Once you have entitlements, the technical work of preparing the site for construction begins. Site planning and civil engineering convert the entitled concept into detailed construction documents — the precise plans that contractors use to build, that municipalities use to issue permits, and that lenders use to fund construction. This is technical, sequential work, and getting it right saves time and money throughout construction.

This lesson covers site planning and civil engineering: the disciplines, the documents, and how to manage the design phase effectively.

What is site planning

Site planning is the design discipline that determines how a building and its supporting infrastructure are arranged on the land. The site plan answers questions like:

Where does the building go?
How are vehicles routed in and out?
Where does parking go?
Where do utilities enter the site?
Where does stormwater drain to and how is it managed?
What's the landscape design?
How does the site interact with surroundings?

Site planning is led by an architect and civil engineer working together, sometimes with input from a landscape architect and traffic engineer.

The site planning team

Civil engineer

The civil engineer leads most site planning work:

Grading and drainage design
Utility design (water, sewer, stormwater)
Paving and parking design
Erosion control
Stormwater management
Permit drawings
Construction documents

Architect

The architect leads building design but coordinates with civil:

Building footprint (size, shape, orientation)
Building entrance locations
Service areas (loading docks, dumpsters)
Connection to site systems

Landscape architect

The landscape architect designs:

Plant selection and placement
Hardscape (sidewalks, plazas)
Site furniture
Buffers and screening
Trees and shade

Traffic engineer

For projects requiring traffic study:

Trip generation analysis
Intersection analysis
Access design
Improvements design

Other consultants

Geotechnical engineer — soil analysis, foundation recommendations
Environmental consultant — wetlands, contamination
Surveyor — boundary, topographic, ALTA surveys
MEP engineers — building mechanical, electrical, plumbing

The site planning process

Site planning typically follows this sequence:

Phase 1: Programming and concept (weeks 1-2)

Building program — size, layout, function
Parking requirements per zoning
Site constraints review
Highest and best use validation
Concept site plan showing basic arrangement

Phase 2: Schematic design (weeks 3-6)

Multiple site plan options
Building placement alternatives
Parking lot configurations
Driveway and access design
Initial grading concepts
Utility connection points
Landscape concepts
Owner review and decision on preferred option

Phase 3: Design development (weeks 6-12)

Preferred site plan refined
Building dimensions finalized
Parking layout detailed
Driveway specifications
Grading plan developed
Drainage plan developed
Utility plans developed
Landscape plan developed
Specifications for materials and methods

Phase 4: Construction documents (weeks 12-18)

Detailed construction drawings
Permit-ready submittals
Specifications
Engineering calculations
Quality control
Coordination across disciplines

Phase 5: Permitting (weeks 18-24)

Permit applications
Comments and revisions
Permit issuance
Pre-construction coordination

Phase 6: Bidding and construction support

Bidding assistance
Contractor questions
Field changes during construction
Inspections
As-builts

Site plan elements

A complete site plan addresses many elements.

Building placement

Setbacks from property lines (front, side, rear)
Orientation for solar, views, access
Relationship to entrances and primary frontage
Distance from adjacent buildings
Service access for loading, trash, emergency

Parking

Calculated by zoning requirement (often expressed as spaces per 1,000 SF):

Retail: 4-5 spaces per 1,000 SF typical
Office: 3-4 spaces per 1,000 SF
Industrial/warehouse: 1-2 spaces per 1,000 SF (lower because fewer employees)
Restaurant: 8-12 spaces per 1,000 SF (high because of concentrated demand)
Medical: 4-6 spaces per 1,000 SF

Parking design considerations:

Stall dimensions (typically 9' × 18' standard)
Drive aisle width (typically 24' for 90-degree parking)
ADA accessible spaces (required percentage)
Striping
Wheel stops or curbs
Lighting
Landscape islands
Bicycle parking (sometimes required)
EV charging (increasingly required)

Driveways and access

Number of driveways (often limited)
Driveway location relative to intersections (minimum distances)
Driveway width (varies by use)
Right-in/right-out vs full access
Median treatments
Sight distance for safety
Truck access for service vehicles

Internal circulation

Drive aisles
Pedestrian connections
Service routes
Emergency access
Loading zones

