Cheap/Free Site Plan for SFR new build

[Gregory J.]

I'm working with the Trustees/HOA of a neighborhood to purchase a vacant lot. My intention is to acquire it and then partner with a builder to build on it and sell.

more backstory here:

https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/44/topics/505...

The Trustee I'm working with told me that they would like to see a plan for what I plan on building. Since I'm not a builder and I don't have plans readily available I'm considering my options. 

Free option - Get a copy of an old survey from the county showing easements and setbacks etc and sketching the outline drawing of the intended build on the survey. For a "3D" rendering of the property take a picture of a home similar in design to what I would plan on building and superimpose it on a photo of the lot. Advantages - free Disadvantages - less than professional, and may not exactly represent what I'm building.

Most professional option - get a survey, hire an architect, $$$ - Advantages - professional, thorough, and accurate disadvantages - very expensive for something not under contract.

other option - get it under contract contingent on submission of an approved plan.

Thanks everyone for your great feedback on my earlier posts. It's been a huge help in pushing me to follow through on this.

[Jim Adrian]

@Gregory J.

Architects hate when people get nit picky on the wrong shade of green for the grass in the rendering. 

Get an aerial to scale and draw on trace paper over the top of it. Treat it as a workshop with the HOA. A survey of the lot would work as well. Show them a couple of options of what you are thinking. If you don't own the land yet I wouldn't make a big cost effort. You might be able to find what you need off the county assessor site.

You will need a site plan of where the new building will go to show where you will want soil borings done by the geo tech.  Foundation work will be more expensive if the soil has poor bearing capacity which is most likely the case.