Site plan options for permits

Four ways to get a site plan for a permit

Draw it yourself, generate an editable draft, hire a professional drafter, or order a licensed survey. The right choice depends on the property, the permit checklist, and the credential the job requires.

Check my address free

No payment until you see the watermarked plan.

Example EasySitePlan sheet showing the lot, structures, dimensions, easements, and a proposed shed — A real generated sheet for a Round Rock shed project

Start with the requirement

Buy only the level of help the job needs.

A sketch may be enough

If the office accepts an applicant-prepared plan and the property is clear, self-drawing or EasySitePlan may fit.

Certification changes the choice

If someone asks for signed, sealed, field-measured, or certified work, use the licensed professional they require.

Compare the four routes

Cost, timing, editing, and responsibility

None of these routes removes the applicant's job of checking the current permit requirements. What changes is who prepares the sheet and what level of professional assurance comes with it.

Use EasySitePlan

Editable route

A fence, shed, or pool at an eligible address in one of six supported Texas cities.

Cost: Free to generate, edit, and preview. The clean PDF is $24.
Timing: The first draft is generated in minutes, then you inspect and correct it on screen.
Editing: Move the project, correct structures, trace easements, and redraw before or after purchase.
Responsibility: EasySitePlan starts from public records and imagery. You verify the property and submit the permit.

Current launch price

The standard clean-PDF price is $24. Code TEXAS takes $15 off ($9 total).

Draw it yourself

A simple property, clear records, and a permit office that accepts an applicant-prepared sketch.

Cost

Usually no direct cost beyond your time and any printing.

Timing

As fast as you can gather records, measure, draw, and check the sheet.

Editing and responsibility

You control every revision, but you also build and check every detail. You find the parcel, structures, easements, setbacks, dimensions, and local checklist.

Hire a professional drafter

A custom project, an unsupported location, or a job that needs professional judgment but not a boundary survey.

Cost

Online professional drafting commonly starts around $99. Scope and revisions affect the quote.

Timing

The provider scopes the work and returns it on their schedule.

Editing and responsibility

You usually send corrections back for a revised file. Confirm what records, field measurements, revisions, and credentials the service includes.

Order a licensed survey

A disputed or uncertain boundary, or a city, lender, title company, or project team that requires certified work.

Cost

A surveyor quotes the property and scope. This is the credentialed route, not a software alternative.

Timing

Timing depends on fieldwork, records research, property access, and the surveyor's schedule.

Editing and responsibility

Corrections follow the surveyor's professional process rather than a self-serve editor. The surveyor measures and certifies the work within the agreed scope. You still confirm the permit package.

Close view of a site plan showing dimension labels around a proposed structure

Permit reviewers need readable dimensions and property context, not just an aerial image.

When a survey is the right answer

Software cannot certify a boundary.

A preliminary plan can organize public records and your proposed work. It cannot replace field measurements, a professional seal, or a surveyor's legal certification.

The property line is disputed, missing, or must be located on the ground.
A reviewing office asks for a signed or sealed survey.
A lender, title company, architect, engineer, or contractor requires certified work.
Your project depends on a boundary or easement that public records do not resolve.

EasySitePlan coverage

Six cities. Fence, shed, and pool projects.

EasySitePlan currently checks Austin, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Georgetown, Pflugerville, and San Antonio. Enter the address and project first. Known eligibility problems are shown before generation.

What you can inspect for free

The parcel, structures, dimensions, and proposal
The guided editor and local checklist
The actual watermarked sheet before checkout

Questions before you choose

Common questions

Can I draw my own site plan for a permit?

Sometimes. Acceptance depends on the address, project, and reviewing office. Ask what the permit checklist requires, then make sure your drawing includes the requested lot lines, structures, dimensions, easements, setbacks, and proposed work.

When do I need a licensed surveyor?

Use a licensed surveyor when a boundary must be located or certified, a boundary is disputed, or a city, lender, title company, architect, engineer, or contractor requires signed professional work. EasySitePlan is not a boundary survey.

Is EasySitePlan the same as professional drafting?

No. EasySitePlan generates an editable preliminary plan from public records and aerial imagery. It does not provide professional certification, field measurements, engineering, or permit submission.

What does EasySitePlan cost?

Generation, editing, the local checklist, and a watermarked preview are free. The clean PDF is $24. The current launch offer uses code TEXAS for $15 off, making the total $9.

Where is EasySitePlan available?

EasySitePlan currently checks fence, shed, and pool projects in Austin, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Georgetown, Pflugerville, and San Antonio. Eligibility is checked by address and project before generation.

Does any option guarantee permit approval?

No. Requirements vary by property, project, and reviewing office. The applicant remains responsible for confirming the current checklist and responding to any corrections requested during review.

See the draft before choosing the paid route.

Start with the free address check, editor, and watermarked preview. If your property needs a drafter or licensed surveyor, you can stop there.

Check my address free

Want a closer professional comparison? Read EasySitePlan vs. a site plan drafter.