Land Development and Permitting: Get the Facts Before Your Project Starts

There is a typical process most land developers should go through before purchasing or developing a building. Today, land development involves a thorough and complete evaluation and approval from different parties in both the public and private sectors.  Before embarking on land development and remitting for a building or a landed property, it’s important to understand everything involved in the process to have a successful project implementation. Below are the most important facts you need to know before you begin your project.

Ensure that the land location is zoned properly

Zoning will depend largely on the kind of structure that’s being built. Sometimes zoning may be difficult but in other situations, it might be very easy. You have to know the zoning requirements of the building before going ahead with your project. Some zoning areas can have more requirements and may require special approvals. Also, if you notice you are in a re-zoning environment, know that neighbor input might be considered, and a lot of people are not aware of this fact.

Are there rocks in the environment?

It’s very important to find out the soil’s bearing capacity when designing the building’s structure. In this case, soil problems should be employed around the building site and properly examined by a geo-technician. With this information, you will be able to find out if the site will be too rocky during construction.  Constructing a building on a rocky site without prior knowledge of the rock may be an expensive venture for the site owner. This is why the report of a geo-technician is very relevant during the preliminary phase of the site design.

Make considerations for your utilities

Before you begin any land development process, consider how your utilities are going to be connected to the public supply. This might sometimes lead to additional costs or become a bottleneck to your project if not properly considered before the project begins. Generally, your utility section should be designed very close to the public supply for convenience’s sake. You also need to complete a water flow test to find out a proper supply for fire protection.

Prepare for Department of Health Reviews

Different types of facilities would be reviewed by the healthcare department before the project takes off. This is to ensure the project meets the safety and health standards set by the department of health. You will need to submit drawings, and they will come for inspection after your project is complete.  The review of one state health department might be a bit different from another health department. So, it’s important to find out what is involved in the particular state in which your building site is located.

Permit requirements may be difficult to acquire

Land development is a rigorous process and you won’t be able to accomplish any building project without having the required permits. It’s important to understand before the time that meeting the requirements for a permit may not come too easy. With this prior knowledge, land developers will be able to plan better.  You may be required to have a separate permit for each of the activities you will carry out on the land, such as mechanical, fire, electrical, plumbing, demolition, and land development. While some municipalities will ask you to make an upfront payment before getting a permit, others will ask you to submit a review first before making payments.

The best way to go here is to find out which government authority is in charge of issuing permits in that area and understand the agency’s outline for the process of issuing permits. That way, you will be prepared and know exactly what the process will look like.

Relevant Resources:

• What You Should Know About Ground-up Construction Permits
• The Commercial Construction Process In 10 Steps