Before You Draw the Floor Plan, Check the Property

A good floor plan starts with understanding the property. Before refining rooms, rooflines or finishes, find out how your building idea fits the lot.

PROCAD’s Project Discovery brings early property research and a preliminary site plan together, so your next design decisions have a clearer starting point.

Start with four site questions

• Where are the property boundaries? Confirm the lot’s shape and the available site records.
• What is already there? Review existing buildings, terrain, access and other features that may affect the proposal.
• Where could the project fit? Consider the proposed footprint alongside applicable setbacks, coverage and zoning information.
• What needs a closer look? Identify questions that require municipal information, a survey or specialist advice.

What your Project Discovery PDF shows

You receive a preliminary, property-specific PDF in a site-plan format. It brings the proposal and the available research into one place:

• Proposed building location and footprint.
• Relevant setbacks and lot-coverage information.
• Zoning information and identified property constraints.
• Questions that need further investigation before detailed design.

A setback is a required separation from a boundary or other reference line. Lot coverage describes how much of the property is covered by buildings or other counted features. The applicable definitions and requirements depend on the property.

Where an early review helps

Renovations, additions, garages and shops

An open space beside the house does not tell you the whole story. Reviewing the existing home, access and applicable site requirements can show whether the proposed footprint needs to move or change before you develop the layout.

Coach houses and garden suites

A separate dwelling needs to work within the whole property. Discovery gives you an early look at the proposed location and the questions that deserve attention before detailed design.

Duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes

The unit count is only part of the discussion. A property review connects the concept to the site information and identified constraints, without treating the proposal as an approved development.

Packages and turnaround

Available to British Columbia residents only.

• $500 CAD + GST: single-family projects, including renovations, additions, garages and shops.
• $750 CAD + GST: a coach house or garden suite.
• $1,000 CAD + GST: multifamily projects with 2–4 units.

Larger or more complex proposals are quoted individually.

Allow 10 calendar days after payment and receipt of the complete required property information.

You do not need a finished design to start

Bring the information you already have:

• The property address or PID, plus the municipality.
• A short description of what you want to do.
• The intended use, approximate size and your main priorities.
• Existing property records or drawings, if available.

A PID can identify a property that does not yet have a civic address. You do not need to research every zoning detail yourself before speaking with us.

Know the limits of an early review. Project Discovery is preliminary research and planning. It is not a survey, permit approval, construction-cost estimate or construction-ready drawing set, and it does not guarantee that a project can be built.

Find out how your idea fits your property

Explore the service, see what to provide and choose the appropriate Project Discovery package for your next step.

Explore Project Discovery

Planning a custom home or a renovation? Start with a clearer understanding of the site.

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