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Most municipal zoning permits require conformance with a few basic requirements that limit how a homeowner can use his property. These include:
*Setbacks: setbacks limit how close any built construction (including decks) can be to the property line. Setbacks are stipulated for each side of the property, and on small lots, may severely restrict the size of a deck.
*Lot coverage: zoning ordinances also typically restrict lot coverage by stating a maximum percentage of the lot that can be built on. Checking lot coverage requires calculating the overall area (or footprint) of the ground floor of the home, the anticipated area of the deck, and checking them against the area of the lot.
*Easements: easements are restricted zones on a property where construction is prohibited or restricted. Easements typically include drainage easements (an area where surface water drainage flows across the property) or utility easements (an area where water, gas, sewer, or telephone/cable companies have main lines running across the property that cannot be disturbed.
*Other restrictions: zoning ordinances may contain other restrictions regarding pools, hot tubs, open fires or other deck accessories. The homeowner should thoroughly review the municipal requirement for his property before proceeding with design.
Site plans are necessary in demonstrating to the municipality compliance with their zoning ordinances. - Planned communities often have neighborhood covenants that dictate colors, materials, sizes or details of deck construction. A typical neighborhood covenant in a townhouse community, for instance, may require a certain type of decking material and limit the size of a deck that may be built in the community. As with zoning requirements, deck site plans are a necessary component in demonstrating full compliance with these requirements.
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Typical deck site plan for building permitMunicipalities require building permits to allow construction of a deck. A homeowner uses a deck site plan, with other documents, to demonstrate compliance with the building code requirements. A deck site plan will show the basic configuration, dimensions, and location of deck amenities, railing, and steps. When combined with other drawing details, the deck site plan is use to convey full extent of the project for review by the code official. - Drainage across a property is a main concern of a municipality, and should be a concern of the homeowner as well. The fundamental rule of site drainage is that no new construction may divert additional drainage onto a neighbor's property. The deck site plan can be a useful tool in showing the basic drainage flows across a lot through swales and slopes, and demonstrating the the deck addition will not divert water onto a neighboring property. In most cases, a deck addition will hardly alter the drainage flow through a rear yard.
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Sample residential site planThe property survey a homeowner received with his closing documents is the basis for any deck site plan. The survey contains a wealth of essential information, including: The overall home footprint; the dimensions and area of the lot; the location and width of any site easements; and the sometimes, site drainage or topographical information. Although residential lot surveys are often quite small (letter or legal size paper), they can be enlarge to a scale necessary to communicate the deck site plan information necessary for zoning and building code compliance. -
Where a homeowner is allowed to prepare his own deck site plan for submission to zoning and building code officials, he should include the following information on the plan:
*Outside dimensions of the deck
*Overall area of the deck
*Type of decking
*Location of railings and steps
*Drainage flow around or under the deck
*Height of all deck levels above grade
*Relationship of deck to the home
*Setback lines from all property lines
*Location of any site easements
*Removal or addition of landscape items
Typical scales used for deck site plans are referred to as "engineering scales." The most appropriate for this type of drawing are 1 inch equals 10 feet, or 1 inch equals 20 feet. Engineering scales can be purchased at drafting supply or some office supply stores. - Some municipalities may not allow a homeowner to prepare a deck site plan for their review. They may require an engineer, architect, or surveyor to prepare this plan, as well as the deck construction documents (or at least the foundation and framing portions). It is still helpful for the homeowner to prepare his own site plan for the purposes of communicating clearly with the design professional and perhaps saving some professional fees through simplifying the time necessary to analyze the site.