Utilities

Water service entry, meter, fire line
Sanitary sewer connection
Storm sewer drainage system
Electric service entry, transformer
Gas service (if applicable)
Telecom/fiber
Easements for utility access

Landscape

Landscape buffers along property lines
Interior landscape in parking islands
Foundation plantings around building
Trees for shade and aesthetics
Ground cover and grass
Irrigation system
Tree preservation for existing significant trees

Stormwater management

This is often the most complex site element:

Drainage area analysis
Pre-development vs post-development runoff calculations
Detention pond sizing
Retention pond sizing
Infiltration features
Treatment for water quality
Outfall to public system
Maintenance requirements

In Florida specifically, stormwater is regulated by Water Management Districts (St. Johns River, Southwest Florida, South Florida, etc.) with specific rules.

Erosion and sediment control

Silt fences
Sediment basins
Inlet protection
Stabilization of disturbed areas
Construction entrance
NPDES permit for projects over 1 acre

Lighting

Parking lot lighting
Building lighting
Walkway lighting
Photometric plan showing light levels
Cut-off fixtures to limit light spillover
Energy efficiency (LED standard)

Signage

Monument signs
Wall signs
Directional signs
Pylon signs

Civil engineering elements

Civil engineering covers the technical infrastructure design.

Grading

Grading design accomplishes several goals:

Building pad at correct elevation
Positive drainage away from building
ADA-compliant slopes in walkways
Driveway slopes (typically max 5-6%)
Parking lot slopes (typically 1-3%)
Retention/detention pond slopes
Match existing grade at property line
Erosion control through slope management

A grading plan shows existing and proposed contours, with cut and fill calculations.

Drainage

Drainage design routes water:

From roof drains to storm system
From parking lot to drainage inlets
Through storm sewer pipes
To stormwater management ponds
To public outfall

Calculations verify:

Pipe sizing for design storm
Pond capacity for volume requirements
Treatment volume for water quality

Stormwater management

Florida-specific requirements:

First inch (or first half inch) of runoff treated for water quality
25-year storm storage typically required
100-year storm floodplain analysis
Pre/post discharge rates limited
Water Management District approval

Water and sewer

Water service design:

Domestic water for building use
Fire line for sprinkler/hydrant
Meter sizing
Backflow prevention
Connection to public main

Sewer service design:

Building sewer to public main
Slope for gravity flow
Cleanouts for maintenance
Lift station if elevation requires
Connection to public manhole

Utility coordination

Existing utility locations
Utility easements
Construction conflicts
Coordination meetings with utility providers

Permits and approvals

Site plans drive multiple permits:

Permit types

Site plan approval:

Issued by planning/zoning
Approves the overall site design
Required before building permit

Engineering permits:

Water and sewer
Stormwater
Right-of-way work (driveways, sidewalks)
Issued by engineering/public works

Environmental permits:

Wetlands fill (Army Corps, DEP, water management district)
NPDES (stormwater during construction)
Tree removal

Building permit:

Issued by building department
Required to start construction
Often after site plan approval

Other permits:

Health department (food service, septic)
Fire marshal (fire protection)
DOT (state roads)

Permit timeline

Typical permit timelines:

Site plan approval: 3-6 months
Engineering permits: 1-3 months (concurrent with site plan)
Environmental permits: 3-12 months (varies by complexity)
Building permit: 1-3 months (after site plan)
Total: 6-12 months from completed design to construction-ready

Permit costs

Direct permit fees vary widely:

Site plan review fee: $1K-$10K typical
Building permit fees: 0.5-2% of construction cost
Engineering review fees: $1K-$5K
Environmental fees: variable
Impact fees: $5K-$50K+ per 1,000 SF (the largest cost)

Total permit and impact fees can be 3-8% of project hard costs.

Construction documents

Construction documents are the detailed drawings and specifications used to build the project.

