Site Plan Examples: 12 Real Permit-Ready Plans

Last verified July 2026·Reviewed by Todd Hartman

Quick answer

These are 12 real site plans we drew for actual permit applications: decks, a detached garage, fences, a paver patio, and a pergola, plus driveway, new-construction, and commercial formats. Every sheet shows the elements reviewers check: property lines with dimensions, the proposed work drawn to scale, setback distances written as numbers, and recorded easements. Click any plan to view it full size.

Most pages about site plans describe the drawing. This one just shows you the drawings. Every plan below is a real sheet we delivered for a customer's permit application, published with owner and order details redacted, at the standard residential format: an 11 by 17 sheet at 1 inch = 20 feet, drawn from county GIS records and satellite imagery. Click any sheet to open it full size, where every dimension is readable.

As you look through them, notice how the same anatomy repeats: the north arrow and scale in the corner, the boundary drawn with its dimensions, existing structures labeled, the proposed work in its own color, and setback distances written as numbers. That repetition is the point. Reviewers see hundreds of these, and a plan that follows the format gets read quickly. Our guide to site plans for permits explains each element; this page shows what they look like done.

Deck site plan examples

Deck reviewers check the setbacks to each lot line, the separation from the house where the deck is freestanding, and any easements the footprint could touch. Three variations:

Sample deck site plan showing a proposed 25 by 12 foot rear deck with steps, setback dimensions, and utility easements, owner details redacted — **Attached rear deck, Sunbury, Ohio.** A proposed 25 × 12 ft deck with 4 ft steps, dimensioned to both side lot lines, with the 30 ft building setback line and both utility easements drawn. The scope-of-work note spells out exactly what the reviewer is approving.

Sample corner lot deck site plan with two street frontages and drainage and utility easements drawn, owner details redacted — **Corner-lot deck, Plain City, Ohio.** Two street frontages, a curved right-of-way, and three separate drainage and utility easements. Corner lots get extra review attention, and this sheet shows why the drawing has to carry more information than a mid-block lot. See site plans for unusual lots for corner, flag, sloped, and easement cases.

Sample site plan showing a proposed deck and above ground pool with building setback lines, owner details redacted — **Deck and above-ground pool, Schenectady, New York.** The proposed deck serves an above-ground pool, so the plan dimensions both, plus the distances between structures and the 25 ft and 10 ft building setback lines. Pool projects add barrier and separation checks on top of the usual ones.

Planning one of these? The deck site plan page covers what your city checks, and the deck permit guide covers whether you need a permit at all.

Detached garage site plan example

Sample detached garage site plan with the proposed garage dimensioned behind the residence, owner details redacted — **Detached garage, Jamestown, North Carolina.** A proposed 18 × 25 ft garage placed behind the residence, with the 5 ft utility easement along the street frontage drawn and the existing driveway shown as the access route. Garages get the strictest site-plan review of the common projects; this is the drawing that answers it.

See the garage site plan page for the five checks reviewers run on garage applications.

Fence site plan examples

A fence plan is a route, not a footprint: the drawing follows the fence line along the boundary, with heights and gates marked. Easements matter more here than anywhere, because drainage and utility corridors run along the same lot lines fences do.

Sample corner lot fence site plan with a proposed 6 foot fence and recorded easements drawn, owner details redacted — **Corner-lot fence, Shepherdstown, West Virginia.** A proposed 6 ft fence on a corner lot threaded around storm-drain, water, and sanitary-sewer easements, all drawn from the recorded plat. This is exactly the situation where an easement left off the drawing earns a correction notice.

Sample fence site plan on an alley lot with proposed fence runs along the boundary, owner details redacted — **Alley-lot fence, Salt Lake City, Utah.** Proposed fence runs marked along an alley boundary, with the neighbor's garage located and each run dimensioned. Alley access adds its own placement questions, and the plan answers them in one look.

The fence site plan page covers heights, gates, and the sight-triangle rules corner lots add.

Patio and pergola site plan examples

Sample paver patio site plan with an impervious coverage table comparing existing and proposed area, owner details redacted — **Paver patio, Wilmington, North Carolina.** The standout element is the impervious-coverage table: lot area, every existing paved surface, and the proposed pavers, totaled to 48.79% against the city's cap. This is the patio check most homeowners have never heard of, computed on the sheet.

