It is important to know a few things before deciding to build on land you own or are looking to purchase.
Environmental Phase Reports and Soils Report
Does the soil contain hazardous materials? What is the bearing capacity of the existing soil? These are two very important questions to know the answers to before building a project.
Firstly, soil may become contaminated from previous land use. Potential Hazardous materials can include heavy metals (lead, mercury, etc.) pesticides, solvents, petroleum products, industrial chemicals, etc. Local authorities and governmental agencies (EPA) have guidelines and regulations for soil remediation based on the type and extent of contamination. Typical remediation methods include excavation and removal, bioremediation, chemical treatment, phytoremediation, soil vapor extraction, or encapsulation. All of these methods are extremely expensive and can add unexpected costs to the project.
Therefore, it is important to hire a professional who can provide a Phase 1 and Phase 2 report. It is not always required to have both reports completed and will be determined from Phase 1 if the 2nd Phasing report is needed. You can expect to spend between $5,000 and $10,000 per report.
Secondly, it is important to hire an engineering professional to provide a soils report. This report will give you an analysis on the type and strength of soils present. Soil borings will be taken at various structural locations on the site. These locations are areas where foundations, slabs, and pavements are proposed to be constructed. A soil bearing capacity will be provided at the various depths of the borings. The soil bearing capacity is provided in a unit of measure of pounds per square foot (psf). This information is what is used for the structural design of all building components. Soil improvement methods are required in situations with low bearing capacity (usually 2,000 psf or less). There are numerous soil improvement methods and deep foundations that can be used to remediate the poor soil conditions. Therefore, it is important to hire the right professionals to analyze the existing soil conditions.
Utilities
I have personally witnessed situations where projects have started construction only to discover that utility needs can’t be met.
It is important to understand the utility needs of the business or facility being constructed before making the decision to move forward. For example, A facility may require a large electrical power demand, but the utility provider is incapable of providing the required power. Therefore, land may not be a viable investment option.
The major utilities to verify include the following: domestic water, fire line, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, natural gas, and electricity.
Zoning/Ordinances
All communities (cities, towns, villages, etc.) have their own local ordinances. These ordinances are essentially the laws and regulations of that specific community. Included in these ordinances are the laws pertaining to buildings.
For example, a property may be zoned for residential. Therefore, only houses and residential projects can be constructed on this property unless the property is rezoned.
Another example, a property may be zoned correctly for the type of building proposed but share a property line with a residential community. The local ordinances may have a setback of 50’ from any residential property. Therefore, no structure can be built within 50’ of the property line unless a variance is approved.
The local jurisdiction are the gatekeepers to your proposed project, and it is extremely important to understand ordinances and how they may affect your property.
Wetlands
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency are regulatory agencies in charge of dealing with wetlands. They describe wetlands as areas of saturated water that exist, either permanently or seasonally, that play a crucial ecological role in providing habitat for diverse plant and animal species.
It is important to work with an experienced professional in determining if wetlands exist on your land and if so what level of remediation is acceptable. Only a small percentage of wetlands on a site are allowed to be remediated, leaving the rest of the wetlands as areas that are to be undisturbed.
Layout
This is simply putting pen to paper. A drawing is required to understand how the new structure, accessory structures, parking, driveways, etc. will be laid out on the site. This allows a good visualization into the project and shows the pros and cons of the site.
Construction Costs
Finally, understanding the cost of the project is necessary to analyze the financial viability of the project. Working with a design-build professional will allow you the ability to receive an accurate cost proposal of construction and the items discussed above. This proposal will also be required from financial institutions when seeking funding.
Feel free to send us an email if you have any questions or need help with any of these items.
Opmerkingen