4.977 Google reviews Site planning & design · Utah PE · Since 1975

Site Planning & Design in Utah. Survey and Engineering From One Office.

Permit-ready site plans for homes, commercial buildings and subdivisions: boundary, layout, grading, drainage, utilities, access and parking, designed on our own survey and stamped by a Utah PE. 142 site plans since 2000, and residential site plans from $1,500.

Plans stamped by J. Brett Ludlow, PE · Surveys by Daryl Penrod, PLS

Request a Fixed-Fee Site Plan Quote → Call (435) 623-0897

Reed Ridge commercial subdivision layout on Main Street in Nephi, Utah, by Ludlow Engineering — Reed Ridge, Nephi · from our files

The short answer

What Is a Civil Site Plan?

A civil site plan is an engineered drawing of how a proposed building or development fits a specific parcel. It's more than a footprint: it resolves setbacks and easements, access and parking, grading and drainage, and water, sewer and utility connections, so the city can approve it and the contractor can build it.

We survey the site first, design on that survey, and stake it for construction, so nothing gets lost between firms.

Residential site plan$1,500–$3,500
Small commercial$3,000–$7,500
Typical time2–4 weeks residential, 4–8 commercial
Stamped byA Utah PE where required

01 · Project types

Site Plans We Design

From a single-lot addition to a commercial site or subdivision.

Residential

New homes, additions & ADUs

Building location, setbacks, driveway, grading and utility connections for the building permit.

Commercial

Commercial sites

Buildings, parking and accessible spaces, fire access, drainage and utilities for city review.

Industrial

Warehouses & shops

Truck access, pads and grading on larger, flatter sites.

Land development

Concept & subdivision layout

Lot yield, streets, access and utility service tested before final engineering.

Grading

Grading & drainage plans

Finished elevations and runoff, stand-alone or as part of a full site plan.

Public

Municipal & community projects

Facilities for cities, counties and state agencies, including curb, gutter and water lines.

02 · The drawing

What Goes on a Civil Site Plan

Site planning is constraint solving: setbacks, easements, slope, access, utilities and stormwater decide the buildable area before architecture does.

Survey base

Property boundary

Legal lines and corners, from our own boundary survey.

Existing

Contours & improvements

Topography, buildings, fences, trees and existing utilities.

Layout

Building location & setbacks

Where the building goes and how far it sits from every line.

Access

Drives & parking

Driveways, parking, accessible stalls and fire access.

Elevations

Grading & drainage

Finished floor, finished grades and where runoff goes.

Utilities

Water, sewer & power

Connection points, routes and conflicts, with notes, details and the PE stamp.

The survey base comes from our boundary surveys and topographic surveys.

03 · From our files

142 Site Plans Since 2000. Here's Where.

Most of our site plans are in Utah County (49), Sanpete (36) and Juab (35), with 82 more civil design jobs alongside them. A sample of recent work, without client names.

Reed Ridge, a six-lot commercial subdivision plat on Main Street in Nephi, Utah, prepared by Ludlow Engineering — Reed Ridge · Nephi · click to enlarge

Commercial site layout · Nephi

Reed Ridge: Six Commercial Lots on Main Street

A commercial subdivision laid out for access, lot frontage and utility service along Nephi's Main Street. The same office surveyed the ground, designed the layout and prepared the plat, so the lots that were planned are the lots that were recorded.

6 lotsCommercial
Main StreetNephi
Survey + designOne office
Utah PEEngineering

Boundary
Lot layout
Access
Utilities
Plat

Nephi · 2026Boundary, topo, utilities and site plans for new buildings; an updated building site plan; a new restaurant parking lot; and curb and gutter design.
Spring City · 2024–2026Topo and site plans, concept plans, and a boundary, concept and well location.
Mount Pleasant · 2024–2026Concept through subdivision plat with topo and utilities, and a boundary, topo and improvements site plan.
Santaquin · 2026Boundary and concept layout for a development.
Springville & Spring Lake · 2026Residential and site plans for permits.
Parowan · 2024Topographic and utility survey, concept plan and site plan design.
Fillmore · 2024–2025A subdivision with apartment and commercial site plans, and a three-lot subdivision with topo, utilities and site plan.
Ephraim, Gunnison, Payson, Salem & MillcreekSite plans, concepts and curb and gutter design for homes, subdivisions and businesses.

04 · The engineer

The Engineer Who Stamps Your Site Plan

You work directly with the engineer, and the survey crew is down the hall.

