Table of Contents
Understand how your site, jurisdiction, and early design requirements shape your project before construction begins
Getting the Lay of the Land
Before your project can take shape, you’ll need to understand the rules and realities of the property you’re building on. Every lot comes with its own set of constraints: some legal, some physical, and some practical. Whether you’re planning a custom home, an ADU, a remodel, or an addition, the feasibility of your project depends on factors like zoning, setbacks, permitting requirements, site conditions, and local review processes.
This section is designed to help you get educated, not to do the job of your architect or engineer, but to give you the knowledge you need to ask better questions, spot early issues, and avoid investing time or money in a direction that may not be viable.
Why This Section Matters
Most project delays and design setbacks happen because something wasn’t considered early enough. Some examples:
- A zoning code that limits building height or floor area
- A setback that pushes your addition into an unusable space
- A survey that reveals a drainage easement or irregular lot shape
- A soil report that shows the need for a complex foundation
- A homeowners’ association (HOA) that restricts exterior finishes
Even if your design and construction team handles the details, understanding the landscape at a high level helps you participate in smarter planning and make more informed decisions throughout the process.
What You’ll Learn in This Section
This group of subpages walks through the early factors that affect what you can build, where you can build it, and what steps may be needed before design or permitting can move forward:
- Planning & Feasibility A general overview of how project goals, site conditions, and local regulations interact
- Different Types of Jurisdictions Learn how to identify who governs your property (city, county, special districts, or HOA) and how that affects your planning process
- Zoning Guide Understand what zoning is, how to look up your zoning code, and how that code defines what’s allowed on your site
- Surveying A breakdown of the different types of land surveys you might need, how to get them, and when they’re required
- Testing and Inspections Overview of the common site tests and assessments used to evaluate soil, drainage, water, and other physical site conditions
- Initial Design Checklist A practical list of zoning, permitting, and land use items to confirm before moving forward with design
- Do You Need Plans or Not? A guide to understanding whether your project requires formal drawings and what kind of plans might be needed
- Engineering: Types & Definitions A quick reference guide to the roles of civil, structural, MEP, and other engineers in residential construction
What’s Next: Different Types of Jurisdictions
Before anything else, it’s helpful to understand who governs your property. Every lot falls under one or more jurisdictions: your city or county, possibly a utility district, and sometimes an HOA. These groups shape everything from permitting timelines to what you’re allowed to build.
Continue to Different Types of Jurisdictions to get familiar with how authority is defined and how it affects your planning process.