Residential and Commercial Site Plans

When do You Need a Site Plan Survey?

When you’re requesting a permit to build on your property—whether you’re building from the ground up a house, commercial building, subdivision, or even just a room addition—the local governing jurisdiction will typically ask you to submit a site plan survey providing detailed information about the site where you plan to build, as well as the proposed improvements. At Stratus Mapping, we have a thorough understanding of the specific requirements of local jurisdictions throughout the state, and we have the expertise to create an accurate site plan survey to meet or exceed those requirements.

As mentioned above, site plan surveys are most often requested to obtain building permits for property improvements. However, there are other reasons to obtain this survey besides just getting a permit. For example, if the site is on 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. A site plan survey can also serve as a measure for accuracy to make sure the building or addition is being built correctly. In short, anytime you are planning for some sort of improvement that interacts with the land, from add-ons to driveways to below-ground pools, a site plan survey may be a good idea, even if your local authorities do not require it.

What a Site Plan Survey Entails

The level of detail in a site plan is usually determined by the governing jurisdiction for the site. Stratus Mapping works closely with builders, architects, landscape architects and government officials to create a site plan that satisfies the property owner while conforming to the requirements of the governing jurisdiction. Standard site plans will show the existing and proposed improvements, topography, tree location, tree recompense, proposed grading, silt and tree fencing and lot coverage calculations. Many site plans mark the locations of utilities.

For more information about having a site plan survey conducted for your property, contact Stratus Mapping today.

Stratus Mapping Site Plans

Subdividing

When is Subdivision Platting Needed?

Subdivision platting is the process of separating a larger piece of land into three or more parcels, usually for the purpose of development of the property. Stratus Mapping provides thorough and accurate subdivision plats that meet or exceed the requirements of local zoning authorities and jurisdictions.

There are a number of instances in which you need an experienced surveyor to conduct subdivision platting. For example:

If you’re selling part of all of your land for commercial development, and it would be easier and more cost-effective to sell the land in multiple parcels
If you’re a developer who has purchased acreage to build a commercial complex or residential subdivision, and you need the land divided into separate lots in order to do so
To fulfill the requirements of local zoning authorities for development of the land

Considerations With Subdivision Platting

Of course, subdivision platting is more complex than simply redrawing property boundaries on paper. Each newly created lot will have its own new legal description and boundaries, and each lot will have to have adequate square footage, road frontage and setbacks before approval is given. In addition, subdivision platting often requires the plotting of new roads to provide access between lots, as well as portions of the land that may have to be designated for parks, flood protection zones, easements or other uses. The process can be quite time-consuming depending on how many lots are being proposed and which jurisdiction is presiding over the review process. It is critical that each newly created lot meet the minimum requirements for lots in their particular zoning district.

Stratus Mapping provides guaranteed detailed surveying and accurate subdivision platting to satisfy the most demanding zoning requirements. For more information, contact Stratus Mapping today.

Stratus Mapping Subdividing

Lot Consolidation

When is a Lot Consolidation Plat Needed?

If you own two or more adjacent parcels of land that you wish to combine into one parcel, you will need an experienced surveyor to draw up a lot consolidation plat. With decades of proven experience, Stratus Mapping provides these plats with guaranteed accuracy, both to satisfy the requirements of local jurisdictions and for your protection as a property owner.

Here are a few common examples of why you as a property owner might want or need a lot consolidation plat:

If you are purchasing an adjacent vacant lot for the purpose of expanding your property line
If you own several parcels of land together, and you want to develop your land as a larger entity (for example, a campground or resort area)
If you want to sell your land for commercial development (provided the land is appropriately zoned)

The Process of Lot Consolidation

Most local zoning authorities make lot consolidation a reasonably simple matter. A professional surveyor will do the fieldwork on the current lots, then draw up a plat that accurately shows the existing lots and the dimensions of the new plot of land. It’s essential for both you and for the governing authorities that this plat be completely accurate to avoid complications later. This is especially true if you are in the process of purchasing multiple parcels of land for the purpose of consolidation, so that you do not purchase too much land or too little.

While some local governments allow lot consolidation with a simple letter of intent, it is always in your best interests to have your land professionally platted by a trusted surveying company. For more information on lot consolidation plats, contact Stratus Mapping today.

