Can You Build on My Existing Property?
What we check on land you already own, and what can make a parcel harder or more expensive to build on.
Yes. We build on client-owned land regularly. Before design gets far, we assess the property so that the plan we draw is a plan the land can actually support.
What we evaluate
- Zoning and setbacks. What the jurisdiction allows, minimum lot requirements, front, side and rear setbacks, and height limits. These set the buildable envelope.
- Utilities. Public sewer and water, or well and septic. Also electric, gas and internet service, and how far each has to run. See utilities on a new home site.
- Grading, slope and drainage. Slope drives foundation design and excavation cost, and drainage determines where water goes for the next fifty years. See sloped lots.
- Soils. Bearing capacity for footings, and, if you're on septic, a soil evaluation is required before a permit can be issued. See soil evaluations in Ohio.
- Access. Driveway route and length, road frontage, and whether a culvert or right-of-way permit is needed.
- Easements and restrictions. Utility easements, deed restrictions, and any recorded conditions on the parcel.
- Floodplain and wetlands. Both are solvable, but both need to be known early.
What can make a parcel expensive
Long utility runs, significant grade change, poor soils, a lack of road frontage, or the need for a shared drive. None of these disqualify a property. They just need to be priced in before you fall in love with a plan that doesn't fit the budget once site work is added.
Where we build
We build across the Akron-Canton area and Northeast Ohio. See where we build and city vs township differences.
Have a parcel you'd like evaluated? Send us the address.