Читать книгу Building Your Custom Home For Dummies - Peter Economy - Страница 67

Setbacks determine how far from the edges of your lot you must build. They’re generally determined by the property zoning restrictions and the CC&Rs. The side setbacks are generally closer to the property line than the front and rear setbacks, but not always. This information is crucial for figuring out where you can place the house on the lot. Many neighborhoods like to keep the houses uniform, so look to see how close neighbors’ houses are to the street and each other to get a feel for the setbacks. In urban areas, the side setbacks may be as small as only a few feet (Peter’s old house in San Diego had a side setback of only 3 feet — barely enough room to wheel his trashcan through to the street every Monday night). Rural areas can require larger setbacks from the street or other houses, impacting curb appeal.

Setbacks also apply to outbuildings, not just to the main house. On larger lots, you may be considering the possibility of a guesthouse, workshop, or pool house within the buildable area. These buildings all have to be within a certain area defined by the setbacks.

The footprint of the home is the building’s outer perimeter and how it sits upon the lot, taking into account the setbacks (see Figure 3-1). When looking at a lot, try to imagine in rough design how positioning the footprint can take advantage of the following:

 Drainage

 Noise

 Sunlight

 Topography

 Views

 Wind

Courtesy of Tecta Associates Architects, San Francisco

FIGURE 3-1: Setbacks determine the placement of your footprint, ultimately restricting your home’s size.

The combination of footprint and setbacks may dictate whether your house is one story or more. Significant side setbacks can force you to design a smaller-footprint home, which can make a difference in estimating building costs. A smaller building area may mean that building a second floor is essential. Building a second floor can work to your advantage, however, because a two-story house can be less expensive to build than a one-story house. (For example, building a two-story house with 4,000 square feet is cheaper than building a one-story house with the same square feet. The two-story house requires less excavation, foundation, and roof work than the one-story house does.)

Height restrictions spelled out in the CC&Rs have an impact on your house’s size. If your setbacks force a smaller footprint, then your height restriction will limit the size of house you can build. Have your real-estate agent obtain this information for you before you purchase the lot to make sure it meets your needs. You can also contact the local planning department to access the information yourself.