Site Selection for Custom Homes: Slope, Soils, Services & Setbacks (BC)
Technical checklist and diagrams — Palazzo Construction
Palazzo Construction Ltd. • Vancouver & Lower Mainland • September 2025
Great custom homes start with the right lot. This field guide summarizes how we evaluate **slope**, **soils**, **services**, and **setbacks/easements** for sites across Metro Vancouver. Always confirm specifics with your municipality, a geotechnical engineer, and a BC land surveyor.
Quick Technical Checklist (Highlights)
- Driveway grades ideally ≤15% with safe sightlines; plan stepped pads on steep lots.
- Order a topo survey early — it drives massing, drainage, and excavation volumes.
- Request geotechnical due‑diligence: bearing capacity, groundwater, seismic hazards.
- Confirm water/sanitary/storm locations, depths, connection fees, and power service route.
- Map **setbacks** and any **easements/covenants**; they define the buildable envelope.
Diagrams & Tables (High‑DPI)
Lot slope & grading options — pads, split‑level/stepped foundations (schematic).
Indicative allowable bearing by soil type (order‑of‑magnitude; confirm via geotechnical report).
Utilities/services map — verify depth, capacity, and connection points with the City and utilities.
Setbacks, building envelope and utility easement example (schematic).
Pre‑purchase / pre‑design due‑diligence checklist (use alongside a survey and title search).
References (APA 7th)
Province of British Columbia. (2024). BC Building Code 2024 — Part 9 and site/grading guidance. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/
Engineers and Geoscientists BC (EGBC). (2023). Guidelines for geotechnical assessments in BC. https://www.egbc.ca/
BC Hydro. (2024). Service connection guide for residential customers. https://www.bchydro.com/
Land Title and Survey Authority of BC (LTSA). (2024). Titles, easements and covenants overview. https://ltsa.ca/
Metro Vancouver. (2023). Rainwater management and infiltration best practices. https://metrovancouver.org/
Copyright & Editorial Integrity
Original writing and diagrams created for Palazzo Construction. Facts are paraphrased from official sources cited above; no verbatim copying. © Palazzo Construction Ltd. All rights reserved.
Palazzo Construction Ltd. • Vancouver & Lower Mainland • September 2025