Guide · about 30 minutes
How to Draw a Site Plan for Building Permit Applications
Most permits for a shed, deck, fence, pool or addition ask for a site plan: a drawing of your lot, what is on it now, what you want to build, and how far it sits from every property line. Here is how to draw one a reviewer accepts, step by step, using a 60 × 120 ft lot and a 12 × 16 ft shed.
Eight steps
Eight steps, drawn from one plan
Each illustration is drawn by the same engine as the editor, from the same lot. Open the editor to follow along with live numbers.
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Measure or look up the lot
Copy the lot lines from your deed, recorded plat or a previous survey — not from a fence line. Type width and depth; every edge gets its length.
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Draw the setback envelope
Find the front, side and rear setbacks for your zoning district. The red dashed line is where buildings may go; this lot uses 25 / 15 / 5 / 5 ft.
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Add what already exists
Draw the house and driveway at their real size and distance from the lines. Hatching marks them as existing.
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Add the proposed structure
Place the new shed, deck or addition with a heavy outline. Label it with its size: “Proposed 12 × 16 ft Shed”.
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Dimension to the property lines
Measure from the closest wall to the nearest line, at right angles, and to the nearest line the other way: 6.0 ft west, 16.0 ft rear.
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Add north arrow and scale
Show which way is north and the drawing scale — a stated scale such as 1" = 20' plus a graphic bar that survives photocopying.
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Show the coverage numbers
Add lot area, building footprint, lot coverage % and impervious % with the limits. Reviewers check these first on additions.
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Finish the title block
Address, owner, parcel / APN, who prepared it, the date, the scale and “Not a boundary survey”.
Checklist
The 10 elements a reviewer looks for
Jurisdictions word it differently, but these ten items appear on nearly every residential site plan checklist in the US, and on most council checklists in Australia and the UK.
| # | Element | Why the reviewer needs it |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Property lines with dimensions | Confirms the lot matches the recorded parcel |
| 2 | Setback distances from each structure to property lines | Primary zoning check for every new wall |
| 3 | North arrow | Orients the drawing to the street and GIS map |
| 4 | Scale statement and graphic scale bar | Lets the reviewer measure a printed copy |
| 5 | Existing vs proposed structures (labelled, with sizes) | Separates permitted work from what stands |
| 6 | Impervious coverage and lot coverage calculation | Bulk and stormwater limits |
| 7 | Easements and rights-of-way | No building where utilities need access |
| 8 | Driveway and street access | Parking and curb cut review |
| 9 | Drainage direction arrows | Runoff must not be pushed onto neighbours |
| 10 | Title block (address, owner, parcel/APN, preparer, date) | Links the sheet to the permit file |
Avoid a second trip
Common rejection reasons and the fix
A rejected plan usually costs a week or more. These are the comments permit technicians write most often on residential site plans.
| Comment from the reviewer | Fix |
|---|---|
| No distance from the new structure to the lot lines | Select it and use Dimension to lot lines; keep both dimension lines on the sheet. |
| Drawing not to scale, or no scale shown | State the scale and add a graphic scale bar; print at 100 %. |
| Existing buildings missing | Draw the house, garage and any shed already on the lot — coverage depends on them. |
| Lot dimensions do not match the record | Copy distances from the plat or survey, not a tape measure along a fence. |
| Coverage over the limit | Shrink the footprint, swap a deck for a patio, or ask about a variance. |
| Structure on an easement | Move it off the hatched band or get written consent from the easement holder. |
| Unreadable hand sketch | Use clean line types, a legend and text large enough to read when reduced. |
Before you start
Measuring the lot and finding your setbacks
Two numbers drive everything: the lot dimensions and the setbacks. Both come from records, not from the yard.
Take lot dimensions from the recorded plat, a previous boundary survey or the deed's legal description. Fences and hedges are often a foot or more off the true line. If the plat shows bearings and distances, type the distances corner by corner, or upload a screenshot to the plot plan creator and calibrate it.
Setbacks are in your zoning code under the district's dimensional standards. Look for separate rows for accessory structures, corner lots and pools. Write the four numbers down — front, rear, left side, right side — together with the maximum lot coverage and impervious percentage if your district has them.
Choose a scale and sheet the department accepts. A 60 × 120 ft lot fits US Letter at 1" = 20'; larger lots or detailed plans move to Tabloid. The scale and sheet size guide lists exactly what fits, and the residential site plan examples show four complete plans.
This guide describes an owner-prepared drawing. It is not a boundary survey. Some departments require a licensed survey — often for new houses or when a structure is within a few feet of a line. Ask before you submit.