How to Build a Home - Lesson 2 - The Building Lot - Part VI - Due Diligence

  <p>  <strong> What To Do After The Contract To Purchase Is Accepted </strong>  </p><p> 1. Utility line right-of-ways </p><p> Contact the company that owns the pipeline or power line crossing the property and find out what you can or cannot do on their easement. Some companies, like Colonial pipeline, will fly these right-of-ways almost daily by plane or helicopter. If you start disturbing the ground on this right-of-way without their knowledge they'll shut the job down. </p><p> 2. Percolation test </p><p> If you do not have access to a sewer line you will probably have a septic tank. If you have a septic tank you will perform, in conjunction with the county health department, what we call a percolation, or "perk test". Most county health departments will allow you, the owner, to do this perk test. Because of my busy schedule, I normally hire the surveyor to do it. The health department will provide you with instructions on how to do the perk test - it's simple. If you fail this perk test, it could mean you cannot have a septic tank. Make sure you've completed the perk test and the property is approved for a septic tank. If the property fails a perk test, many people think it is "unbuildable" for a home because they are of the opinion you cannot have a septic tank - not so! There are other alternatives; for example, you could use what is called an aerobic treatment unit. This system is more expensive than the conventional septic tank but it would enable you to build on what some would consider an unbuildable lot. Be sure to check with your health department because the aerobic system may or may not be approved for your area. </p><p> 3. Soil test </p><p> In North Georgia we have "good ole" red clay. If you have never been to Georgia, it is truly red and a real pain to get out of clothes and carpet. However, this red clay is very stable for a foundation. There are many parts of the country and Georgia where the ground is very unstable for a foundation. In those areas where the ground may not look "just right," you may be required to do soil testing and/or engineering to properly install a foundation for a home. If you fear any problems with the soil, I recommend you call a "soil engineer". A soil engineer can test the soil and tell you whether or not it is stable enough to support your home. If it's not stable, the soil engineer can tell you what can be done to make it stable. You may also need a "structural engineer" to design the foundation for any unstable ground. You can find these engineers in the Yellow Pages under Engineer - Geothermal and Engineer - Structural. The construction of a home is basically the same throughout the country. The foundation is what changes quite a bit from one location to another because of the soil. If you install the foundation correctly, the chances of anything major happening to your home, from a structural standpoint, are very slim. You do not want a foundation problem. So check your soil and seek professional advise if the ground doesn't test well or does not look "just" right. </p><p> 4. Wetlands </p><p> Wetlands can be a real and serious problem. The department that oversees and regulates wetlands is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Army Corps of Engineers have mapped many wetland areas and can give you the pamphlets to help you determine if your property contains any wetlands. What's confusing are those areas that look high and dry that are designated wetlands. If you unknowingly build in these areas, they can shut down the construction of your home because it's illegal to disturb a wetland environment. If you have any doubts, check with the Army Corps of Engineers and find out if there could a problem. To learn more about the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, visit their web site. </p><p> 5. Flood plain </p><p> A flood plain is another type of land area designated and regulated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps of Engineers will designate an elevation point called the "100-Year Flood Plain Mark." In theory, only once in 100 years would there be a floor where the water level would go above this elevation point. Your surveyor can indicate this 100-Year mark on your survey. Most cities and counties will not let you build in an area designated as a Flood Plain. In some flood plain areas you may be allowed to add fill dirt to raise the elevation of the home above the flood mark. However, in many flood areas, you may not be allowed to do this, because if there's not adequate drainage, you would accentuate the problem, if there were a flood. It's like placing a rock in a glass of water; you will raise the level of the water. I remember some property I placed under contract for a subdivision and there was a small creek on the property. I didn't think there was any problem. It turned out over half of the property was in a designated flood area. It was also the type of flood area you could not fill in. The seller was shocked; they said they had lived there for 30 years and had never seen the creek flood. If the owner was correct, he could possibly do the necessary paperwork to have his property removed from the designated flood area. For me it didn't matter - it was a dead deal. You can see these designated flood areas by acquiring copies of flood insurance rate maps [FIRM]. The  <a href="https://www.home247.co/%E0%B8%82%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A2%E0%B8%9A%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%B7%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%87-%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%B8%E0%B8%82%E0%B8%B8%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%97/" alt="บ้าน สุขุมวิท">บ้าน สุขุมวิท</a> easiest way to get a copy of a FIRM map, for your area, is to go to the web site for the Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA]. It's not unusual for part of a parcel to be in a flood plain. The problem arises when any part of the structure of the home is within the designated flood plain area. If the home is in the flood plain area, your lenders will require you to purchase flood insurance. The maximum amount available for flood insurance is $285,000.00 and the premium for flood insurance can be costly. Many lenders will not even make a loan on a home where part of the structure is in the flood plain. </p><p> 6. Tributary setbacks </p><p> If there is a creek or stream on the property, even if it's not in a designated flood plain area, there could be restrictions on how close you can build to that creek or stream. These restrictions are federally mandated to minimize sediment runoff into a particular creek or stream. Check this out with you city or county building department. </p><p> 7. Hydrology Study </p><p> Some homes that I build are so expensive; I treat them like a commercial job and hire an engineer to perform a "hydrology study." The hydrology study will indicate if there is going to be a water runoff problem, after the home is constructed. If there is a problem, this engineer will design a solution to the problem. The type of engineer to do this is a "civil engineer." If you ever have a problem with water drainage and you need to correct it, contact a civil engineer. You'll find them in the Yellow Pages under Engineer - Civil. Some areas of the country may require a hydrology study on every home. The Building Department of the city or county you will build in should be able to tell you. Don't let the fact that I recommend these engineers scare you. If anything, you should be afraid if no engineers are involved in the project. Don't spend a ton of money for these engineers and shop around, you will see quite a variation in price from one engineer to another. Don't be afraid to hire these engineers; I would rather you spend some money up front to find and solve a problem than spend much more money later on to solve a problem. </p><p> 8. Hazardous waste and buried trash </p><p> I'm beginning to see more and more builders required to furnish a certified document stating that there is no buried trash or hazardous waste on the property. There are engineering firms in any given area that can do this testing and supply these documents if you need them. </p><p> 9. Rock test <

