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110%er [8243]
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Civil Engineering types, help needed
Feb 1, 2021, 11:36 AM
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I have some land (5 acres). I want to develop it or sell it. It would probably be best developed as residential. Either way, I need to procure a fairly short easement across a neighboring property for sewer. The neighbor has said they are open to it. I have absolutely no idea of where to go from here or how much it should cost.
At a minimum, I just need to figure out how much land will be needed for the easement. At most, I would need to figure out how many lots could be developed and what would be needed there. Am UDP, so cost is a factor. I don't know what I don't know. When I call an engineering firm, what should I ask?
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All-In [43571]
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I'd probably just start with
Feb 1, 2021, 11:41 AM
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I have some land (5 acres). I want to develop it or sell it. It would probably be best developed as residential. Either way, I need to procure a fairly short easement across a neighboring property for sewer. The neighbor has said they are open to it. I have absolutely no idea of where to go from here or how much it should cost.
At a minimum, I just need to figure out how much land will be needed for the easement. At most, I would need to figure out how many lots could be developed and what would be needed there. Am UDP, so cost is a factor.
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110%er [8243]
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As usual, TRDJ, you're correct.
Feb 1, 2021, 11:45 AM
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Not terribly helpful, but correct.
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Oculus Spirit [81628]
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There's a few in here.
Feb 1, 2021, 11:44 AM
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Greenr, clemsonrulez08®, and I can't remember the others, hey dirt guys, look here.
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All-In [40656]
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Not a land development guy
Feb 1, 2021, 11:55 AM
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So I can't REALLY answer this, but lawyers will need to get involved.
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110%er [8243]
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I figured as much
Feb 1, 2021, 11:58 AM
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I have never seen a contract for an easement. I can't imagine they are standardized like a residential contract. Too many variables.
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All-In [42671]
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If you're selling it, why do you need to worry about that?***
Feb 1, 2021, 11:47 AM
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110%er [8243]
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If I do the work in getting the easement, it makes
Feb 1, 2021, 11:49 AM
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my dirt more valuable. Less steps for the buyer. At least, that is what I am thinking.
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All-In [43571]
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An easier alternative here may be to just
Feb 1, 2021, 11:53 AM
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donate the land. Have you thought about that? If you want to explore that option please tmale me the location of these 5 acres and I'll see if I can round up someone to accept the donation.
Think about how much engineering money you'll save.
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All-In [42671]
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110%er [8243]
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Either way, sewer access would probably be needed.
Feb 1, 2021, 11:57 AM
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If I were to build a single house on it, I wouldn't want septic.
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All-In [42671]
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I think you are correct but based on Neal's post below is it
Feb 1, 2021, 12:02 PM
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worth sinking 10-20K into it before you sell it based on what the buyer will probably want to do with it?
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110%er [8243]
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Based on the location and potential value, probably.***
Feb 1, 2021, 12:04 PM
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Oculus Spirit [80977]
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There is something to that.
Feb 1, 2021, 11:50 AM
[ in reply to If you're selling it, why do you need to worry about that?*** ] |
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I knowaguy who bought a bunch of land in Awendaw, and wanted to develop it. It cost so much for easements, road clearing, separating the lots, legal stuff etc that he also became a realtor so he could actually make some money by selling the lots. He's an ex pro baseball player, so he was a millionaire already, and thought this was going to be an easy windfall for him. I don't think it turned out how he thought.
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Heisman Winner [105432]
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Developers will beat an engineer down to because they are
Feb 1, 2021, 12:40 PM
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never going to make any money off this deal, just like car dealers never make any money on these deals.
Developers can be real sleazebags, in general. I cannot speak for your friend. It is expensive to develop though, maximizing the number of lots and minimizing the construction costs is an artform that some land development engineers can do and then they don't get paid by a developer who just walks away from it.
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All-In [40872]
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If you called me this is what I would tell you
Feb 1, 2021, 11:47 AM
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Phase 1 would be a preliminary layout that we would get approved by you and a first pass at planning. We would also address the sewer.
