Home › Who It's For › Architects and engineers

For architects and engineers

The Lot in CAD Before the Survey Comes Back.

The first week of a project is spent waiting for the survey or redrawing the parcel from the plat. PlotForge™ loads the recorded parcel geometry from the address, computes the setbacks, places the existing building footprints and USGS-derived reference contours, and exports a layered DXF with named drafting layers in minutes. It is the schematic base, the feasibility exhibit and the permit site plan for the small jobs, with the survey traced in as the boundary when it arrives.

How do architects and engineers get a site base in CAD before the survey?

Load the parcel from the address and PlotForge™ draws the recorded property lines to scale, computes the setbacks, places the existing building footprints from public records and adds USGS-derived reference contours. Export it as a layered DXF with named drafting layers and open it in CAD. When the survey arrives, trace it in as the boundary and everything recomputes.

What a design professional gets from PlotForge™

Not a replacement for the survey or the civil set; the thing you need before them, and the small permit drawings you would rather not open the big software for:

The recorded parcel in CAD — property lines, dimensions and bearings on their own layer, from the address or the parcel ID, nearly every U.S. county

Setbacks and the envelope — computed from the real lot edges, with the distances you enter or the ones the feasibility report pre-fills where PlotForge carries the rules

Existing footprints — the buildings from public footprint records with a one-click swap between sources and every corner editable

Reference topography — USGS-derived contours at the interval you pick and a slope-band overlay from public lidar, labeled, on their own layers; reference, never surveyed

The feasibility screen — flood zone, wetlands, soils, slope and road frontage from public data in one report, every source named and dated

Your survey as the boundary — calibrate the recorded survey as an underlay, trace it, promote it to the boundary; the sheet prints a provenance notice

How a design firm uses PlotForge™

Load the parcel

Address or parcel ID. The recorded lines draw to scale with the owner and parcel number.

Add what is there

One click places the existing footprints; one click adds reference contours and slope shading. Run the feasibility report if the site needs it.

Export the DXF

Twenty-five named drafting layers: property lines, setbacks, roads, structures, hardscape, easements, contours, dimensions, text.

Trace the survey when it comes

Import the survey as a calibrated underlay, trace the boundary and promote it. Setbacks, area, dimensions and the DXF follow the survey.

The tools architects and engineers use

DXF for CADA layered DXF with 25 named drafting layers, from property lines and setbacks to parking with ADA and EV layers, contours, dimensions and text.How it works → Your recorded survey as the property boundaryTrace a recorded survey over a calibrated underlay and promote it to the boundary; setbacks, area, dimensions, cover map and DXF follow it.How it works → Topo contour linesUSGS-derived reference contours at the interval you pick, labeled on the PDF and exported to CAD. Reference topography, not a survey.How it works → Image underlayImport a plat, an old site plan or a house plan as a see-through underlay, calibrate it on two known points, and trace over it.How it works → Auto-add existing buildingsThe buildings from public footprint records, several sources compared, one-click swap, every corner editable.How it works → Survey-style presentationFive north-arrow styles, a graphic scale bar, hatching and editable bearing labels so the sheet reads like a surveyor's.How it works →

Which plan fits a design firm

Projects every month

Contractor, $199/mo

Twenty clean exports or reports a month, every drawing tool and the DXF, every site saved. Higher-volume plans include team seats for the studio; ask us.

Site bases as needed

Job Pack, 12 plans for $144

Twelve DXF exports or feasibility reports at $12 each, no subscription, credits that never expire. Compare plans.

Your firm's title block

White-Label add-on

Your logo in the title block of every exported sheet in place of ours, +$50/mo with Contractor or +$100/mo with Studio. See White-Label.

▶ Watch the lessonHow to Find Your Property Lines by Address ▶ Watch the lessonScale, North Arrow, Scale Bar and Bearings on a Site Plan ▶ Watch the lessonHow to Dimension Any Feature on a Site Plan

Architects and engineers FAQ

Is the parcel geometry accurate enough for schematic design?

The property lines are the recorded parcel geometry from public records, drawn to scale, the same lines the county's map shows. They are the right base for schematic design, feasibility and most residential permit site plans; they are not a boundary survey, and the sheet says so. When the survey arrives, trace it as the boundary and the setbacks, area and DXF recompute from it.

What is on the DXF layers?

Twenty-five named drafting layers: property lines, setbacks and roads; structures, hardscape, fences and walls; easements and tree-clearing limits; parking with separate ADA and EV layers; zones, contours, dimensions and text. Line styles for fences and walls carry through.

Are the contours usable?

They are USGS-derived reference contours at the interval you pick, labeled on the PDF and exported to CAD, with the source noted on the sheet. They are reference topography for schematic work and the drainage conversation, never a substitute for a topographic survey.

Can I bring my own survey or plat in?

Yes. Import it as a PDF or image, calibrate it on two known points so it locks to true scale, and trace over it with every tool. Trace the surveyed boundary and promote it to the property boundary; the sheet prints a provenance notice saying the boundary came from the recorded survey.

Can the whole studio share one account?

Higher-volume plans include free seats for teammates sharing one plan allowance, one account and one bill, with no per-seat pricing. Contact us and we will set one up.

Is a PlotForge™ site plan a survey?

No. The property lines are the recorded parcel lines from public records, drawn to scale over an aerial photo. That is what most building departments accept for a permit site plan, and it is not a boundary survey or an engineered drawing. If your office requires a sealed survey for this project, PlotForge can trace that recorded survey as the boundary and the sheet prints a notice saying so.

Does it work where I am?

PlotForge™ covers all 50 states and Washington, D.C.; the only exceptions in the country are named on the coverage page. It is also expanding into Canada, starting with select counties in Ontario and Alberta. The most reliable check is free: sign up, type the address, and watch the lot load.

Get the lot into CAD in minutes

Load the parcel, add the footprints and the contours, export the layered DXF. Free for 30 days, no credit card required; the DXF comes with any paid plan from $29.

Start a Site Base Free → See Every Drawing Tool