Site preparation and surveying a lot

Every lot, once purchased, will have to be prepared for the construction of a new home in some way. This may involve removing trees, rocks and shrubs in the general building area, and removing that debris from the lot. Depending on if the lot is a high or low lot, fill material may need to be brought in or removed. On a flat bare lot the site prep could be minimal.

In an effort to save a few dollars, you or your builder may be tempted to bury some or all of this debris on the lot, rather than have it removed and dumped elsewhere. This may be fine (depending on local codes) for solid materials such as rocks or boulders, however avoid burying trees and organic material. Trees and their stumps will eventually rot. It’s just nature. And when they do rot you’ll probably wind up with a depression or even a sink hole in your yard. Fork over a couple of extra dollars now and avoid this future hassle.

Staking a Lot

Once a lot is under contract it should be “staked” by a professional survey crew. This process will establish the actual and legal property lines and the corners of the lot. Actual stakes are pounded into the ground and some interesting surprises can happen during the staking process. More than once, a corner stake for an empty lot has been pounded into the driveway of the home next door. This can be an “exciting” way to meet your new future neighbor.

What happens over time, especially when a piece of land has remained vacant while construction has occurred around it, is often the lot lines get a bit blurred. Someone widens a driveway, builds a shed or puts in a garden and that new structure is partially or fully on someone else’s property. This is usually an innocent mistake and typically not too big of a hassle to fix. Be sure any and all intrusions of this type are fixed before you close on a lot however. Do not ever close on a lot where the ownership of a piece, or a lot line, is in question. Typically you will not be able to get a loan on a lot with legal questions outstanding but be sure that all of your questions and concerns along this line are settled prior to you be becoming the new owner.

In some cases, old survey monuments – they can be small concrete posts or large nails, or even fancy brass plates sets in the ground, can be found. A lot of it has to do with how old the community is that you’re building in. A new development might have just wooden stakes; an old town in New England might have mortar or concrete posts dating from the colonial period!