ᐅ The plot has been approved; what are the next steps?

Hello everyone,

We have applied to the local authorities for a special permit to build a house on my parents’ property in a second row position. We received this special permit yesterday.

I would like to ask what the next steps should be. Basically, I now want to approach architects or general contractors (GCs) to get quotes. However, the new plot has not yet been surveyed in detail, and the companies would not have an accurate plan of the on-site situation.

Should I have the plot surveyed beforehand, or is this something an architect or GC would handle?

Would it also make sense to have a soil investigation carried out at the same time, or is it better to do that later? We want to build very close to a river, and the ground is generally known to be quite marshy. Our new neighbor, who built directly next to the river, constantly struggles with groundwater issues. However, their foundation is significantly deeper than ours will be. I’m a bit concerned that the soil might be too soft, which could lead to high additional costs. I would like to be as well prepared as possible before starting construction.

Are there any other tips on what I should do after receiving the special permit?

Thanks in advance!

Best regards,
Markus

Once you have found an architect you trust, they will request a site plan, either from you or on their own. You can obtain this from the land registry office (or sometimes not) or from a surveyor. It’s worth calling the office to ask if they can provide the contact details of local surveying companies.

A soil report should also be done so you can better estimate the costs. In our case, the geotechnical engineer wanted to have the site plan as well as the architect’s plans showing exactly where the corners of the house will be located.

If you search for a geotechnical engineer in your area on Google, you’ll often find a geo website where you can request an expert. I would suggest selecting three to four and asking for advice on the best approach.

Since you already own the land, the question is not whether you can buy the property based on the report, but how. Therefore, in my (layman’s) opinion, it might be better to wait, as core drilling can then be performed exactly where the house will eventually be built.

I also had to make several phone calls to various offices back then, and I never encountered an annoyed person on the phone—instead, the staff were patient and (almost always) explained the individual steps clearly.

Hello Markus,

If the property is tight in size, the subdivision should be done in cooperation with the architect and a surveyor. Your architect will know at least one surveyor; if not, you can certainly find local surveying offices through the phone directory or an internet search.

In your case, it must be considered that the rear property has to be developed, meaning it must have access to a public road either through the new boundary line and/or an easement (public right of way), see the building code of Baden-Württemberg §4:

Source: Dejure

§ 4 – Development of properties

(1) Buildings may only be erected if the property borders a publicly accessible roadway of reasonable width or has a publicly secured, drivable access to a public road; in the case of residential lanes, drivability may be waived if there are no concerns regarding fire safety.

Depending on local conditions, this is not a trivial matter and definitely the responsibility of a publicly authorized surveyor, unless you have a very large plot with plenty of space for access and construction.

Best regards,
Dirk Grafe

What is your special permit? Did you submit a preliminary building inquiry? Who issued the permit? Are there any conditions specified in the permit?
It is often determined for neighboring properties that the houses must not be taller, larger, etc., than the adjacent house. Is something like that mentioned in the permit?
A soil report is never a bad idea, but you should have a general idea of the location of the house for that.

Addition to my previous post:

Basically, clarify the following:

Is your new build located within a development plan area, meaning: has an existing zoning plan been extended to include the new building plot, or has a project-specific zoning plan been created exclusively for your building project (which is probably not the case)?

If yes…

- Are fixed building heights specified or required in the zoning plan? (=> Ask your surveyor and/or architect carefully, this question can become extremely important!)
- Are there any regulations regarding embankments, excavations, retaining walls, protected areas, etc.?
- Are the heights of neighboring buildings indicated?

If none of this information is included in the zoning plan, definitely have the plot and neighboring buildings surveyed topographically by a licensed surveyor (not the architect and not the geotechnical engineer) before the first excavation to document the original terrain.

If there is no zoning plan or you are outside such an area, this service is still highly recommended because it may be that you are required to build just as deep—and thus unnecessarily—as your neighbor. This could lead to massive additional costs or you both end up with equally much water in the basement. Compared to that, the survey costs are almost negligible.

Best regards
Dirk Grafe

Hello Markus,

Timmi1608 schrieb:

we applied to our local authority to obtain a special permit to build a house in the second row on my parents’ property. We received this special permit yesterday.

This is likely an approved preliminary building request. It should basically outline what and how you are allowed to build.

Timmi1608 schrieb:

I wanted to ask what the next steps should be? Basically, I want to approach architects or general contractors to get quotes. However, the new plot has not yet been surveyed in detail, and the companies would not have an exact plan of the on-site situation.

First and foremost, you should clarify your financial situation during a meeting with your bank or an independent mortgage broker. Developing a plot behind another property is not straightforward and usually involves higher costs for site development compared to a typical building plot.

Timmi1608 schrieb:

Should I have the property surveyed first, or would this also be done by an architect or general contractor?

Although you will eventually need a surveyor, at this stage a simple cadastral extract is sufficient; you can obtain this from your city, municipality, or local council. It will either be within a zoning plan area or under the equivalent of section 34 (building in existing development); both architects and general contractors can estimate sizes reasonably well based on this. Especially since a neighbor has already built in the second row, a building boundary is likely to be defined.

Timmi1608 schrieb:

Would it make sense to have a soil report prepared at the same time, or is it better to do that later? We want to build very close to a river, and the soil is generally known to be very marshy. Our new neighbor, who built right next to the river, constantly struggles with groundwater. However, their building is significantly deeper than ours will be. I’m a bit worried the ground might be too soft and cause high additional costs. I would like to be as secure as possible before starting construction.

As I said at the beginning, first clarify your financial framework! Once you have a rough idea of what you can realistically spend, and after initial discussions—mainly with general contractors—you can better estimate the cost of building your dream home. Make sure to consult comparable providers—in other words, compare apples to apples! Price differences should normally range within about ± $5,000–$10,000 depending on the specific building specifications.

If the ground is marshy, a soil replacement will most likely be necessary—even if you build without a basement, the ground must be load-bearing; if you build with a basement, a specialized waterproofing system—commonly known as a white/brown/black tank—will be required. Overall, additional foundation costs in the range of about $8,000–$20,000 can be expected, depending on whether you choose to build with or without a basement.

If the total of the base house price quoted by the builder(s) plus additional foundation costs, ancillary building costs, garage, and extras still fits within your bank-approved financing limit, then commission a soil report. From this, the exact foundation requirements will be determined, and you can request precise price adjustments based on the ground conditions.

So—don’t get too worried just yet; focus first on defining your financial scope.

Best regards, Bauexperte