Lots + Land | Before You Buy a Lot

Before purchasing property for a custom home, it's important to understand what can actually be built on it. Lot size alone doesn't tell the whole story—local zoning, setbacks, lot coverage, easements, trees, soils, groundwater, grading, drainage, utilities and other requirements can all affect the design and cost of your home.

Requirements can also vary significantly from one city to another. City Homes helps investigate the specific property and local requirements so you can make a more informed decision before purchasing.

Yes. Involving your builder before purchasing a property can help identify potential opportunities and challenges before you've committed to the land.

City Homes reviews the property and local requirements and, when needed, coordinates with surveyors, architects, engineers, soil-testing companies, municipalities, watershed districts and other professionals to gather additional information. The goal is to understand whether the property can accommodate the home you envision—and identify conditions that could affect design, schedule or construction cost.

Yes. Many custom homes begin with the purchase of an existing home that is removed to make way for new construction, particularly in established neighborhoods where vacant land is limited.

Before purchasing a teardown, however, it's important to evaluate the property as if it were a vacant lot. The existing house doesn't necessarily indicate what you're allowed to build there today. Current zoning, setbacks, lot coverage, height restrictions, trees, drainage, utilities and other local requirements may affect the size and placement of the new home.

The dimensions of the lot are only the starting point. The actual buildable area can be affected by front, rear and side-yard setbacks, lot coverage and impervious-surface limits, height restrictions, easements, trees, topography, drainage requirements and other regulations.

Because those requirements vary by municipality and property, City Homes evaluates the specific site rather than making assumptions based solely on lot size. A survey and preliminary site analysis are often important first steps in understanding the potential building envelope.

Yes. Zoning and building requirements can vary considerably between cities—and sometimes between properties within the same city.

Setbacks, lot coverage, tree preservation, stormwater management, grading, groundwater, shoreland or watershed requirements and permitting processes are just some of the issues that may differ. City Homes researches the requirements that apply to the specific property and works with the appropriate professionals and governing agencies when additional information is needed.

Conditions that aren't always obvious when touring a property can have a significant impact on construction. Poor soils, high groundwater, steep grades, retaining walls, stormwater requirements, difficult site access, extensive tree requirements, utility work, demolition and unusual foundation conditions are examples.

Identifying these issues early allows the design and construction team to better understand the property before the home is designed and the construction budget is established.

Depending on the property, soil testing can provide important information about the conditions below the surface and how they may affect the home's foundation and construction. In some locations, groundwater conditions can also influence basement depth, foundation design, waterproofing and site planning.

City Homes helps determine when additional site investigation makes sense and coordinates with the appropriate professionals as part of the due-diligence process.

Not necessarily. If you're purchasing property specifically to build a custom home, involving your builder—and often your architect—before closing can be extremely valuable.

We can evaluate whether the property appears to support the size, layout and features you're envisioning before design gets too far along. It's much easier to understand a property's constraints before you own it than to discover afterward that your plans need to change.

Yes. City Homes works with clients, real estate professionals and property owners to identify potential building opportunities throughout the Twin Cities.

Once you've identified a property you're interested in, we can help evaluate it from a builder's perspective before you move forward.