Drawing types

Civil drawings:

Cover sheet
General notes
Existing conditions
Site plan
Grading plan
Drainage plan
Erosion control plan
Utility plans (water, sewer, storm)
Paving plan
Landscape plan (or separate)
Construction details
Specifications

Architectural drawings:

Cover sheet
General notes
Site plan (architect's version)
Floor plans
Elevations
Sections
Details
Specifications
Door schedules
Window schedules
Finish schedules

Structural drawings:

Foundation plans
Framing plans
Sections and details
Connection details
Specifications

MEP drawings:

Mechanical (HVAC) plans
Plumbing plans
Electrical plans
Fire protection plans
Specifications

Documentation quality

Quality construction documents:

Are coordinated across disciplines (architectural, structural, MEP, civil)
Are buildable with no major omissions
Are clearly drawn
Include all necessary details
Comply with all codes
Are stamped by licensed professionals

Poor documentation creates:

Construction delays while issues are resolved
Cost overruns from changes
Disputes between owner and contractor
Quality problems

Investing in quality documentation saves money during construction.

Design fees and budgeting

Design fees typically run 5-12% of construction cost depending on project complexity:

| Component | Typical fee | |---|---| | Civil engineering | 1.5-3% of construction | | Architecture | 5-10% of construction | | Structural | 1-2% of construction | | MEP | 2-4% of construction | | Landscape | 0.5-1% of construction | | Surveying | $5K-$30K total | | Geotechnical | $5K-$25K total | | Environmental | $3K-$20K (Phase I) | | Traffic | $5K-$25K |

For a $5M project, design fees might total $300K-$500K.

These costs are spread across schematic design, design development, construction documents, and construction administration phases.

Worked example: Lakeland retail center site planning

You're developing a 7,500 SF retail building with 2 outparcels on a 2.5-acre site in Lakeland, FL.

Site planning sequence

Month 1: Programming and concept

Building footprint: 7,500 SF rectangular
Parking requirement: 38 spaces (5/1,000 SF retail)
Outparcels: 2 × 0.4 acres
Concept site plan with three layout options

Month 2-3: Schematic design

Owner selects preferred layout
Refined site plan
Driveway locations (2: full access east, right-in/right-out south)
Building orientation
Parking layout
Stormwater pond location (back of site)
Outparcel access

Month 4-5: Design development

Civil engineering develops
- Grading plan
- Drainage plan with pond sizing
- Water and sewer extensions
- Paving design
Architect develops building design
Landscape architect develops landscape plan
Engineering reviews and revisions

Month 6-7: Construction documents

Final civil drawings
Final architectural drawings
Specifications
Final coordination

Month 7-9: Permitting

Site plan approval (city of Lakeland)
Engineering permits
SWFWMD approval for stormwater
Building permits

Total: ~9 months from start of design to construction-ready

Costs

Civil engineering: $80K
Architecture: $200K
Structural: $35K
MEP: $60K
Landscape: $20K
Surveying: $15K
Geotechnical: $12K
Environmental Phase I: $4K
Traffic study: $15K
Permits and impact fees: $180K
Total soft costs: ~$620K (12% of $5M construction cost)

Outcomes

All approvals achieved
Construction proceeds on schedule
No major issues during construction
Project delivered on time and on budget

This is what good site planning enables: smooth construction and successful delivery.

Common site planning mistakes

Skipping schematic design alternatives — committing to first concept
Underestimating stormwater requirements — major site driver
Poor utility coordination — discovering issues during construction
Inadequate driveway locations — access problems
Insufficient parking — failing to meet zoning
Poor grading — drainage problems and ADA issues
Ignoring landscape requirements — failing zoning compliance
Inadequate construction documents — change orders during construction
Wrong consultant selection — inexperienced or overworked firms
Rushing the design phase — costs more during construction

What to take away

Site planning converts entitled concept into buildable plans
Team: civil engineer, architect, landscape architect, surveyor, geotechnical, MEP, traffic
Process: programming, schematic, design development, construction documents, permitting, support
Site plan elements: building placement, parking, drives, utilities, landscape, stormwater, lighting, signage
Civil engineering: grading, drainage, stormwater, utilities
Permits: site plan, engineering, environmental, building, others
Design fees: 5-12% of construction cost typically
Quality construction documents save money during construction
Florida-specific: water management district approval, hurricane requirements, impact fees
Common mistakes: skipping alternatives, underestimating stormwater, poor coordination

Next lesson: construction contracting and project delivery — how to bid, contract, and deliver the construction phase of development.

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