Ask DCRA: Do I Need a Surveyor’s Plat?

• August 12, 2014

by UrbanTurf Staff

UrbanTurf is running a four-week series that examines the questions that homeowners most frequently ask of the city’s Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA).

With the help of DCRA’s Matt Orlins, UrbanTurf pinpointed the 4-5 questions that most regularly hit the agency’s inbox. Last week, we looked at the instances in which homeowners need to get a postcard permit in order to complete small projects. This week, we tackle when a homeowner who is doing renovations or an addition needs to get a surveyor’s plat.

When a homeowner applies for a permit to do exterior work, they must include a building plat – a plat map that includes drawings of all existing and proposed property improvements.

“Any construction that involves a new structure, driveway, or fencing will require a surveyor’s plat,” DCRA’s Matt Orlins told UrbanTurf. “New structures aren’t just what people might traditionally think of new buildings, though. They also include something like a new deck if the deck bottom is built four feet or more above the adjacent grade.”

Homeowners can order a plat map from the DCRA Office of the Surveyor. For more information on plats, click here.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/ask_dcra_do_i_need_a_surveyors_plat/8858