How to Get a Site Plan for a Building Permit

If you're planning a deck, ADU, pool, fence, or addition, your county building department may ask for a site plan before they'll issue a permit. Requirements vary significantly by jurisdiction — always check with your local building department first.

What a Site Plan Usually Shows

A site plan is a scaled overhead drawing of your property. Depending on your county's requirements, it typically includes:

• Property boundaries and lot dimensions
• Setback lines for your zoning district
• Existing structure footprints (house, garage, detached structures)
• Location and dimensions of the proposed project
• North arrow and scale bar
• Property address and Assessor's Parcel Number (APN)
• Driveway and street access

Some counties also ask for: utility locations, grading contours, impervious surface calculations, tree locations, and lot coverage percentage.

Why Plans Come Back for Revision

Most common reasons a site plan gets rejected or sent back:

• No scale bar — the drawing can't be measured without it
• Setback lines missing — reviewer can't verify compliance
• Proposed vs. existing not distinguished — unclear what's new
• North arrow missing — orientation can't be confirmed
• Dimensions not labeled — reviewer can't check setback distances

Each revision adds weeks to your timeline. Getting it right the first time matters.

How to Get a Site Plan Using InQI

1. Enter your address — InQI pulls parcel boundaries, setback lines, and existing structure footprint automatically from county records
2. Add your proposed project — draw the new structure, label dimensions
3. Check codes — Codes.IQ looks up zoning rules for your specific address
4. Download — export as PDF for permit submission, or DXF/SVG for further editing

What It Typically Costs

Frequently Asked Questions