- EXISTING CONDITION & AS-BUILT DRAFTING
Existing Condition & As-Built Site Plans for California Properties
Many property projects begin with a basic problem: no one has a reliable, readable drawing of what is actually on the site today. An old permit set may no longer reflect later improvements, or the property may have changed hands without a current site plan being maintained.
SitePlan California prepares existing-condition and as-built site plans for California properties using the best available source information — helping homeowners, contractors, architects, designers, property managers, real-estate professionals, permit expediters, and developers establish a clearer property base before planning new work.
- 10+ years of experience
- California statewide
- Permit-focused support
- Professional CAD drafting
Property-Specific
Plans are built around the actual ADU configuration and property provided.
Permit-Focused
Existing and proposed conditions are organized for review and coordination.
Statewide
Remote drafting support for ADU and JADU properties throughout California.
Revision Support
Applicable drafting corrections can be addressed within the agreed scope.
- WHAT IS AN EXISTING-CONDITION SITE PLAN?
A Drawing That Documents What's Actually There Today
An existing-condition site plan is a top-down drawing that documents the relevant property improvements as they currently exist based on the information supplied and available for the project — the main residence, garages, ADUs, accessory structures, driveways, walkways, patios, pools, decks, fences, and other improvements.
The level of detail should be driven by the purpose. A homeowner preparing for a small addition may need a different existing-condition base from a commercial property manager documenting parking and circulation.
An as-built drafting plan is not automatically a land survey. Our role is to organize documented and measured existing conditions into professional CAD drawings while clearly separating general drafting from licensed boundary surveying, civil engineering, architecture, or other professional services when those are required.
- WHAT THE DRAWING MAY INCLUDE
Documenting the Improvements
That Matter to Your Project
The drawing should be tailored to the property and the intended use — we do not add every possible site feature when it does not help the project.
01
Existing Primary Building
The main residence footprint documented from appropriate source information.
02
Garages & Accessory Structures
Existing garages, ADUs, sheds, and other dwelling or accessory structures.
03
Driveways & Parking
Existing driveways, parking areas, and access affecting the property.
04
Walkways & Hardscape
Major existing hardscape and circulation features.
05
Pools, Decks & Patios
Existing pools, spas, decks, patios, and covers documented where relevant.
06
Fences & Gates
Shown when relevant to the intended use of the drawing.
07
Known Easements
Documented when reliable information is supplied or available.
08
North Arrow & Scale
Plans organized so orientation, scale, dimensions, and labels are easy to read.
09
Site Notes & Permit-Record Info
Notes and available permit-record information coordinating the drawing.
- WHAT DOES "AS-BUILT" MEAN?
A Drafting Record, Not a Certification
In construction practice, “as-built” is often used for drawings that document conditions after work has been completed — but the term is used differently by different clients and agencies. For our service, an as-built site plan means a drafting record of existing property conditions based on the records, measurements, photographs, surveys, and other source information provided or available.
What It Does Mean
A professional CAD organization of the documented existing conditions — using available records, photos, measurements, and survey information as inputs, with source limits communicated honestly.
What It Does Not Mean
It does not mean SitePlan California independently certifies every dimension in the field. It does not mean a legal boundary survey has been performed, and it does not convert unverified information into verified professional survey data.
If an authority requires certified record drawings, a licensed survey, or engineer-stamped as-builts, that requirement must be handled according to the applicable professional and jurisdictional rules.
- WHEN THIS SERVICE IS USEFUL
A Foundation for Many
Types of Property Work
An existing-condition drawing can become the foundation for many types of property work. Establishing one coordinated site base can reduce repeated research and conflicting assumptions as the project develops.
- Planning a home addition or garage
- Preparing an ADU or JADU project
- Designing a pool, deck, patio, or accessory structure
- Documenting a property before renovation
- Responding to permit corrections
- Coordinating contractors or consultants
- Legalizing or documenting prior improvements where allowed by the jurisdiction
- Preparing demolition or redevelopment work
- Supporting property-management records
- Creating a cleaner CAD base from older PDFs or scans
- MEASUREMENTS, PHOTOS & CLIENT INFO
Working Without a Current Survey
When a current professional survey is not available, the project may rely on a combination of records, photographs, measurements, aerial references, existing plans, and information supplied by the owner or contractor.
Photographs help confirm visible site features; measurements help document the size of patios, walkways, or decks; contractor markups may identify changes not shown in public records. A dimension supplied by the client is shown as a project input — never represented as though it were independently surveyed by the drafter.
