Backyard Shed & Fence Permit
Backyard shed and fence: 24.8 % coverage, 6.0 ft to the west line, 16.0 ft to the rear.
- Lot area
- 7,200 sq ft
- Lot coverage
- 24.8% PASS
- Impervious
- 2,088 sq ft · 29.0%
- Setbacks
- ALL PASS
Site plan creator online · free on screen · no signup
DIY Site Plan Creator for Building Permits & HOA
Type your lot and setbacks, drop in the house, shed, deck or ADU, and read lot coverage, impervious surface and setback clearance as you draw.
Start from
Draw the lot from
Street side & north
Click a structure on the plan (or a chip above) to edit its size, position and counting rules.
Element Area— Size & position (ft) Counts toward Utility line Fence Common shed sizes Edit- Property line
- Zoning setback
- Existing structure
- Proposed structure
- Concrete paving
- 6 ft Privacy Fence
- Tree canopy
Not a boundary survey — an owner-prepared drawing from the dimensions you enter. Confirm setbacks with your building department or HOA.
Worked examples
Four permit plans you can open and edit
Each card is the same plan as its chip above the canvas, drawn by the same engine, with the numbers it produces.
Rear Wood Deck & Patio Addition Permit
Rear deck and stone walk on a 50 × 100 ft lot, drawn at 1" = 10' on Tabloid.
- Lot area
- 5,000 sq ft
- Lot coverage
- 30.4% PASS
- Impervious
- 1,780 sq ft · 35.6%
- Setbacks
- ALL PASS
Detached ADU & Utility Plan
Detached 720 sq ft ADU with water, sewer and electrical runs, septic tank and leach field.
- Lot area
- 10,500 sq ft
- Lot coverage
- 25.9% PASS
- Impervious
- 3,274 sq ft · 31.2%
- Setbacks
- ALL PASS
Metric Council Carport & Pool Plan
Council plan in metres: carport, pool and a 1.2 m pool barrier at 1:200 on A3.
- Lot area
- 576.0 m²
- Lot coverage
- 32.8% PASS
- Impervious
- 241.0 m² · 41.8%
- Setbacks
- ALL PASS
What reviewers check
The 10 things a permit site plan must show
Building departments phrase it differently, but nearly every residential checklist asks for the same ten items. The Pro PDF prints all of them; the screen shows the first nine as you draw.
| # | Element | Why the reviewer needs it |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Property lines with dimensions | Confirms the lot matches the recorded parcel and anchors every other measurement. |
| 2 | Setback distances from each structure to property lines | The first zoning check: each wall must clear the front, side and rear minimums. |
| 3 | North arrow | Lets the reviewer line the drawing up with the GIS map and the street. |
| 4 | Scale statement and graphic scale bar | A scale bar still measures correctly after the sheet is reduced or photocopied. |
| 5 | Existing vs proposed structures (labelled, with sizes) | Separates what is being permitted from what already stands; sizes drive coverage. |
| 6 | Impervious coverage and lot coverage calculation | Bulk and stormwater limits are checked from these two numbers. |
| 7 | Easements and rights-of-way | Utilities need access; most codes forbid building on an easement. |
| 8 | Driveway and street access | Shows parking, the curb cut and how the new work is reached. |
| 9 | Drainage direction arrows | Shows runoff staying on your lot or heading to the street, not to a neighbour. |
| 10 | Title block (address, owner, parcel/APN, preparer, date) | Ties the sheet to the permit file and the person responsible for it. |
Missing distances to the property lines are the most common reason a shed or deck application comes back. Select the structure and press Dimension to lot lines: the tool measures at right angles to the nearest line and to the nearest line running the other way, which is exactly how an inspector checks it.
Scale × sheet
How big a lot fits on each sheet
Computed from the printable viewport of each sheet: paper minus margins, the title-block strip and a label inset. A lot fits when its longer side and shorter side both fit, in either orientation.
| Sheet | Viewport | 1" = 10' | 1" = 20' | 1" = 30' | 1" = 40' |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Letter 8.5" × 11" | 6.5 × 6.5 in | 65 × 65 ft | 130 × 130 ft | 195 × 195 ft | 260 × 260 ft |
| ANSI B Tabloid 11" × 17" | 12 × 9 in | 120 × 90 ft | 240 × 180 ft | 360 × 270 ft | 480 × 360 ft |
| Arch D 24" × 36" | 30 × 22 in | 300 × 220 ft | 600 × 440 ft | 900 × 660 ft | 1,200 × 880 ft |
| Sheet | Viewport | 1:100 | 1:200 | 1:500 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO A4 | 193 × 166 mm | 19.3 × 16.6 m | 38.6 × 33.2 m | 96.5 × 83.0 m |
| ISO A3 | 306 × 253 mm | 30.6 × 25.3 m | 61.2 × 50.6 m | 153.0 × 126.5 m |
Read it like this: a 60 × 120 ft lot fits US Letter at 1" = 20' (130 × 130 ft), but at 1" = 10' it needs Tabloid or larger. The Pro preview runs the same check live and suggests the nearest scale or sheet that works.
