A site plan illustrates the entire property and its surroundings of a building, including the location, landscaping, access points, and utilities.
An example of an Australian building site plan. Click on the plan to zoom in.
What is a Site Plan?
A site plan is a detailed, scaled illustration that provides an overhead view of a specific piece of land or property. It encompasses key elements such as property boundaries, structures, landscaping features, and utilities. This visual representation serves as a crucial tool in urban planning, construction, and development projects, offering a comprehensive overview of the site's layout and characteristics. Site plans are instrumental in conveying spatial relationships, aiding in decision-making, and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.
How to Read a Site Plan?
A site plan is drawn from a top view and outlines the entire property and its surroundings of a building, including the location, landscaping, access points, and utilities. The best way to approach reading a site plan is to start with these steps:
Locate the Boundaries: Start by locating the boundary lines on the site. Boundary lines normally wrap around the outside of the buildings, with a setback and determine the area of your site. Boundary lines are commonly used by builders and contractors as a base point to set-out new works on the site and are derived from a surveyors drawings.
Read the Title Block: The title block for a site plan will determine the address, type of project and scale, for example, Project Address: "20 Something St, Suburb, State, Zip", Scale: 1:200 or 1/4", and Type of Project: "Proposed New Dwelling".
Establish the Orientation: Having an understanding of the sites orientation is key as it allows the reader to determine which way the site faces.
Locate the Buildings and Structures: Once you have an understanding of the boundary lines and orientation, then you can establish where the structures are in relation to those boundary lines. There may be multiple buildings and structures on a site plan, for example a dwelling, garage, alfresco area, etc. The best way to do so is to find the label for each building or structure i.e. "Dwelling", this will tell you what the structure is on the site. This step will give you a high level understanding about what is on the site and where it is located.
Understand the Contours and Levels: Understanding contours and levels on a site plan is crucial for comprehending the topography and elevation changes of a piece of land. Contours are lines on a site plan that connect points of equal elevation. They represent the shape and slope of the land's surface. Check the contour interval specified on the site plan. This is the vertical difference in elevation between two consecutive contour lines. Common intervals might be 1 foot, 2 feet, or 5 feet for Imperial or 1 meter for Metric plans.
Establish the Access Points for the Site: Access points such as driveways, crossovers and foot paths are key to understanding how vehicles and pedestrians can access the site. Understanding the access points, street and closest major roads are very useful when planning and designing on the site.
Understand the Scale and Measurements: Consider the scale of the site plan to estimate the actual size of the buildings. Understand how the scale ratio translates to real-world dimensions.
Refer to the Legend and Notes: The last step that is recommended when reading a site plan is to always refer to the site plans legend and notes. Both of these will provide extra context and useful information required to help understand the site plan.
Why is a Site Plan Important?
A site plan is essential for construction and development projects due to its multifaceted role in visualisation, communication, and coordination. It aids in understanding the property's layout, facilitating collaboration among professionals, and ensuring compliance with regulations. Site plans articulate the boundaries, levels, orientation and setbacks of a project and are instrumental in conveying designs to clients, planning utilities and infrastructure, and incorporating landscaping and environmental considerations.
Components of a Site Plan
Boundary Lines: Property boundary lines, often referred to as property lines, delineate the legal limits of ownership for any given parcel of land.
Existing and Proposed Buildings: Existing and proposed buildings details all structures on the site plan, for example dwellings, sheds, patios, etc.
Access Points and Driveways: Access points, driveways and crossovers connect the site with the street and are normally represented by hatching on the site plan.
Landscaping Features: Landscaping features represent trees, shrubbery, grass, flower beds and gardens, and paths and walkways.
Utilities (Water, Electricity, Gas): Depending on the site plan there will be references to key utilities, such as water, electricity and gas. It is recommended to refer the the legend to determine the symbol and location of these services.
Setbacks: Setbacks are dimensions that determine the location of the building and structures on a site plan, in relation to the property boundary lines.
Dimensions: Dimensions on a site plan serve the crucial purpose of providing accurate and measurable information about the physical layout and size of elements within a property. The dimensions are typically represented in the form of numerical values that indicate the distances between various features.
North Point: A north point, indicating the orientation of north on a plan, is commonly used in building plans in both the United States and Australia. The north point is essential for understanding the direction of sunlight, shadows, and prevailing winds, which can impact the design and layout of a building.
Please refer to the symbols section below for examples of the above site plan components.
Symbols
Below are a list of key symbols that you will find on a Site Plan.
Click on the image to view the typical boundary lines symbol.
Click on the image to view the existing and proposed buildings symbol.
Click on the image to view the access point and driveway symbol.
Click on the image to view the landscaping feature symbol.
Click on the image to view the dimension and setback symbol.
Click on the image to view the standard North point symbol.
Summary
A site plan is a detailed, scaled illustration providing an overhead view of a piece of land, encompassing boundaries, structures, landscaping, and utilities. This visual tool plays a pivotal role in urban planning, construction, and development projects, offering a comprehensive overview for decision-making and regulatory compliance.
To read a site plan effectively, one should start by locating boundaries, reading the title block for project details, understanding orientation, and identifying buildings and structures. Contours, access points, and measurements are crucial aspects, and referencing the legend and notes enhances comprehension.
The importance of a site plan lies in its role as a visualisation tool, aiding collaboration, compliance, and conveying design elements. Key components include boundary lines, buildings, access points, landscaping features, utilities, setbacks, dimensions, and the north point.
In essence, a site plan serves as an essential guide for various stakeholders involved in planning, designing, and executing construction and development projects, providing a comprehensive understanding of the site's layout and characteristics.
Please continue to read our next guide on How to Read a Floor Plan.