higher place meet your needs, then having a programme fatigued professionally is easier and more than affordable than y'all might think.

An address is all it takes: You have to supply nothing more than the address of the belongings – or if it is vacant country, it'southward survey coordinates. Companies similar 24H Plans take if from there using the near avant-garde technologies.

24H Plans Squad: 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 Find the Data for Yous: Where does 24H Plans go the information needed? From county packet maps, revenue enhancement information, GIS and updated satellite images, along with other public records. There is no need for visiting your site.

Your Next Footstep to an Affordable Site Program

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

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

While surveyors charge upwards of $ane,000 for a professional site plan, the drawings commencement 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. You'll have a professional person site plan of premium accuracy and quality in less than one business day.

Notation: Hither'southward how we tin help:24hplans has team of highly-trained, professional architects and drafters who can set up whatever kind of site plan in the shortest amount of time possible, so that you tin can easily obtain that building allow and get on with your project. Apply the promotion code:24hplans-20off to get a20% discount off any bundle. — Please notation this is a limited time offer, exclusive to the readers of our blog. This offer is non existence advertised anywhere else.