Top Land Surveyors in Los Angeles — Reliable, Accurate & Local
Why Hire Nationwide Surveying?
Construction Setbacks in Los Angeles
Confirm your buildable area, avoid permit delays, and keep your project compliant with city and county codes.
What Are Setbacks?
A setback is the minimum required distance between a structure and a property line, street, easement, or other protected boundary. Setbacks are defined by local zoning and special ordinances (e.g., hillside or coastal overlays).
Why They Matter
- Permitting: Plan check approval depends on documented, code-compliant setbacks.
- Risk & Cost: Building inside setback areas can trigger redesigns, stop-work orders, or removals.
- Access & Safety: Proper spacing preserves utility corridors, drainage, and emergency access.
Typical Setback Types
- Front yard: From the front property line/street right-of-way to the structure.
- Side yard: Distance from each side property line to the building wall (different if a corner lot).
- Rear yard: Minimum distance from rear property line to the structure.
- Accessory structures: Garages, sheds, pools, and retaining walls often have distinct rules.
- Special overlays: Hillside, view corridors, floodways, and utility easements can increase setbacks.
How We Help (Surveyor-Certified)
- Boundary Survey to re-establish property lines and corners.
- Setback Verification Exhibit stamped by a licensed land surveyor.
- Slope & Hillside Analysis where overlays apply.
- ALTA/NSPS or Topographic Base when design detail is required.
- Planner coordination and responses to plan check comments.
Deliverables You’ll Receive
- Signed & stamped Setback Exhibit showing property lines, buildable envelope, and encroachments (if any).
- Coordinate list and corner descriptions tied to the local datum.
- Digital PDFs for submittal and CAD (DWG) when requested.
Our Process
- Records research (plats, deeds, easements, right-of-way maps).
- Boundary survey and corner recovery/setting.
- Setback calculation per current zoning and overlays.
- Exhibit production & stamping; planner Q&A if needed.
Frequently Asked Questions — Setbacks in Los Angeles
Can I build inside a setback with a variance?
Possibly, but it requires a formal planning review and approval. We can prepare a surveyor-stamped exhibit and support your planner with accurate mapping to evaluate feasibility.
Do fences, pools, and retaining walls follow the same setbacks?
Often they have different rules (e.g., maximum heights, pool edge offsets, wall distances from property lines). We verify the applicable standards and depict them on your exhibit.
What if my lot is on a hillside?
Hillside overlays can increase setbacks and reduce the buildable envelope. Our slope band analysis and topographic base help you design within constraints.
What if my recorded deed doesn’t match what’s on the ground?
That’s common. Our boundary survey reconciles record data with field evidence to correctly locate the property lines used to compute setbacks.
Is an ALTA or Topographic survey required?
Not always. For permitting, a boundary survey plus a stamped setback exhibit is often sufficient; for design, many teams request ALTA/NSPS or topographic detail.