The math
Lot coverage and impervious surface, worked
Preset 1 is a 7,200 sq ft lot with a 38 × 42 ft house, a 12 × 25 ft driveway and a proposed 12 × 16 ft shed under a 35 % coverage and 50 % impervious limit.
Lot coverage % = building footprints ÷ lot area × 100 → (1,596 + 192) ÷ 7,200 × 100 = 24.8%
Impervious % = roofs + driveway + other hard surfaces ÷ lot area × 100 → (1,596 + 300 + 192) ÷ 7,200 × 100 = 29.0%
Remaining allowable coverage = limit % × lot area − current footprint → 35% × 7,200 − 1,788 = 732 sq ft
Overlapping footprints are counted once: the engine measures the union of the shapes, so a deck that overlaps a patio does not double the impervious area. Each element has its own coverage and impervious toggles because towns disagree about decks, pools and gravel. The table-only version is the impervious surface and lot coverage calculator.
How it works
From blank lot to permit sheet in four moves
No account and no Calculate button — every number updates while you type or drag.
Pick a starting plan
Open a preset or press New, then type the lot width and depth — or switch to Aerial / plat image and trace a screenshot.
Enter your zoning numbers
Type the front, rear and side setbacks and the coverage limits from your zoning code. The red dashed envelope redraws at once.
Place what you are building
Add a shed, deck, ADU, garage or pool from Symbols, type its size or drag it. It turns red the moment it crosses the envelope.
Dimension and export
Select the structure, press Dimension to lot lines, then download the free draft proof or unlock the scaled PDF, DXF and compliance sheet.
Use cases
What people draw with it
Homeowners, handymen and small contractors use the same sheet for different permits.
- Shed or detached garage permit
- Distances to the two nearest lines decide most accessory permits. The shed permit site plan opens with the shed selected and one-click sizes.
- Deck, patio or fence
- Rear clearance, new impervious area and fence runs with post counts are on the deck and fence plot plan.
- HOA architectural review
- The HOA site plan tool adds an association title block and an 8-item packet checklist.
- Tracing a plat or GIS screenshot
- The plot plan creator scales an image from two points and one known length, then you trace over it.
- Coverage before you design
- The lot coverage calculator works from a table of sizes — handy before you know where things go.
- Learning what reviewers want
- Read how to draw a site plan for a building permit, the scale and sheet guide and the residential site plan examples.
FAQ
Questions people ask before they submit
Is a site plan from this tool a survey?
No. It is an owner-prepared drawing based on the lot dimensions you enter or calibrate. Some departments require a licensed survey (often for new homes or tight setbacks); ask before you submit.
What scale should a residential site plan use?
1" = 10' or 1" = 20' is common for US lots; councils in Australia and the UK commonly ask for 1:100 or 1:200. Use the scale your department lists; the tool tells you whether the lot fits the sheet.
Which paper size do building departments accept?
Letter or Tabloid (11 × 17) is usually fine for sheds, decks and fences; larger projects may need Arch D (24 × 36). Metric councils often accept A3.
How is lot coverage calculated?
Existing plus proposed building footprints divided by lot area. Whether decks and pools count differs by town, so each element has its own toggle.
What counts as impervious surface?
Roofs, driveways, patios, walkways and usually pools. Gravel, pavers and decks vary by jurisdiction.
Where do I find my lot dimensions?
Your deed, recorded plat, a previous survey or the county GIS parcel viewer. You can upload a screenshot and calibrate it with one known length.
What is a setback and which numbers do I enter?
The minimum distance between a structure and a property line. Enter the values from your zoning code; accessory buildings such as sheds often have smaller setbacks than the house.
What is free and what is Pro?
Everything on screen, the watermarked draft PNG and the TXT summary are free. The scaled title-block PDF, DXF + SVG CAD pack and compliance sheet need a pass: $4.99 for 7 days, $7.99 a month or $19.99 lifetime.
Do you store my drawing or my aerial image?
No. Your drawing autosaves only in this browser and the image never leaves your device. Pro exports are generated in memory and not kept.
Can I open the DXF in AutoCAD, SketchUp or Chief Architect?
Yes. It is an ASCII R12 DXF at 1:1 in feet or metres with 8 named layers, and the SVG is a 1:1 vector copy.
Same engine, other jobs
More site plan tools
Every tool shares the drawing engine, the units switch and the Pro export pack, so a plan started on one page opens the same way on another.
Plot Plan CreatorTrace a plat or aerial screenshot after a 2-point scale.Open tool →Shed Permit Site PlanShed size, distances to lot lines, accessory setbacks.Open tool →Deck & Fence Plot PlanDeck clearance, fence runs, heights and new impervious area.Open tool →HOA Site Plan ToolArchitectural review title block and packet checklist.Open tool →Lot Coverage CalculatorTable-only coverage and impervious math with limits.Open tool →
Guides: How to draw a site plan for a building permit · Scales, sheet sizes and title blocks · Residential site plan examples.