As-Built Site Plan vs. Land Survey
A land survey is a regulated professional service in California. The California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists grants authority to practice land surveying to qualified licensees. An as-built drafting plan can use a survey as a source, but it is not automatically a survey — that distinction matters most when exact property lines, easements, monuments, topography, or legal boundary relationships control the project.
- EXISTING CONDITIONS & PERMIT CORRECTIONS
A Cleaner Base for Correction Responses
Permit reviewers sometimes request clearer documentation of what already exists. An updated existing-condition plan can help reorganize the project — the current property is documented first, then the proposed work is layered onto a cleaner base, often making it easier to address comments related to setbacks, structure locations, access, or conflicts between sheets.
If the jurisdiction is asking for proof that an existing improvement was legally permitted, a new drawing alone does not establish permit history — permit records and other agency documentation may still be required.
- OUR PROCESS
From Purpose to a Coordinated Existing-Condition Plan
Step 1
Tell Us the Purpose
We start by asking what the drawing will be used for — this determines which property features and level of detail matter.
Step 2
Send the Address & Source Materials
Send the property address and all useful source materials — plans, surveys, photos, measurements, and permit records.
Step 3
Drafting & Review
Relevant existing features are drafted into a coordinated plan. Unclear information is identified rather than silently guessed.
Step 4
Confirmation & Delivery
You confirm visible conditions and dimensions within your knowledge. Applicable changes are made and the final plan is delivered in the agreed format.
- WHAT TO SEND
More Complete Source Information
Produces a Stronger Drawing
You can start the discussion with just the property address and the reason you need the plan.
A
Property Address
Identifies the project location and starting point.
B
Existing Survey (If Available)
Verified boundary information when available.
C
Old Permit or Site Plans
Archived drawings and architectural or contractor plans.
D
Photos From Multiple Sides
Confirms visible structures, hardscape, and access.
E
Measurements & Records
Client measurements and assessor or parcel records already obtained.
F
Permit Comments & Notes
Correction comments and notes identifying recent construction or demolition.
- GET A FREE QUOTE
Tell Us Why You Need the Existing-Condition Drawing
Tell us why you need the existing-condition drawing and what records or measurements you already have. We can review the available information and recommend an appropriate drafting scope.
10+ Years
ADU & JADU drafting experience
California
Statewide project support
Any Source Material
Flexible project capability
- EXISTING AS BUILT SITE PLAN DRAFTING
Request Your Existing / As-Built Site Plan Quote
- DELIVERABLES & REVISIONS
What You Can Expect From the Drafting Scope
A typical deliverable can include a clean existing-condition site plan in PDF format, with CAD/DWG source files when included in the agreement. The plan can serve as a base for later proposed-work drawings or be used as project documentation within its stated scope.
The drawing should not be presented to a third party as a professional land survey, engineering certification, or legal boundary determination unless that work was actually performed by the appropriate licensed professional. Clear scope language protects the owner, the project team, and the usefulness of the drawing.
- EXISTING & AS-BUILT SITE PLAN FAQS
Common Questions About As-Built Site Plans
Is an as-built site plan the same as a land survey?
No. An as-built drafting plan documents existing conditions from the information available to the project. A licensed land survey is a separate regulated professional service used when verified boundary or other survey information is required.
Can you create a site plan from old permit drawings?
Yes, old permit drawings can be useful source material. They should be checked against current conditions because later construction or demolition may not be reflected.
Can you use property photos?
Yes. Photos are useful for confirming visible structures, hardscape, access, and other site conditions, especially when older records are incomplete.
Can you use measurements provided by my contractor?
Yes. Contractor or owner measurements can be used as project inputs when appropriate, but they should not be represented as independently surveyed dimensions.
Can you research permit records?
Public agency records can be useful, and many California jurisdictions provide permit-record access. The exact research available depends on the jurisdiction and project scope.
Can an as-built plan help with a permit correction?
Yes. If the existing-property base is unclear or inconsistent, a cleaner existing-condition plan can help organize the correction response.
Can the plan show unpermitted structures?
Existing visible conditions can be documented for drafting purposes, but showing a structure on a plan does not establish that it was legally permitted.
Can you provide CAD or DWG files?
Yes, CAD/DWG files can be provided when included in the project agreement.
What if I need exact property-line locations?
If exact legal boundary locations are required, a licensed land surveyor or other authorized professional should provide that information.
Do you prepare existing-condition plans statewide?
Yes. SitePlan California can provide remote existing-condition drafting for properties throughout California, subject to the available source information and project scope.
- Start Your Permit Site Plan
Start Your Existing-Condition or As-Built Site Plan
Send the property address, a short description of the project, and any drawings, surveys, photos, markups, permit comments, or other information you already have.