Survey and Development

[Alan Jone]

Hey All, thanks in advance for thoughts put into this post. I am given an opportunity from a distant relative to do development work in Columbus, OH. I plan on getting a 1-2 acre lot to put around 5-10 houses on them. We are still talking through the details and how we plan on having them done, how big the lots will be per unit, etc.

My question is, i understand there's the process of surveying the land with civil engineers, and also a lot of development process that must happen before construction can begin. How much are land surveys going to cost for the most part?

With development, I've flipped a few places, so I understand that permits will need to be pulled. What permits are necessary for new builds? Also, development will include getting utilities hooked up into the lots. Does anyone know a time frame of when construction can start? I assume I will take probably 3 months doing the survey, permits, and utility process, 6-9 months on construction, totaling my timeline for a new build at about 12 months or so. Does this seem realistic?

Who should I reach out to first? The civil engineer firms around here to get started? I'd like them to do the surveys and stuff before I purchase the land.

Any answers or thoughts are greatly appreciated.

[Lynnette E.]

I think you should step back a little first and talk with the local planning folks.  See if your development is suitable for that land.  How is the land zoned, what size lots are allowed in that area. 

A 1 to 2 acre lot with 10 houses is very high density for most areas, maybe 0.1 acres per house, plus utility easements and maybe a road..  I know nothing about Columbus, but know that is not likely to be allowed in many places.

You should also check if there is capacity in the water, sewer, electric, etc. systems before planning a build.

It makes little sense to survey before you know what you are doing, as they don't know the size lots allowed, housing density, etc.

How long surveys, permit, etc. take is very location / staffing specific.  And you want a building permit for new construction.