Site Planning & Civil Design for Land Development.
Stamped site plans, road geometry, lot and building layout, and infrastructure planning for residential, commercial, industrial, and mixed-use projects across Minnesota and Colorado. Plans designed to build, permit, and finance.
Senior PE on every project. Big-firm experience. Independent-firm fees.
Site planning, in plain English.
A site plan is a detailed drawing that shows how a parcel of land will be used and developed. It typically includes the layout of buildings, parking, drives and roads, walkways, landscaping, utilities, drainage, and easements. A civil engineer's site plan is a stamped construction document, used by contractors to build the site and by the local jurisdiction to confirm the project meets code.
Site planning is where a development project gets its shape. Done well, a site plan resolves the tension between what the developer wants to build, what the zoning allows, what the topography permits, what the agency will approve, and what the contractor can actually construct. Done poorly, it creates problems that show up months later, in resubmittals, change orders, and lost developable area.
For most projects, the civil site plan and the architectural site plan work together. The architect's plan shows how buildings sit on the site. The civil engineer's plan shows the engineered systems that make the site work: grading, drainage, utilities, pavement, stormwater, and erosion control.
Real Land Pro deliverable: master site plan for a mixed-use development.
What we deliver on a site planning engagement.
Conceptual Site Layout
Building footprints, lot lines, road and drive alignment, parking, open space, and major circulation. The plan that gets the project entitlement-ready.
Road & Pavement Geometry
Horizontal and vertical road alignment, intersections, sight distance, ADA compliance, and pavement section design.
Zoning & Code Compliance
Setbacks, lot coverage, parking ratios, height limits, landscape buffers, and other zoning requirements integrated into the layout from day one.
Stormwater & Drainage Concept
Conceptual stormwater management strategy and drainage approach that informs the layout, not the other way around.
Utility Layout
Conceptual layout of water, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, and dry utilities, coordinated with municipal capacity and existing infrastructure.
Construction Site Plans
Stamped site plans for permit submittal and construction, integrated with grading, drainage, utility, and erosion-control sheets in the construction set.
Real Land Pro deliverable: stamped horizontal control plan for a mountain residential subdivision.
Civil site plan vs architectural site plan.
Most projects need both. Architects show the building. Civil engineers show the engineered systems. They overlap intentionally so the project coordinates cleanly through permitting and construction.
- · Building footprint & entries
- · Hardscape immediately around buildings
- · Architectural site features
- · Building height envelope
- · Grading and drainage
- · Site utilities
- · Pavement & road geometry
- · Stormwater management
- · Erosion & sediment control
We'll come back with a fee, a schedule, and a clear scope.
Site planning questions, answered.
What is a site plan?
A site plan is a detailed drawing that shows how a parcel of land will be used and developed. It typically includes the layout of buildings, parking, drives and roads, walkways, landscaping, utilities, drainage, and easements. A civil engineer's site plan is a stamped construction document used by contractors to build the site and by the local jurisdiction to confirm the project meets code.
What is the difference between a site plan and a survey?
A survey documents what already exists on the site (boundaries, topography, existing structures, utilities). A site plan shows what is proposed, typically built on top of the survey. Most jurisdictions require both as part of a development submittal.
What is the difference between an architectural site plan and a civil site plan?
An architectural site plan shows how the building sits on the site (footprint, entries, surrounding hardscape). A civil site plan shows the engineered systems that make the site work: grading, drainage, utilities, road and pavement geometry, stormwater, and erosion control. Most projects need both.
How do you make a site plan?
A civil engineer makes a site plan by combining a current survey with the project program (what's being built), zoning requirements, and site constraints (grading, drainage, utilities, easements). The engineer iterates the layout until it's buildable, permittable, and economical, then produces a stamped construction set.
Do I need a site plan for a permit?
Yes, almost always. Most jurisdictions require a site plan as part of any building permit, zoning approval, or land disturbance permit. The level of detail required scales with the size and complexity of the project.
Founder of Land Pro Civil. Professional Engineer licensed in Minnesota, Colorado, North Dakota, and Utah. UMN Civil Engineering graduate. More about Paul →
Tell us about your site.
From a single-parcel site plan through a multi-phase master plan, we'll come back with a clear proposal and a fee in writing.
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