Sample site plan with a proposed attached pergola beside a pool and spa, setback lines labeled, owner details redacted — **Attached pergola, Las Vegas, Nevada.** A 20.5 × 13 ft pergola attached to the house beside an existing pool and spa, with building and garage setback lines labeled and a scope-of-work note. A covered structure is reviewed harder than flatwork, so the plan shows the attachment clearly.

The patio site plan page explains the impervious-coverage math and when a cover changes the review.

More formats: driveway, new construction, commercial

The same drawing type covers more than backyard projects. From the product gallery:

Sample residential site plan with a proposed driveway and walkway drawn to scale, address details redacted — **Driveway and walkway, Tampa, Florida.** Flatwork plans still show setbacks and the right-of-way line, because driveways meet the street.

Sample residential site plan with a proposed 6 foot fence drawn along the property lines, address details redacted — **6-foot fence, Miami, Florida.** A compact fence plan: the route along the property lines with lot dimensions.

Sample residential site plan with an existing garage and proposed structure with setback lines, address details redacted — **New construction, Amity, Oregon.** A proposed structure placed against setback lines on a rural lot with an existing garage.

Sample commercial site plan with a building and parking layout, address details redacted — **Commercial site, Lubbock, Texas.** The same discipline at commercial scale: building footprint plus a 74-space parking layout.

What every plan here has in common

Different projects, one anatomy. Each sheet carries:

A north arrow and stated scale, so the reviewer can measure anything on the page
Property lines with dimensions, the frame every other check depends on
Existing structures, labeled, including driveways and walks
The proposed work in its own color, drawn to scale with its dimensions
Setback distances written as numbers, not implied by the drawing
Recorded easements, pulled from the plat even when nothing is visible in the yard
A title block with the parcel facts and a location sketch

That list is also the reviewer's checklist. If you want it as a working document, the Pre-Submission Checklist walks the same seven checks in order, and what is a site plan explains each element from zero.

Can you copy one of these for your own permit?

No, and it is worth understanding why: the reviewer is not approving the format, they are approving your parcel. The dimensions, setbacks, and easements on these sheets belong to other properties, so a copied plan fails at the first check. What examples are for is learning the standard so you recognize a complete plan when you see one.

To get one for your own project, there are two honest paths. We draw them from your county's parcel records and satellite imagery: $89 to $259, delivered in 24 to 48 hours, revised free until your city accepts it, and 98% are accepted on first submission. Or draw your own using the six-step walkthrough if your city accepts hand-drawn plans; budget an afternoon and gate it with the checklist above before it goes to the counter.

Frequently asked questions

What should a site plan example show?

A complete example shows the property lines with dimensions, a north arrow and stated scale, existing structures labeled, the proposed work drawn to scale in its own color, setback distances written as numbers, any recorded easements, and a title block with the parcel facts. Every plan on this page follows that anatomy, which is also the order reviewers check things in.

Can I copy a site plan example for my own permit application?

No. The reviewer approves your parcel, not the format, so the dimensions, setbacks, and easements have to come from your property's records. A copied plan fails at the first check. Use examples to learn what a complete plan looks like, then have one drawn from your parcel data or draw your own to scale.

What scale and size are these site plan examples?

These are 11 by 17 inch sheets at a scale of 1 inch = 20 feet, the most common residential submission format in the US. Some cities specify a different scale, commonly 1 inch = 10, 30, or 40 feet, so check your application packet before printing.

Are these real site plans?

Yes. Every sheet is a plan we delivered for a real customer permit application, published with owner names and order details redacted. They are drawn from county GIS parcel records and satellite imagery, the same method we use for every order.

What is the difference between a site plan example and a template?

A template is a blank layout you fill in; an example is a finished plan for a specific property. Templates help with the title block and legend, but the substance of a site plan, the boundary, structures, setbacks, and easements, cannot be templated because it must match your parcel's records exactly.

Permit requirements vary by city, county, and state. The information in this guide provides general guidance based on common building codes and practices across the US. Always verify requirements with your local building department before starting your project.