Site Development
Appraisal- The estimated value of a piece of property.
Benchmark- A reference point used by surveyors to establish grades and construction heights.
Building Code- Legal requirements designed to protect the public by providing building codes.
Building Line- A line determined by zoning departments to specify on which area of a lot a structure may be built.
Catch basin- An underground reservoir for water drained from a roof before it flows to a storm drain.
Contractor- The manager of a construction project, or one specific phase of it.
Control point survey - A survey method that establishes elevations that is recorded on a map.
Easement- An area of land that cannot be built upon because it provides access to a structure or to utilities, such as power or sewer.
Plat- A parcel of land.
Point-of-beginning– Fixed location on a plot of land where the survey begins.
Radial survey– A survey method used to locate property corners, structures, natural features, and elevation points
Setback– The minimum distance required between the structure and the property line
Site Orientation– Placement of a structure on a property with certain environmental and physical factors taken into consideration
Survey map– Map of a property showing its size, boundaries, and topography
Zoning– An ordinance that regulates the location, size, and type of a structure in a building zone
Topography– Physical description of land surface showing its variation in elevation and location of features such as rivers, lakes, or towns
International Residential Code (IRC)- A national building code for one- and two-family dwelling
Contours- A line that represents land formations
Profile– Vertical section of the surface of the ground, and/or of underlying earth that is taken along any desired fixed line