Stratus Mapping Lot Consolidation

House Corner Staking

What is Involved With House Corner Staking

For more clarity to ensure that a proposed singular structure will be correctly positioned on a piece of property, Stratus Mapping can provide simple house corner staking. This service is automatically included in the fee for site plans we complete, but if only house corner staking is needed, this work may be quoted independently.

When Do You Need House Corner Staking

House corner staking is advised in the following situations:

As a standard part of the site planning process prior to construction
To clarify boundaries for one or more proposed buildings on a piece of property
If construction staking was completed, but grading or other circumstances have disturbed existing corner markers

When building any structure on a piece of land, it’s imperative that the positioning of the corners be accurate to prevent any complications down the road. If the proposed location of a building is at all unclear, corner staking can ensure an accurate build. For more information about house corner staking for your building project, contact Stratus Mapping today.

Stratus Mapping House Corner Staking

Construction Staking

The Role of the Land Surveyor in Construction Staking

Construction Staking, also known as a Site Layout Survey, is the process of interpreting construction plans and marking the location of proposed new structures such as roads or buildings. Construction staking is performed to ensure a project is built according to engineering design plans. The staked reference points guide the construction of proposed improvements on the property, and will help to ensure the construction project is completed on schedule, on budget and as intended.

Accurate construction staking is a critical step in ensuring the success of a construction project. Engaging an experienced and licensed surveyor will guarantee accuracy and reliability of results.

During site development, the land surveyor takes the engineer’s or architect’s design shown on their plans and places (stakes) their correct location on the ground so the construction sub-contractors can place the buildings, roads, fences, electrical and other underground utilities, etc. in their correct location.

Construction staking may consist of Rough Grade Staking to map the general location on improvements at a site, or precise Site Layout Surveys for actual construction purposes.

Rough Grade Staking

Rough Grade Staking defines the location of the site improvements with their respective reference to the location and final grade elevation. This is done for the construction of slopes, building outlines, parking lots and roadways, and enables the contractor to grade and prepare the site for the next sub-contractor to commence his work.

Site Layout Staking

Once the site has received inspection and approval from the 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 or street paving.

This Site Layout Staking phase typically begins with those features that are underground such as sanitary sewer lines, storm drain lines, water lines, electrical lines etc. Once all underground utilities are installed the above ground features are staked for construction. The building corners are staked along with any interior grid lines throughout the building, as well as onsite items such as fire hydrants, curb and gutter, walls/planters, catch basins and area drains.

Stratus Mapping also offers paving support staking, and staking services to verify compliance with ADA accessibility requirements.

Certifications

If required, Stratus Mapping licensed surveyors are able to certify if particular site utilities or improvements comply with approved engineering plans. This provides additional assurance that all construction is built per the design standards governed by the relevant state or local agency.

Stratus Mapping provides construction staking services for a wide variety of projects, including: commercial buildings, residential tracts of homes, schools, landfills, road and highway projects, and telecom sites.

Stratus Mapping Construction Staking

Box Check Survey

Why You May Need a Box Check Survey

Before concrete forms are constructed on a building project, it’s of critical importance to make sure the footer boxes are correctly positioned. Stratus Mapping can perform an on-site box check survey to compare the footers with the drawn plans, helping builders prevent potentially costly errors down the road.

During the excavation and grading process of preparing a land for building, the building corner stakes are frequently disturbed. This is just one of many possible sources of error that may cause concrete forms to be constructed in the wrong location. Once the concrete is poured into these forms, it can be very costly to reverse and repair. Stratus Mapping can verify the correct location of footer boxes, making sure they are set in the right place before the concrete is poured into them. This is especially important when building on a tight lot where the margin of error is much smaller, and where inches can make a huge difference.

When Should You Have a Box Check Survey Completed

A box check survey is recommended as an additional precaution in the following circumstances:

When the corner stakes have been noticeably disturbed during grading and/or excavation
When building on a small lot where inches matter
Any other time there is uncertainty as to whether the footer boxes are correctly placed.

For more information about obtaining an accurate box check survey for your building project, contact Stratus Mapping today.

Stratus Mapping Box Check