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Even if you don't see any surface rock, if you have serious doubts about rock, you can hire firms to check for rock. Contact a soil engineer to find out whom to use. They can bore or dig test holes in the ground to tell you how far below the surface the rock exists. This way you'll know if you are going to have a problems installing a driveway, basement, swimming pool, sewer line or septic tank.

10. Survey

After you have the property under contract to purchase, I recommend that you go ahead and get a current (no more than 6 months old) survey by a licensed land surveyor. The survey is going to clear up a lot of potential problems. For example, the survey will show any easements on the property that you may not see with the eye. The survey will also show any areas of the property that are in a flood plain. I know people who believed their lot was 200 feet wide on the road and 2 acres in size. Their daddy even told them it was 2 acres with 200 feet on the road. They'd sell the property based on this info, only to have the new owner order a survey and find out the property is 1½ acres in size, not 2, and there is only 150 feet on the road, not 200 feet. The deal could fall through right there. If you've got an old survey, you might be able to have the original surveyor update it for as little as $50.00. If there is a subdivision plat recorded at the courthouse, find out who did the original subdivision and they may be willing to survey the lot for a cheaper fee. Remember to shop around; you will see a large variation in price from one surveyor to another. One last item, ask the surveyor to provide a legend on the survey for clarification. A person new to the industry may not understand that "IPF" at a corner of the property stands for "Iron Pin Found."

11. Topography map

The topography map or "topo" will show the contour of the land. If your property is relatively flat, you may not need to spend money for a topo. The surveyor is who we hire to do the topo. Like the survey, to get the best price you will need to shop around.

If you are designing a home for a given lot and/or working with steep or rolling terrain, a topography map will be very beneficial. The ideal topo is what we call a "2-foot topo" (as opposed to a 4-foot topo). What this means is the distance between each line represents a 2-foot drop or rise in the terrain. In the world of grading, a grade of 2% or less may have problems with drainage and a grade of 15% or more could cost you money for fill dirt, hauling away of any excess dirt, or building retaining walls. The topo map can show you if you are going to need $10,000 worth of fill dirt or a $20,000 retaining wall. These are problems you want to know before you purchase a lot. If you're in a major metropolitan area, check with the county engineering or highway department. They may have in their files a topo for the property you are interested in purchasing.