Once the Site Plan and Land Disturbance Permit is approved, it’s time to kickoff construction. For a new home build project in Northern Virginia, the following construction stakeout services will be needed.
- Limits of Disturbance (LOD) Stakeout
- House Stakeout for Excavation
- Brick Points Stakeout
- Wall Check
- Final Location, Height, and Lot Coverage As-built
- Stormwater Management Facility As-built Certification
DeMarr Engineering handles all of the construction stakeout and as-built surveying services exclusively for our Civil Engineering Site Plan clients. We currently only provide these construction stakeout services to our new home build Site Plan clients in Fairfax County, Arlington County and Loudoun County.
What is a Pre-Construction Meeting?
The first step to kick off construction after Site Plan and Permit approval is to schedule a Pre-Construction Meeting, also known as a “Pre-Con” Meeting with the County Inspector. The Approved Site Plan and/or Land Disturbance Permit will have a number to call to schedule the Pre-Con meeting with the County Site Inspector.
The parties required to attend a Pre-Con Meeting are typically:
- Property Owner
- Builder
- Site Contractor
- County Site Inspector
Depending on the project, additional parties may be required or requested to attend the Pre-Con meeting:
- County Arborist (If Required)
- Project Arborist (If Requested)
- Civil Engineer (If Requested)
During the scheduling call with the County, it is important to confirm what documents the property owner or Builder should have on site for the meeting. Typically you will need:
- 2-3 printed full-size copies of the Approved Site Plans.
- Land Disturbance Permit / Stormwater Permit
- Demolition Permit (If a Tear Down & Rebuild Project)
- SWPPP (Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan), if required.
What are the Limits of Disturbance (LOD)?
The first construction stakeout service will be for the Limits of Disturbance, also referred to as the “LOD.” The purpose for the Limits of Disturbance is to keep clearing and grading activities to a specified area that is delineated on the Approved Site Plan. Failure to contain construction in this area can result in Fines, a Notice of Violation, and/or a Stop Work Order from the applicable County or City Jurisdiction.
Before the Pre-Construction Meeting, a “LOD Stakeout” will be required to stake the Limits of Disturbance with wood stakes and a continuous white ribbon.
DeMarr Engineering performing a LOD Stakeout in Arlington County, VA
The Limits of Disturbance Stakeout will be reviewed by the Site Inspector during the Pre-Construction Meeting. Once approved to proceed, the next step will be for the Site Contractor to install the applicable erosion controls (Silt Fence and/or Tree Protection Fencing) along the staked Limits of Disturbance. Once the erosion controls are installed per the approved site plan, the site inspector will then inspect the silt fence and approve to proceed to clearing and/or demolition.
What is a House Stakeout “Cut Sheet”?
After land clearing is complete, it’s time to stakeout the location for where to dig the foundation/basement of your new home. Our Land Surveyors will place reference markers at each corner of a rectangle around the new home location. These reference markers are either a Nail or Wooden Hub marking precisely the reference point along with a stake and bright colored flagging to specify the point number and elevation of the wooden hub.
These reference hubs are placed at a specified offset distance to a building corner and are placed in a rectangular format. This is so that the excavation contractor can dig the basement with a 3-5 ft overdig and still be able to reference the wooden hubs with a tape measure, string line and transit.
After the reference nails or hubs are staked out on site, a “Cut Sheet” will be drafted in the office. The Cut Sheet will have a drawing of the house foundation footprint along with the location and elevations of each hub/nail that was staked out earlier. This Cut Sheet will have Cut/Fill calculations (hence the name “Cut Sheet”) for each staked hub/nail vertical distance to the finished basement floor elevation.
The excavation contractor will use the Cut Sheet to Cut or Fill the land in preparation for digging the new foundation. The concrete contractor will also use this Cut Sheet to place their formwork for the foundation footers in the correct spot.
What are “Brick Points”?
After the excavation for the foundation is complete, a Brick Points Stakeout will need to be scheduled as soon as the concrete footers are placed. Brick Points are points marking the corner of the foundation wall or corner of the brick veneer.
The concrete foundation contractor needs these surveyed Brick Points in the foundation footers to know where to precisely place the foundation wall formwork.
Brick Points Stakeout by DeMarr Engineering
During the Brick Points Stakeout, our Land Surveyors also check the location and elevation of the foundation footers to confirm if the elevation is correct. Proceeding without a Brick Points Stakeout can result in costly construction mistakes.
What is a Wall Check?
Once the foundation walls are placed, a Wall Check Survey is needed to confirm the foundation walls are in the correct location. Some Cities and Counties, such as Arlington County, require a Wall Check Survey to be reviewed and approved by Zoning Staff before proceeding to framing.
Other jurisdictions such as Fairfax County and Loudoun County may not require a Wall Check Survey, but it is always good practice to have a Wall Check Survey performed.
Besides county requirements, your Lender might require a Wall Check Survey to be performed before releasing the next draw of funds for construction. It is helpful to confirm with your lender their requirements and if they require a Wall Check Survey Plat stamped by a Licensed Surveyor.
Most Wall Check Survey Plats will only measure the horizontal location of the foundation and not the elevation. DeMarr Engineering will not just measure the location, but will also measure the top of foundation wall elevations. Our Civil Engineers will confirm that the measured elevations match what is designed and specified on our Approved Site Plan.
What is a Final Survey?
A Final Survey is the final location of improvements survey after the house is built. It can also include Height and Lot Coverage. The Final Survey is scheduled when the landscaping is installed and is required in most jurisdictions as a condition of approval for the Occupancy Permit.
The Final Survey requirements differ by County Jurisdiction, for example:
Loudoun County, VA
- Final Location of Improvements Survey
Fairfax County, VA
- Height Certification
- Stormwater Management Facility As-built Certification
Arlington County, VA
- Final Location of Improvements Survey
- Height As-built Certification
- Building & Lot Coverage Certification
- Final Grade As-built
- Stormwater Management Facility As-built Certification
What is a Stormwater Management Facility Certification?
If your project contains a Stormwater Management (SWM) facility, it will require an as-built certifying every step of the installation process. These SWM Facility as-builts are certified by a Licensed Professional Engineer and are submitted to the County for review and approval. It is important to select a Site Contractor who is experienced in installing Stormwater Management Facilities to prevent delays due from improper installation.
If you are planning to build a new addition or home in Northern Virginia or Washington, DC, please contact us for a quote on your next Land Development project.
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