USA Site Plans
Residential site plan drafting across the United States
Find state- and city-specific site plan guidance for residential permit projects, including additions, garages, decks, sheds, pools, driveways, fences and other exterior improvements.
Order Your Site Plan View Pricing Permit Site Plan GuideA state guide is a useful starting point, but the city, county or other authority reviewing the property determines the actual permit documents. Always confirm the project-specific checklist before submitting a site plan.
A site plan—also called a plot plan in many jurisdictions—is an overhead drawing showing how existing and proposed improvements fit within a property.
Depending on the project and local requirements, it may help reviewers understand:
- Which property is being developed
- What buildings and site improvements already exist
- What construction is proposed
- The size and intended location of the project
- Distances to property boundaries
- Distances between structures
- Driveway, parking, sidewalk or alley access
- Known easements and recorded building lines
- Drainage, floodplain, utility or environmental conditions
- Whether the site plan agrees with the remaining permit drawings
A drafted site plan cannot guarantee permit approval. It provides measurable property and project information for the authority reviewing the application.
Need a Residential Site Plan?
Send us your property address, project dimensions, intended location, photographs and any survey, recorded plat, contractor drawing or permit comments you have. We can organize the supplied information into a clear residential site drawing.
Order Your Site Plan View the Site Plan ChecklistFind Site Plan Services in Your State
Select a state below to review common residential site plan considerations and project types. Requirements can still vary significantly between cities, counties and special districts within the same state.
Northeast
South and Southeast
Midwest and Great Lakes
Popular City Site Plan Services
Local permit requirements can differ even within the same state. Use these city-specific guides to review common residential site plan considerations for projects such as additions, garages, decks, sheds, pools, driveways and fences.
Your state is not listed yet?
USA Site Plans continues to add state-specific guidance. A residential site plan can still be ordered for properties within our service area when sufficient property and project information is available.
California: USA Site Plans does not currently provide site plan services for California properties.
What May Be Included in a Residential Site Plan?
The exact drawing content depends on the project, property records and local permit instructions.
Additional information may be requested for properties involving:
- Flood-hazard areas
- Coastal or shoreline zones
- Wetlands, streams or environmental buffers
- Steep slopes
- Private wells or septic systems
- Protected trees
- Substantial grading or land disturbance
- Public right-of-way work
- Historic properties
- Engineered drainage or retaining structures
A basic drafted site plan does not replace technical or professionally certified plans when the reviewing authority requires them.
Residential Projects We Commonly Draw
Why Site Plan Requirements Vary by Location
The term “state site plan requirements” can be misleading because residential permits are usually administered locally.
The required information can be affected by:
- State-adopted building codes
- Local building-code amendments
- City or county zoning ordinances
- Subdivision plats and recorded building lines
- Floodplain regulations
- Stormwater and drainage standards
- Utility-provider requirements
- Historic-district regulations
- Private wells and onsite sewage systems
- Public works and transportation rules
- Homeowners’ association requirements
Two cities within the same state may request different:
- Drawing scales
- Sheet sizes
- Property documents
- Setback dimensions
- Lot-coverage calculations
- Impervious-area calculations
- Tree information
- Drainage notes
- Electronic file formats
- Professional signatures or seals
Use the current checklist issued by the authority reviewing the property. A state guide should not replace project-specific instructions.
Site Plan vs Survey vs Professional Design
A drafted site plan does not independently establish legal property boundaries.
A licensed land surveyor may be needed when:
- No reliable property survey is available
- Property corners cannot be located
- The project is close to a boundary
- The lot has an irregular shape
- Available records conflict
- An easement location is uncertain
- Certified elevations are required
- The permit checklist expressly requires a survey
An architect, engineer or other licensed professional may be required when the project involves:
- Structural design
- Complex foundations
- Retaining walls
- Grading or drainage calculations
- Floodplain certification
- Steep slopes
- Geotechnical conditions
- Work outside prescriptive residential-code provisions
Important service distinction
USA Site Plans provides drafting services. Standard drawings are not boundary surveys and are not signed or sealed by a licensed land surveyor, architect or engineer.
When a Site Plan Can Be Useful
A site plan can be useful when:
- The permit checklist asks for a plot plan or site plan
- The proposed project changes the building footprint
- A new accessory structure is being added
- The project is close to a property line
- The lot is narrow, irregular or constrained
- A driveway, parking area or curb connection is changing
- A pool, deck, fence or shed is being installed
- The HOA requests a property layout
- A contractor needs a clear site reference
- A correction notice requests missing dimensions or property information
A clear drawing can help reviewers understand and measure the proposal. It can also avoid corrections caused solely by omitted or unclear site information.