J. Brett Ludlow, PE

Partner & Civil Engineer · Professional Engineer, State of Utah

Brett designs and stamps Ludlow's site plans, grading and drainage, subdivisions, water and sewer, and foundations. He has served as engineer of record on state and federal facilities in Nephi, Castle Dale and Price, including Workforce Services, Family Services and USDA facilities, and on public work for Nephi City such as water line extensions.

More: civil engineering · our team

05 · Process & timing

Survey First, Design Second

Feasibility is tested before final engineering, and the design carries straight through to construction staking.

1–2 daysScope & feasibility

1–3 weeksSurvey & site data, if needed

1–2 weeksConcept layout

2–4 weeksFinal engineering

01 / SURVEY

Boundary & topo

Legal lines, contours, existing utilities and easements.

02 / CONCEPT

Test the layout

Lot yield, access, grading and utility service, before final design.

03 / DESIGN

Permit-ready plans

Stamped site, grading, drainage and utility plans for city or county review.

04 / BUILD

Stake it

Construction staking from the same control the design used.

06 · Lessons from five decades

What Makes a Site Plan Sail Through Review

Habits that save a round of comments, or a change order in the field.

Lesson 01

Survey before you design.

A layout drawn on a county parcel map can be several feet off. Designing on a real boundary and topo avoids redesign after the first review.

Lesson 02

Find the utilities early.

The sewer depth at the street decides where the house can sit. We pick up rims and inverts during the topo, not after the plan is drawn.

Lesson 03

Grade for where water goes.

Most review comments on small sites are about drainage. We show where runoff goes and how it stays on site, before the city has to ask.

Lesson 04

Ask the city first.

Every Utah city has its own checklist. We read it before we draw, so the first submittal answers it.

07 · Pricing

Site Plan Cost in Utah (2026)

Planning ranges. Every quote is a fixed fee in writing; boundary and topographic surveys can be quoted separately or together with the design.

Project	Scope	Typical cost
Residential site plan	New home, addition, ADU or similar on an existing lot	$1,500–$3,500
Small commercial	Generally under 1 acre, one primary building	$3,000–$7,500
Medium commercial	About 1–5 acres, more parking, grading or utilities	$6,500–$15,000
Large commercial / industrial	5+ acres or complex grading, stormwater and utilities	$12,000–$35,000+
Grading & drainage plan	Stand-alone, existing property	$2,000–$6,500
Subdivision engineering	Lots, streets, utilities, drainage, plat coordination	Quoted by scope
Boundary / topographic survey	If no current survey exists	From $1,025 / $1,500

08 · Direct answers

Site Plan Questions, Answered.

How much does a site plan cost in Utah?

Most residential site plans for a new home, addition or ADU run $1,500 to $3,500. Small commercial sites under about an acre run $3,000 to $7,500, medium commercial sites of 1 to 5 acres $6,500 to $15,000, and large commercial or industrial sites $12,000 to $35,000 or more. Stand-alone grading and drainage plans run $2,000 to $6,500. Surveys may be billed separately, or quoted together with the design.

What is included in a civil site plan?

The property boundary, existing contours and improvements, building location and setbacks, access, drives and parking, grading and finished elevations, drainage, water, sewer and utilities, and the notes, details and PE stamp the city requires.

Do I need a survey before a site plan?

Usually. A site plan is only as accurate as the boundary and topography under it. We do both, so the survey and the design come from one team.

Do I need a topographic survey?

If the site has any slope, drainage question or grading, yes. Cities often require finished elevations, which have to be designed from existing ones.

How long does a site plan take?

A residential site plan usually takes two to four weeks once survey data is available; a commercial site plan four to eight weeks before city or county review. Review times vary by jurisdiction.

Does a site plan need an engineer's stamp?

Many Utah cities and counties require a Utah Professional Engineer's stamp on grading, drainage and utility plans. Our plans are stamped by J. Brett Ludlow, PE, where required.

Can Ludlow do both the land survey and the site plan?

Yes. That's the main reason clients come to us: boundary, topo, site plan, civil design and construction staking from one office.

Can you design a subdivision?

Yes, from concept and lot yield through streets, utilities, drainage and the recorded plat. See our subdivision design page.

What should I send for a quote?

The address or parcel number, what you plan to build, any architect's drawings, the city's requirements or review comments, and any survey you already have. Our quote form takes uploads.

Do you help with permit-review comments?

Yes. We respond to city and county review comments and revise the plans; the number of included revision rounds is set out in the quote.

Utah PE & PLS · Since 1975

Outline Your Vision. We'll Make It Buildable.

Send the address, what you plan to build and the city's requirements. Attach any drawings or surveys. We'll send a fixed fee for the survey and the site plan, usually within one business day.

Request a Site Plan Quote →Call (435) 623-0897