$2500 or so
Phase 2 would be surveying, and engineering design. You might have a survey, we would see what you have and tell you how much if any other surveying is required. We would probably need more than you have.
$10,000 is a good guess with no other information
Phase 3 would be construction management if you needed it.
Another $5000 or so.
If you call an engineering firm they will ask for a survey and if you don't have it they will look it up on GIS and check utilities and zoning and then give you a fee proposal.
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110%er [8243]
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I do have the survey. Got that done 7 or 8 years ago when
Feb 1, 2021, 11:53 AM
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I bought the last parcel. That is a very helpful breakdown. Thanks.
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Heisman Winner [105432]
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This is a real good breakdown and your prices are
Feb 1, 2021, 12:36 PM
[ in reply to If you called me this is what I would tell you ] |
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pretty good. Are you a small firm or one man show? I would love to do that by myself, just cannot take that leap of faith.
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All-In [40872]
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6 employees now
Feb 1, 2021, 2:31 PM
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have had as many as 18. I averaged 12-14 for the majority of my 25 years in business. I make more now, and so do my employees than I ever did with more people. With 6 I am back to doing engineering on a daily bases when before I was just a manager.
It is a leap. I worked for a large contractor before I started out on my own. I never worked for a consulting engineer in my life. I didn't have google to help me figure it out either. I've never advertised or looked for work other than the first two months or so when I had zero clients.
If it doesn't work out, you can always get a job again.
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110%er [6397]
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Re: Civil Engineering types, help needed
Feb 1, 2021, 11:59 AM
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A standard sewer easement is 20' wide. Depending on the property's topography, an additional 10' temporary construction easement may be needed for equipment to operate unless your neighbor is willing to give written (witnessed and notarized) permission to do that work. Contact your county for minimum lot size and setbacks. You'll also need to find out if they will require a drainage retention pond for development. Hope that helps a bit. Lots of 'ifs' without more info.
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110%er [8243]
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Hadn't thought of the construction easement part of it.
Feb 1, 2021, 12:03 PM
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The property backs to a creek, so I am pretty sure a pond will be required, regardless of how it is developed.
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All-In [40656]
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That pre/post is finna be a biiiiiiiiiitch
Feb 1, 2021, 12:08 PM
[ in reply to Re: Civil Engineering types, help needed ] |
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Our old office used to be in an old decrepit house, but we bought the firm nextdoors building a few years back. Owner sold off the old lot and they threw up about thirty some odd townhomes. Fit a 15-20 foot deep retention pond about 10' off the back of someones porch. No way in HELL would I buy that unit with all the mosquitos that pond is about to breed.
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Heisman Winner [105432]
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Wouldn't be cost effective for a 5-acre site unless it is
Feb 1, 2021, 12:33 PM
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downtown somewhere, then you are right. I assumed he was developing a wooded lot, aka splitting up the tract into viable lots of some certain size and then providing water, sewer, driveway encroachments, etc. Let them build a residence on it, whoever buys it.
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Oculus Spirit [78823]
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county courthouse can handle the easement***
Feb 1, 2021, 12:14 PM
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Heisman Winner [105432]
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Private easement for private sewer line to be maintained by
Feb 1, 2021, 12:31 PM
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an HOA for the 5 acre development? Seems very problematic and expensive. If it is a public utility extension, you probably need the plans drawn up and they will show a +/- 20' easement, local ordinances will tell you the size, and then you will need a plat drawn up with that easement on his property and you will compensate him for that easement, I assume, and then donate it to the local municipality.
I'll be honest, developing a 5 acre site with utilities is not really an UDP thing to do. Are you just going to have 10 1/2-acre lots with existing road frontage or are you going to put in a roadway? There is ALOT we would need to know to help. Been a while since I have done all this and it varies wildly from municipality to municipality.
Good luck, I can answer questions if you have them though, for real.
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110%er [8243]
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Thanks. I'll tmail you.***
Feb 1, 2021, 12:56 PM
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