Help w/ buying a large lot, permitting, building SFHs, potential sub-division
Member since 2023 · 21 posts · 9 votes
I am looking to moving to the East Seattle area, specifically Redmond, Sammamish, and Issaquah over the next few years.
The plan is to purchase a large lot and develop multiple single-family homes. One for my primary residence, and the others to either rent, or potentially subdivide and sell.
I am lost on where to start and would like expert help with the process.
- How do I know/confirm how much of the lot can be developed (i.e. sometimes the lots are steep slopes or swamp lands)
- How do I develop with the potential to subdivide to separate single family home lots?
- Which permits will I need and what is the process to follow?
- Any construction companies and project managers that frequently do this type of work in this area?
... Many other blind spots that I recognize I haven't figured out yet.
For context, I currently live in California (Bay Area) and plan to sell my home here, as well as my investment property in Dallas, TX to fund the purchase of the land and all costs associated with building out a multiple homes in the area above.
Any advice and connections anyone can provide? Please and thank you :)
Sincerely,
Gabe
An experienced Civil Engineer can help navigate those initial questions for you if you are unfamiliar with the process.
The answers to the questions you listed can vary depending on the land that you are looking at. One site may be affected by floodplain and topography challenges, while another site may not. Some pieces of land may need rezoning and others not.
Getting in touch with someone that has local experience would be my strong recommendation. Different areas can have different jurisdictional approval processes and having someone who knows this will help on your permitting timeline.
If you have your eyes set within Seattle City limits, beginning to understand the planning & zoning code is a good place to start and learn things like lot/building requirements. Having a phone call with someone from the City is also very helpful, and just ask them to explain the process to you starting from scratch.
Hi Gabriel, I'm a land broker and I have sold 150+ properties to builders (both big and small) to do new subdivision tracts. You should find a local engineer who also helps get projects entitled/approved at the city you are focused on. Many engineers are not that desirable to work with, i.e. they are too busy, not responsive, etc, so you'll want to find one who seems like they are experiened and actually like to give good customer service. They can help you figure out a bit more to determine which properties are developable from an environmental standpoint (swamps, species), a topographical standpoint (slopes) and what the potential lot count yield will be given the zoning and the city's development standards (set-backs, height limites, lot coverage ratios, etc) associated with said zoning. At some point you would involve an architect, too, but sometimes they can take you down the wrong path. As far as getting a tract map approved and then the actual permits for construction, again, hopefully you can find a hybrid engineer/entitlement consultant. As far as your last question, yes, you'll have to find a competent general contractor (GC) to do the site work and construction, and yes, if you want to also hire a project manager to oversee the GC, engineer and other matters, they are out there to be found.
An experienced Civil Engineer can help navigate those initial questions for you if you are unfamiliar with the process.
The answers to the questions you listed can vary depending on the land that you are looking at. One site may be affected by floodplain and topography challenges, while another site may not. Some pieces of land may need rezoning and others not.
Getting in touch with someone that has local experience would be my strong recommendation. Different areas can have different jurisdictional approval processes and having someone who knows this will help on your permitting timeline.
If you have your eyes set within Seattle City limits, beginning to understand the planning & zoning code is a good place to start and learn things like lot/building requirements. Having a phone call with someone from the City is also very helpful, and just ask them to explain the process to you starting from scratch.
I work in Seattle area, as a lender and appraiser. Lot analysis and selection will be the most important. In the beginning of your search, pay attention to zoning regulations to know what is feasible to be done on the lot you thinking of purchasing.
Hi Gabriel. I'm a realtor here in the East Seattle area. I work in Bellevue, Washington, around 15 minutes away from Redmond, and Sammamish area. The cities you mentioned are definitely good and safe cities to live and invest at. You already have a fantastic goal so hopefully I will be able to help.
If you are planning to purchase a large lot and develop multiple single family homes, it will be smart to know how much you can develop so you should look for a civil engineer, preferably someone who knows the Eastside. Although I agree with Bryant that some engineers are hard to work with, you might have no choice but to look for someone you are willing to work with. They will be the one to check for the steep slopes or swamp lands or any zoning limits that could shrink your buildable space.
For subdividing, you will want to plan your homes with future lot lines in mind. You can file a preliminary plat to split the land legally, and that will take time and permits. It's probably better to contact a local planner for this.
I haven't work personally with construction companies that do this type of work in the area but I know a realtor that do. It will be really easy for me to get their contact information so just let me know once you are ready to pull the trigger.
I would also do a lot of research regarding hidden costs in this project, just in case. I don't know if you taken this into consideration but neighbors might object on this project. Local zoning and permitting rules often require public notices or neighborhood meetings. And when neighbors raise objections over concerns like increase traffic, loss of privacy, or environmental impacts from clearing trees or building near wetlands, it will slow down your project. This also will raise your costs. Oh also be aware of tax surprises
What's up dude! Congrats on looking to GROW like this!
Here's my answers based off my personal experience. I'm in Texas.
- How do I know/confirm how much of the lot can be developed (i.e. sometimes the lots are steep slopes or swamp lands). I'm echoing Jamie Hora. Find a local architect & engineer who actually does work in that area. They know the answers to these questions or can find out very quickly. There is normally a "Senior" Building Official/Inspector person who has like 50 years experience at the city permitting and will know or direct you.
- How do I develop with the potential to subdivide to separate single family home lots? Start with the end in mind, right... my area has a 'minimum' street width for single family. Ask the permitting office for what their minimums are for road frontage and minimum for living sf. That's usually documented and filed for record with the city.
- Which permits will I need and what is the process to follow? Once you have done the legwork of figuring out the best course of action (subdividing, number of houses, etc) most places you as the owner will need to submit a set of building plans (or set of plans on how you want to subdivide). They will review for approval. AFTER approval, they will grant you any type of permit. This is why a local architect and engineer are important as they know what is likely not going to fly with the city.
... Many other blind spots that I recognize I haven't figured out yet...
Man I tell you I started doing fix and flips many years ago and I wish I would have started in new construction instead. It's a bit of a longer process but in my opinion, there are less surprises of things that can go wrong.
I used to freak out about the inspectors showing up at my job site until I realized they have my best interest in mind. Many of them are very nice and super helpful people. If I legit don't know... they are happy to school me up if I ask in advance.
Hope this helps bro! Get it!