Multi-Project Yard Checklist Builder
A checklist for one project is easy to find. A checklist for a driveway, a fence and a backyard cottage planned at the same time is not, and these projects share most of their steps while competing for the same setbacks and the same coverage allowance. Select every project you are planning and get one merged, deduplicated and printable list ordered by stage.
What are you planning? Select every project — the list is merged, not repeated.
Select at least one project above to build the combined checklist. Selecting more than one merges the shared steps and adds the questions specific to each project type.
The stages every project moves through
| Stage | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Before you spend money on design | The expensive yard mistakes are locked in at this stage, before anyone has drawn anything. |
| Documents you will usually need | Assembling these before the first counter visit is the difference between one trip and four. |
| The application | Ask for the review timeline in writing and note the date the application was accepted as complete. |
| Inspections | Inspections exist because the work they cover cannot be seen afterwards. Book them before you cover it up. |
| After approval | The final inspection closes the permit. Without it the work is not legal, and that shows up at sale. |
Project types covered
For the reasoning behind individual steps, read the permit application walkthrough or the pool barrier compliance guide. To check whether a project needs a permit at all, use the permit threshold screener.
Frequently asked questions
Why not just use one checklist per project?
Because the shared steps are the same for every project — the survey, the site plan, the permit, the final inspection. Doing three projects separately means reading the same steps three times and missing the places where they interact, such as three projects competing for the same lot coverage allowance.
How is the list merged?
Shared items appear once. Items that only apply to certain project types are added when you select one of them, and duplicates are removed. The result is one list ordered by stage, with a separate section at the end for the questions specific to each of your projects.
Does the checklist tell me the rule at my address?
No, and no checklist can. Yard and zoning rules are adopted locally, so the list is built as questions to put to your department. Ask for the answers in writing and note the date and the name of whoever answered.
What should I do with the printed checklist?
Take it to the permit counter or to a pre-application meeting. It is ordered so the questions you need answered before you spend money on design come first, and the inspection bookings you must not miss come later.
ZoneFig provides general reference information, not legal advice. Yard and zoning rules are adopted locally, so the only binding answer for your address comes from your city, town or county planning and building department. Typical thresholds shown here describe patterns across many jurisdictions and are not the rule at any specific property.