Free Software for Drawing Plot Plans

Site plans are the cornerstone of most construction jobs. Residential contractors often rely on precise, detailed site plan drawings to ascertain the telescopic of piece of work and avert any miscommunications.

Let'due south define what a site plan is, review different types of site plans, and explore the tools that are used to draw, share, and shop them.

What is a site program?

A site programme — sometimes referred to as a plot plan — is a cartoon that depicts the existing and proposed conditions of a given area.

It is a document that functions every bit a readable map of a site, which includes its property lines and any features of the property.

A site program will typically include locations of buildings and structures built on the property, as well every bit whatever holding features such as driveways, pools, and gardens. They also include natural landmarks similar trees or h2o sources.

How to create a site program

Though your first thought may be to rent someone to complete a site programme for you lot, keep in listen the average architect or engineer will charge between $60 and $125 an hour to render a site plan.

With mobile drawing apps like ArcSite, it's easier than always to create an accurate site plan.

The importance of an accurate site programme

If you're planning to make whatsoever substantial changes to an existing belongings, you probably need a site plan.

For example, if a customer hires you to add together a mother in law suite to an existing building, information technology would be helpful to have the site program to aid y'all design and lay out the structure. That style you tin can create a to-scale design that takes into business relationship the already existing structure and any additional features of the property.

Site plans are corking for any number of home comeback projects—anything from new landscaping to adding an inground pool to redoing a roof—and they're important for authentic planning and blueprint.

(Not to mention, a site program is especially helpful if there's any business concern about holding lines.)

Site plans are also useful for marketing. Existent manor agents oft apply site plans to testify an overview of the holding they're trying to sell. Site plans give the potential buyer a better idea of how the dwelling house or building is situated in relation to other features and landmarks on the property.

What'due south the difference between a site plan and a floor plan?

Y'all may exist asking yourself: "I've got the floor programme, isn't that enough?"

The brusque respond is: it depends on what type of work y'all're doing.

A site programme is a comprehensive overhead view of everything inside the property lines. This includes natural topography and any additional features such as driveways, walkways, gardens, patios, etc.

A site plan showing a residential property, with all buildings and features represented.

A floor programme, on the other manus, is a detailed and to-scale drawing of the inside of a residence. It depicts the arrangement of each room within a edifice, sometimes fifty-fifty including where large furniture and appliances are placed.

Essentially, a floor plan is all about what'south happening within the walls of the home.

A floor plan showing the unlike rooms and features on the level.

It's worth mentioning that near site plans will not include a flooring plan, only a view of the edifice equally information technology is depicted in relation to the rest of the property.

If you're only working inside the habitation, you probably don't need a site plan. But if y'all're making any changes to the outside of the dwelling house or calculation/taking anything away from the belongings, you most probable will need a site programme.

Elements of a good site programme

When looking at a site plan, in that location are primal elements to consider. These features brand plans easier to sympathize:

• Property lines
• Natural mural
• Existing structures
• Setbacks
• Directions
• Notes

A legend table

In a higher place all, a comprehensive legend table is essential to a good site plan. A legend table establishes that measurements are to scale, shows which management the building is facing, and defines every feature shown.

An example site plan that used an aerial shot of the holding as the starting point.

Types of site plan design

There are two types of site plans: 2D and 3D. Both accept their pros and cons.

A 2D site plan gives you a clean and professional-looking overview of the belongings and its features. Nigh site plans are 2d aerial maps that show everything encompassed inside the property. These site plans are perfect for applying for permits, renovation projects, landscape pattern, and property plans.

A 3D site plan is less common but gives yous a full-colour 3D rendering of the unabridged holding. This makes it easier to encounter and empathise the size and scale of the structures and smaller details like materials, plantings, and more.

Here are the methods you lot tin can utilize to complete a site plan yourself:

• Pen and paper
• Desktop CAD software
• Mobile drawing app

Pros and cons of design methods

Pen and paper may seem like the easiest pick. However, this method does go out room for human being mistake and is often difficult to read (not to mention it's incredibly fourth dimension-consuming).

A improve pick is to use CAD software. After taking your measurements, y'all can and so sit down down at your computer and the software will aid yous in creating an accurate and readable blueprint. However, desktop CAD software can be expensive and take years to master. It's also clunky and not easy to use when at the site.

Site plan drawing app

For ultimate ease of apply, nosotros would recommend using a mobile CAD app. Similar to the desktop software, the app will assist yous in creating an accurate design but with the added bonus of existence able to do information technology in real-time while making your measurements.

With ArcSite, users can likewise add location-based photos for ultimate readability. And your unabridged design is easily uploaded to the Cloud for like shooting fish in a barrel access and collaboration!

A site plan in ArcSite, with each blue camera representing location-based photos

ArcSite for site planning professionals

Site plans are a great tool for designing and laying out your piece of work. Being able to identify the existing structures and features of a site makes planning your work faster and easier.

When creating your ain site program, ArcSite can assistance you to quickly create a precise and professional-looking blueprint without leaving the site.

Asking a demo of ArcSite today!

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Source: https://www.arcsite.com/blog/site-plans

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