The street itself: Should the house be parallel with the street? What if the street curves? What about a corner lot?.
Setback requirements are determined by local zoning and deed restrictions, but, setbacks are also influenced by your neighbors’ houses
A topo is expensive, but you’ll need it so that you can fit the house to the slope and be certain water will go around the house as it drains off the grade. If your lot slopes more than 3 or 4 feet, you may need a topographical plat (called a topo) from a surveyor.
It doesn’t have to, especially if your house is on a large lot, unless the building code demands this. Usually your house should face in the same direction as other houses on your side of the street. Then it’s a quick job for him to find the exact locations on his second visit. Offset stakes are the original four or two corners offset as much as 25 feet to the side so they won’t be disturbed during clearing and excavation. On his first visit he usually will put in offset stakes. When the lot is cleared and the basement - if you have one - is dug, you may want the surveyor back to re-stake the house. Then let the surveyor do it accurately and you can inspect it when it is done. Or you could put some stakes in the ground over a weekend to indicate the approximate location and direction you desire. If possible, meet with the surveyor at the site before he begins working. You, of course, will want to be present for the staking or placing of the house to be certain it faces the direction that you want. The cost to stake (or re-stake) a lot and stake a house should be minimal, depending on the complexity of the house and the terrain. If the building site has existing stakes showing the corners and property lines, I suggest having the lot re-staked as the stakes for the lot may have been moved or torn down since you purchased it. It’s rare, but Murphy’s Law says it will happen to you.īuilders have placed houses straddling property lines and have had to tear the foundations out and start over. I have seen surveyors who made errors have to pay for rebuilding a foundation. Surveying and staking is an important function, as houses have been placed in violation of certain setbacks or restrictions, and if a surveyor does this, he or she is responsible for the expense of making corrections if mistakes are made. Since this will be, most likely, the first house you have built, I recommend that you have a registered land surveyor, using wooden stakes, stake the corners and the lot lines of the building site and the desired position of the house on the building site. STEP 1: Building a House Step by Step-Land Survey and Placement of Your Home (1-3 hours) The number one problem that occurs when building a new home is the incorrect placement of the house on the lot. Summary: The first step in building a new home is the placement or position of the house on the building site.