At this point, as a homeowner, you should strongly consider obtaining a site plan for a more detail review of your property. As mentioned earlier, the site plan will reveal more of the existing characteristics of your lot. For example, we would be able to see the existing trees, bushes, geodetic elevations, utility right of ways, utility lines, and neighboring properties. However, I will say that site plans do vary and can become expensive; therefore, before ordering your site plan, check with the City of Calgary for your application requirements.

Do you know what your site plan requirements are?  A lot of surveyors are offering development permit packages, where your site plan will meet the application criteria for the planners at the City of Calgary. (For recommended surveyors in Calgary, you can contact me at info@anomalydraftinganddesign.com). However, you should know and understand the information that is required. Here are a few simple steps:

1.      Go to the City of Calgary website: www.calgary.ca

2.      Once you are on the website, scroll down until you see a header “Programs and Services.” Then click on “Building, planning and business”, it will then prompt you to the next page.

3.      On the “Building, planning and business”  page, look down towards the right side of your page, where you will see in RED writing “myDevelopment.” Under that heading, we want to click on “Building & development lists and forms.”

4. On the “Building & development lists and forms” page, there over hundreds of lists, thus we need to pick the right one that the city will use to review our application. Here your designer can help, or the city will direct you. (Since this is my blog) If I’m doing a backyard suite, I will scroll down to the heading “Development permit application requirement lists.” Here I will select “New Contextual Detached Dwelling (Single or Semi-Detached).” https://www.calgary.ca/PDA/pd/Documents/carls/development-permit/contextual-detached-dwelling-single-or-semi.pdf

5. I chose to use this requirement list, because you need to keep in mind that a backyard suite is a “small house”. Therefore, it would make sense to use this application. Remember the word “contextual”? We apply it to this application because the main home on the property is existing.

6.      Once you open your requirement list, scroll down to number 12, where it outlines your site plan requirements. I will not go through everything on this list. But I will say to forward your list on to your surveyor or cross-reference with their proposal to make sure you are covered!

Try to understand your site plan. Once I have my site plan, I immediately focus on three things: geodetic elevations, easement agreements or utility right of ways, and Trees. Because these objectives will determine the outcome of my design. I will elaborate on why I choose to focus on these items.

·       Geodetic Elevations: Geodetic data points or “Grades” are units that measure the elevation of the earth. On your site plan, the surveyor will establish the geodetic elevations to each corner of your property and existing house; in addition, they will also establish the top of your main floor and the peak of the roof. These elevation measurements determine how high your home is from the ground. For example, if I look at your top of the main floor, then look at the geodetic elevation at the corner of your house and see that the difference between the two is 2 feet, then I know the building is 2 feet above grade.

Geodetic points also help us determine the height of the existing structure. For example, the building height of a house is from the top of main to the peak of the roof; because that measurement remains constant. The overall height of the building is from top of the grade to the peak of the roof; because that measurement varies from corner to corner. Geodetic elevations not only give us the height of the existing house, but they can also tell us how property is sloping. For example, a typical site plan would have a minimum of 8 geodetic points along the property line: 2 points at both front corners, 2 points at either side of the garage or front porch, 2 points at either side of the rear of the home, the lastly 2 points on the back of the property line. These points will vary in heights; however, they will be either in an ascending or descending order. These measurements show us that our property naturally slopes in a specific direction. Thus, if your rear points are a higher number than the ones in the front, then your property slopes from “back to front.” If the numbers are reversed, then your property slopes from “front to back.” If there is an extreme difference between the numbers, you most likely live on a “walk-out” lot. Therefore, when you are required to show geodetic data points, the planner at the municipality is looking to see how your development correlates with your property’s general topography. Once they understand your topography, we then review your data points to make sure your property drains adequately, or the water is running away from your house naturally. That means they are checking your plan for overall drainage.

·       Drainage Calculations: Drainage is the percentage derived between 2 geodetic points. We call the drainage calculation the “slope.” The municipality looks at the slope percentage to make sure it is high enough to move water. For example, The minimum slope percentage for general landscaping is 2%. However,  you need to remember that your soil is continuously settling; by the end of its settlement, the slope percentage may have decreased by 1% or more. The minimum slope percentage around your foundation is to be 4%. The reason why is, at no point, you want to risk the soil settling so much that the water isn’t flowing away; but flowing towards your home or pooling around it.

·       Easement Agreements: An easement agreement provides the homeowner the right to enter their neighbor’s property, for the intention of maintenance or repair. The usage of these types of agreements can vary; therefore, I will keep my description brief. Typical properties that would use easement agreements would be zero lot lines, duplexes, and rowhouses. If your lot is not adjoining a neighboring residential property, the easement agreement can be between the city or a commercial area. Therefore, you need to be mindful of your design to make sure you don’t affect your neighbor. Your designer will assist you with the proper technique to approach this kind of situation.

·       Utility Right of Ways: This is very important, because if you don’t pay attention you will create more problems unintentionally. Utility Right of Ways is a section of your property where the majority of your services are located. The utility right of way is commonly found in front of your house. If your service provider needs access, they will dig within that reserved portion. Thus, we cannot place any structure within that area or it will be damaged or removed.

·       Trees: When I design a house within a brand-new development, I’m not concerned about trees, because trees are not planted until well after possession. However, on an older established property, it is NOT that simple. Your surveyor will give your site plan a description of your tree and the diameter of the tree’s canopy. The tree canopy is the portion of the tree that covers the most area. If the homeowner wishes to keep the tree; we then look at how close we can come to the tree without its branches damaging our building. Also, the roots of a tree are taken into consideration.

By now, you should have a general idea of your property, and now it is the next step, which is establishing an overall budget for your project. You will need to reflect and research to make sure you have a realistic number.