Pre-construction

Choice of terrain

The choice of land on which to build your new home is certainly a key factor in the success of your project, and in your long-term satisfaction. Land is also a determining factor in project costs: it’s important to consider its topography. Is the land you’re planning to buy or have bought hilly and steeply sloping, or is it completely flat? This central element will certainly play a role in excavation and foundation costs.

When choosing a plot of land, you should also consider its orientation. Land with a due south view optimizes the presence of natural light in the house, and often offers the best view of natural features such as a lake or mountains. In this respect, south-east and south-west orientations are also interesting. However, we recommend avoiding slopes and north-facing views.

In our opinion, the lot offering the best ratio between construction costs and quality of interior spaces is the one with a gentle slope, which slopes southwards when looking at the low point of the lot.

Layout and surveying

Site planning is the positioning of a future construction on a plot of land. Before issuing a building permit, municipalities require a site plan. This work is carried out by a land surveyor, who prepares a plan showing the position of the proposed construction in relation to property lines. Layout operations are governed by the Regulation respecting the standard of practice relating to picketing and establishment of the Ordre des arpenteurs-géomètres du Québec.

But what’s the best place on your lot to build your home? We’ll be happy to set up a meeting on your property and work with you to determine the best location. We’ll coordinate the surveyor’s work so that you’ll have a plot staking and site plan that will be both useful for obtaining your building permits, and later, for starting construction.

Soil investigation

When the land is not served by municipal services (water and wastewater), an artesian well must be installed for drinking water, and a septic tank and drainfield for wastewater. The soil survey is therefore used to define the installation of these elements, a task entrusted to a soil engineer. Using laboratory analyses of samples taken from the site to be built, the professional determines the composition of the soil to assess its permeability and capacity to absorb liquids. This information then enables him to predict how wastewater will be absorbed by the soil, and the type of sanitary system required. A soil analysis report and a sanitary system plan are other documents required by cities to issue a building permit.

During the site visit, we will also advise you on potential locations for the sanitary system. We can also coordinate the work of the soil engineer on your behalf. There are often several possible locations on a plot for the sanitary system. We can discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each location with you and determine the best choice together.

Customized house plan

How do you design a plan to suit the topography of your plot? How to optimize natural light inside the house? How to facilitate access in and around the building? In addition to all these questions piling up in your head, you also have a growing idea of what kind of house plan you’d like. We have extensive experience with custom plans and their challenges. We can advise you.

Écohabitations Boréales also offers a range of design services.

• The ready-made plan : taken from one of the collections of plans readily available on the Web. You should expect to pay between $2,000 and $5,000 for this type of plan.
• The ready-made plan with modifications : deal for those who want a model from a plan bank, but would like to include a few minor modifications. Purchasing a bank of design hours makes this possible, and enables you to make the plan conform to your vision and needs, and even adapt it to your terrain.
• Made-to-measure plans : created from scratch by a technologist or architect. Based on your inspirations and needs, the professional will draw up a unique, personalized plan for you. In terms of fees, you can expect to pay between 1% and 10% of the cost of building your home. Architects and technologists offer a variety of drafting services, from simple construction plans with elevations and floors, to detailed furniture drawings and a complete interior design service.

Building permits

An application for a building permit must be made to the municipality where your land is located. Using forms specific to each city and the required documents, you must submit a complete file to the urban planning department. The documents are generally as follows:

• Site plan certified by a land surveyor
• Sanitary installation plan and soil survey sealed by a soil engineer
• House plan issued for permit or construction, sealed by a technologist or architect
• Deforestation plan
• Plan of vehicular access (included on site plan)
• All completed application forms

In some cases, building permit applications must be approved by the municipality’s Comité Consultatif d’Urbanisme (CCU). Additional documentation on exterior finishing materials is often required.

The time it takes to obtain a permit once an application has been submitted varies from city to city, from a few days to several months. Check with your local planning department to find out.

We can therefore prepare a complete permit application. We’ll fill out and submit the required forms and documents on your behalf, free of charge for all our customers.