If you own a large piece of property, you might have wondered what it would take to subdivide that property. In other words, you might want to know what steps are required to get your land legally divided into smaller parcels that you can either sell, develop, or keep as an investment.
The following are the six general steps you might use to properly subdivide your land.
1) Determine the size of your property.
2) Research the local zoning ordinance.
3) Figure out if your property can be subdivided.
4) Hire a land development company.
5) Submit plans to the local municipality for review.
6) Record the plan.
1. Determine the Size of Your Property
The first step is to determine the size of your property. If you do not already know this information, you can find it on a subdivision plat you might have received when you bought the land. You might also be able to find it through some property research on the website of the municipality within which your property is located.
The size of your property is usually expressed in square feet or acres.
2. Research the Local Zoning Ordinance
The next thing to do would be to find your local zoning ordinance, determine what zoning district your site is in, and determine the various zoning requirements that your property would have to meet in order to be subdivided.
3. Figure Out If Your Property Can Be Subdivided
During your zoning ordinance research, you should find requirements for minimum lot areas and building setback lines.
Once you have this information, you should be able to decide if your property is large enough to subdivide into parcels that are large enough to leave room (after adding building setback lines) for constructing buildings on those parcels.
Related: 5 Common Reasons Why You Might Want to Subdivide Land
4. Hire a Land Development Company
Once you determine that your land could most likely be subdivided, you will probably want to hire a land development company. This kind of company will have a land surveyor, a civil engineer, or both a land surveyor and a civil engineer who can properly prepare land subdivision plans for your site.
5. Submit Plans to the Local Municipality for Review
The company who is preparing your land subdivision plans for you would eventually have to submit these plans to your local municipality for review and approval.
6. Record the Plan
After your land subdivision plans have been reviewed and approved, they can then be recorded by the local Recorder of Deeds.
Get the Help of a Professional
Even though you might be able to do some of the work of determining that your property can be subdivided, the actual preparation of land subdivision plans is a complicated process for which you should hire the proper professional surveyor or civil engineer.
Related: What Is Land Subdivision and When Could It Be a Good Idea?
Related: The Land Subdivision Process (In 9 Steps)
