Can I build one?
The lot checklist
Eight questions. Answer what you know and we look up the rest. If any of the first three comes back no, we say so first.
- 01
What is your zone district?
We find it on the city's zoning map from your address. You don't need to know it.
You give us: the address
We find: the zone district and its rules for accessory dwellings
- 02
How big is the lot?
Width, depth and area decide how much can be built, and how much of the lot the buildings may cover.
You give us: a survey, if you have one
We find: the plat and the county's lot dimensions
- 03
What is on it now?
An existing garage, a shed, a deck or a big tree can help or block a plan.
You give us: photos of the yard and the garage
We find: the size of the house and every building on the plat
- 04
Where can a building sit?
Setbacks from each lot line, and from the alley, mark out a box. The new building has to fit inside it.
You give us: where you'd like it
We find: the box, drawn on your plat
- 05
How do you reach the back?
An alley, a side gate or a narrow strip beside the house decides how materials arrive and where a door can face.
You give us: how wide the way is
We find: the alley's width and fire access rules
- 06
Where do the utilities run?
Sewer, water, electric and gas each have a service line and a shortest path to the new building.
You give us: where the meter and the panel are
We find: the service lines and a first sketch of the run
- 07
What do the rules say about parking?
Some zones count the garage as the lot's parking. Losing it, or replacing it, can change the plan.
You give us: how many cars you park
We find: what the zone requires, and what it allows to change
- 08
What else is written on the lot?
A homeowners' association, a historic district or an easement can add a review before the city's.
You give us: any association papers
We find: easements on the plat and the districts the lot is in
What comes back
Our answer, in writing
You get a short written answer: build it, build it smaller, or don't build it. If the answer is yes, it comes with the box a building can sit in, the utilities' likely path and the stages that follow. If the answer is no, it says which rule decided it, so you can ask the city yourself.
In the answer
A plat marked with the box a building can sit in
Your zone district and the rules that apply
A first sketch of the utility run
What we couldn't settle without the city
Send us your lot
Tell us about the lot
The address is the one thing we can't do without. The rest helps us read the lot faster.
- Monday – FridayToday
- 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- SaturdayToday
- By appointment
- SundayToday
- Closed
If the answer is no
A no is worth having early
Some lots can't take a second building: the lot is too narrow, the zone doesn't allow it, or the only utility path crosses a neighbor's land. We would rather say so in writing at the start than after you have paid for drawings.
A no from us is not a ruling. The answer names the rule that decided it, and you can ask the city to confirm it. Where a smaller plan fits, we say that too.
Start with the address
An address is enough to begin. Call or text, or use the form above.