What Goes Into a Grading Plan for a Custom Home?
When you’re building a custom home from the ground up, there’s a lot that has to happen in the planning stages before you even start considering the details of the building itself. For example, one of the first steps in developing custom home plans is making a grading plan.
This may not be as fun as, say, choosing a type of veranda for the exterior or picking the chandelier for the dining room, but it’s as essential as any other part of the process. Thankfully, your custom home builder is ready to assist with this process to make sure it goes off without a hitch. Here are some details about grading plans, as well as a couple things that should be considered when making them.
What is a grading plan?
A grading plan, also known as a site plan, is a blueprint-type document developed by the site engineer for a home-building project that shows the property lot with the location of the new home and the topography and other site information necessary for construction purposes. This could be anything from locations of utility lines to trees that will need to be removed or added to stormwater management and other situational concerns. This will need to be submitted to the local municipality, usually the county, for approval before construction can begin.
Speak for the trees
A big part of making house plans is deciding what to do with the existing trees on the property. For example, you may need to clear some out to make enough space for the house, but you also may want to leave some close to the home for shade. There are also a few other things to consider when deciding what to do with trees in the grading plan.
Healthy trees can be a wonderful asset to a property. They provide shade, greenery, oxygen and a habitat for wildlife, as well as many other benefits that add to the charm of your home. Trees that are damaged or sick may be a liability and should be cut down to avoid problems for the road. But a healthy tree can be a beautiful part of the design of a custom home plan, and you may want to work with your site engineer and home designer during the grading plan process to see if and how this can be done.
Elevation consideration
Another thing to consider during the grading plan process is elevation. How far above street level will your home be? Sometimes a rise in elevation from street level can be a requirement due to the topography of the lot. Consider how many stairs will be needed to reach the front door due to elevation of the lot. There may be alternatives to stairs if you prefer not to have them, but this should be made part of the grading plan.
Contact Perry House Plans today to take advantage of more than 50 years of experience in home design to get started on the custom home plan of your dreams.
Categorised in: Custom Floor Plans