The Next Step in Building Your Dream Home: Permit and Staking
After determining your budget, finding your lot, finalizing a plan, and choosing your builder, it is time to start step two: the permit and stake process.
1) Permits
In Jackson County, Kansas City, where we primarily build custom homes, these are the required documents for a single-family dwelling. These are items the builder will take care of for you, but it is also nice to know what is happening in all stages of your new build.
1. The legal description of the property
2. Two copies of the detailed site plan
3. Two sets of construction plans that include:
ï‚· Floor plan
ï‚· Typical wall section
ï‚· Foundation plan and type
ï‚· Electrical diagram
ï‚· Elevations
ï‚· Square footage of living spaces on each floor of house and garage
ï‚· Structure height
ï‚· Exterior and roofing material types
One set of construction plans will be returned to the applicant to be kept at the worksite. They must be readily available for review/inspection by the building official.
4. Completed sub-contractor list -This completed sub-contractor form must be kept at the worksite and available for inspection at all times.
2) Surveying
Next in the process comes surveying. The principal role of a land surveyor is to measure properties and also determine their boundaries. Boundary information is essential to determine what land you do or do not own, and the location of buildings, roadways, and prevent property disputes. This is done by using trigonometry, geometry, and other calculations. Surveyors also use specialized survey equipment like total stations and GPS.
3) Staking
While construction staking may seem a bit complicated, the concept is pretty simple. A land surveyor is given copies of the building site’s plans, typically a digital version and a hard copy. The surveyor will then layout stakes at the building site to mark the dimensions, location, and features of the construction plans on the blueprint. These stakes are not only to lay out the perimeter of the building but also other details, such as plumbing, infrastructure, grading, driveways, sidewalks, curbs, and more.
This video goes along with the staking and permit process. Mark Yancik explains the Trumark Homes process in this phase.
References:
https://www.fool.com/millionacres/real-estate-investing/what-is-a-land-survey-and-when-do-you-need-one/
https://moonmeeks.com/2019/07/why-is-construction-site-staking-so-important/
http://labergegroup.com/2017/01/05/what-does-a-land-surveyor-do/