Your Foundation First: A Custom Home Lot & Land Preparation Checklist

Building a custom coastal home in Southeastern North Carolina begins long before the first shovel hits the ground. It starts with the land itself. Securing and preparing your lot is the foundational stage where future costs, timelines, and the very structure of your home are determined.

For a custom home build to proceed smoothly, thorough due diligence on the land is non-negotiable. Here is a comprehensive checklist of the critical steps and considerations for custom home lot and land preparation.

Phase 1: Land Feasibility and Due Diligence

Before you purchase or begin designing, you must understand what your land can legally and physically support. Skipping these steps can lead to costly redesigns and delays.

1. Title and Boundary Review

• Purpose: Confirming legal ownership, precise property boundaries, and access points.
• Key Action: Ensure the title is clear of liens or unresolved easements that could impact construction or future resale.

2. Zoning and Setbacks Verification

• Purpose: Understanding local regulations that dictate what can be built.
• Key Action: Verify the local zoning laws (New Hanover, Brunswick, or Pender County) regarding the type of structure, maximum height, and required minimum distances from property lines (setbacks).

3. Soil Testing (Geotechnical Survey)

• Purpose: This is essential for custom building on coastal land. It mitigates risk.
• Key Action: Conduct soil testing to determine the load-bearing capacity and groundwater level. This directly impacts the foundation design (e.g., elevated crawl space, pilings, or an engineered slab) and influences your budget.

4. Environmental Review

• Purpose: Identifying protected areas or flood risks.
• Key Action: Identify potential issues like wetlands, flood zones, or protected maritime forest trees. Coastal areas often have strict regulations concerning CAMA setbacks (Coastal Area Management Act) that limit where you can build.

Phase 2: Site Engineering and Permitting

5. Topographical Survey

• Purpose: To map the lot’s features and elevation.
• Key Action: Commission a detailed survey that maps the existing contours, elevations, and features of the land. This is crucial for proper site drainage and placing the home to maximize views while meeting flood elevation requirements.

6. Site Plan Development

• Purpose: The visual roadmap for all construction activities.
• Key Action: The engineer, working with your builder, develops a plan showing the exact placement of the home, driveway, temporary construction access, utility connections, and final grading.

7. Septic and Well Permitting (If Applicable)

• Purpose: Securing approvals for non-municipal services.
• Key Action: If you are not connecting to city water and sewer, a perc test and approval for your septic system and a permit for your well must be secured early in the process.

8. Tree and Vegetation Permitting

• Purpose: Ensuring compliance with local forestry ordinances.
• Key Action: Obtain local permits if you plan to remove significant trees, particularly those in protected zones. The cost and scope of this work are factored into the site clearing budget.

Phase 3: Site Preparation and Utilities

This is the physical work that makes the lot buildable and ready for vertical construction.

9. Site Clearing and Demolition

• Purpose: Removing obstacles and debris.
• Key Action: Removal of existing structures, trees, and debris. Modern coastal builders often practice selective clearing to preserve key trees for aesthetic and shade benefits, integrating them into the final landscape plan.

10. Rough Grading and Drainage

• Purpose: Protecting the home from water intrusion.
• Key Action: Moving and leveling the earth according to the site plan to ensure proper drainage away from the home’s future foundation. This prevents future water intrusion and erosion.

11. Temporary Utilities Set-Up

• Purpose: Providing necessary services for the build team.
• Key Action: Setting up temporary access for electricity, water, and sanitary services (e.g., portable restrooms) necessary for the construction team’s operations.

12. Utility Trenching and Hookups

• Purpose: Connecting the new home to the main service lines.
• Key Action: Digging trenches for connecting permanent utilities like electricity, gas, water, sewer, and fiber internet from the lot to the street lines.

Pro Tip from the Airlie Team: For coastal custom builds, always partner with an experienced builder who can guide you through the entire pre-construction process. Understanding your land is the most critical cost-saving and quality-assurance step you can take.

Ready to start the journey of preparing your perfect coastal lot? Contact Airlie Homes today for a consultation.