It cannot make a project comply with regulations when the proposed design conflicts with:
- Setback requirements
- Height or coverage limits
- Easements
- Floodplain restrictions
- Environmental regulations
- Historic requirements
- Professional-design requirements
What to Gather Before Ordering
- Complete property address
- Name of the city, county or reviewing authority
- Project type and description
- Proposed length and width
- Proposed height when relevant
- Preferred location within the property
- Existing property survey
- Recorded subdivision plat
- Previous approved site plan
- Contractor or architectural drawings
- Manufacturer plans when applicable
- A marked survey or hand sketch
- Measurements to nearby property lines
- Measurements to existing structures
- Photographs of the complete property
- Photographs of the proposed work area
- Driveway, street, sidewalk or alley information
- Known easement or building-line information
- Well and septic information when applicable
- Floodplain, slope or drainage information when applicable
- HOA instructions when applicable
- Permit comments already received
The usefulness and accuracy of the drawing depend on the property records, measurements, photographs and project information supplied.
How the Site Plan Drafting Process Works
Common Site Plan Problems
- The wrong city or county is treated as the reviewing authority
- An outdated permit checklist is followed
- Only the immediate project area is shown
- Property boundaries are missing or uncertain
- A fence or online parcel line is treated as a surveyed boundary
- Lot dimensions are incomplete
- Existing structures are omitted
- The proposed work is not clearly identified
- Project dimensions are missing
- Actual property-line distances are unclear
- Building separation is not shown
- Driveways, parking, sidewalks or alleys are omitted
- Known easements are not shown
- Floodplain, septic or drainage conditions are overlooked
- The site plan conflicts with construction drawings
- The drawing is blurry, cropped or difficult to read
- A drafted plan is submitted where a survey is required
- Architecture or engineering is missing when required
A complete drawing cannot eliminate every review comment, but it can help avoid corrections caused solely by missing, unclear or inconsistent site information.
Read Why Site Plans Get Rejected for Permits and What Permit Reviewers Check First .
Residential Site Plan Checklist
- Correct reviewing jurisdiction confirmed
- Current project-specific checklist reviewed
- Correct property address included
- Complete property shown
- Available property-line dimensions included
- Existing house shown
- Garages and accessory structures shown
- Decks, patios, pools and exterior paving shown
- Proposed work clearly identified
- Project length and width included
- Project height included when relevant
- Roof projections shown when relevant
- Front property-line distance shown when applicable
- Both side property-line distances shown
- Rear property-line distance shown
- Distance between buildings shown
- Adjoining streets and alleys labeled
- Driveways and parking shown
- Sidewalks and access paths shown when relevant
- Known easements shown
- Recorded building lines shown when available
- Utilities shown when required
- Well and septic systems shown when applicable
- Lot coverage included when required
- Impervious area included when required
- Drainage and grading shown when required
- Floodplain information included when required
- Trees and environmental features shown when required
- North arrow included
- Drawing scale identified
- Existing and proposed work visually distinguished
- Site plan agrees with construction drawings
- Licensed survey or professional plans obtained when required
Related Site Plan Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every residential permit require a site plan?
No. Interior-only work, minor repairs and certain permit-exempt projects may not require one. New structures, additions and exterior projects affecting property layout are more likely to require site information.
Are site plan requirements determined by the state?
State codes can affect the permit process, but detailed site-plan requirements are usually established by the city, county or other local authority reviewing the property.
What should a residential site plan show?
It commonly shows the complete property, existing structures, proposed work, dimensions, property-line distances, streets, access, easements, north arrow and scale. Additional information depends on the project and jurisdiction.
Can a site plan be prepared from public records?
Public records, recorded plats and aerial imagery can support drafting, but their limitations must be recognized. They do not automatically establish professionally surveyed legal boundaries.
Can I use the survey from when I bought my property?
It may provide useful base information if it is readable and still reflects current conditions. The reviewing authority may request an updated survey or additional information.
When is a licensed surveyor required?
A surveyor may be needed when boundaries are uncertain, the project is close to a property line, certified elevations are required, an easement location is unclear or the permit checklist expressly requires surveyed information.
Can a drafted site plan replace engineering?
No. Grading, drainage, retaining walls, structural design, floodplain work and other technical conditions may require plans or calculations prepared by licensed professionals.
Can a site plan be used for HOA review?
It may help explain the proposed project to an association. HOA approval is separate from government permitting, and one approval does not automatically replace the other.
Does USA Site Plans serve California?
No. USA Site Plans does not currently provide site plan services for California properties.
Are USA Site Plans drawings signed or sealed?
No. USA Site Plans provides drafting services. Licensed surveying, architecture, engineering and professional seals must be obtained separately when required.
Will a residential site plan guarantee permit approval?
No. The reviewing authority controls the permit decision and may request corrections, a licensed survey, professional design or additional supporting documents.
Order a Residential Site Plan
Send us your property address, project dimensions, intended location, photographs and any survey, plat or construction drawing you have. We will prepare a clear residential site drawing based on the information supplied.
Order Your Site Plan View PricingDisclaimer: This page provides general educational information and is not legal, surveying, engineering, architectural, zoning, floodplain, environmental or permitting advice. Requirements vary according to the state, jurisdiction, property, project, zoning, recorded documents and current regulations. USA Site Plans is an independent drafting service and is not affiliated with a government permit authority. A drafted site plan does not establish legal property boundaries or replace a licensed survey, architecture, engineering or another professionally certified document when required. Confirm current requirements with the authority reviewing the application.