At Crave Homes, we look at the site before we start talking too much about the house.
A site assessment is rarely the most exciting part of building a custom home. But on the North Shore, this early work can shape almost every decision that follows.
We want to know what we are working with before the design gets too far ahead. The slope matters. So do the soil, rock, trees, drainage, access, and municipal requirements. Together, they tell us what the property can support and where the project needs to go.
That is how we approach custom homes at Crave Homes. We start with the site, then build the plan around what we find.
What a Site Assessment Actually Covers
A site assessment is not a property valuation. We need a clear picture of what the land requires before design begins.
That usually means looking at five areas:
- Geotechnical conditions: Soil, rock, slopes, foundations, and retaining requirements.
- Environmental conditions: Creeks, riparian areas, sensitive habitat, and other environmental constraints.
- Topography and drainage: Grades, water movement, excavation, and site access.
- Zoning and regulations: Setbacks, height, floor area, Development Permit Areas (DPAs), and other municipal requirements.
- Services and access: Utilities, driveways, construction access, and service connections.
On a flat urban infill lot this work may be relatively straightforward. On a sloped North Shore property it can determine the entire direction of the project.
That makes it an early decision, not a box to check later.
Why the North Shore Is Different
The North Shore gives homeowners some remarkable sites. It also gives builders some complicated ones.
Terrain
Terrain is the first factor. Many desirable properties have significant grades, which can bring more involved excavation, retaining systems, engineered foundations, and careful planning during construction.
Water
Creeks and riparian corridors can bring Development Permit Area requirements and setbacks that reduce the available building area.
Rock
Rock is another variable. Some West Vancouver and hillside properties sit on or close to bedrock. If excavation reaches it, blasting or rock removal can become a major project cost. That cost is difficult to see in a simple per square foot estimate until the site has been investigated.
Municipal Layer
North Vancouver has the District of North Vancouver (DNV) and the City of North Vancouver (CNV), and West Vancouver has its own rules on top of that.
The District of North Vancouver’s development information is a useful starting point, but the site itself still needs to be assessed.
A homeowner who compresses this phase can end up discovering these conditions halfway through design or construction. By then, changing course costs more.
Geotechnical: The Foundation Before the Foundation
For many North Shore projects, the geotechnical report is one of the most important pieces of information we receive.
It tells us what is happening below the surface and how the ground will behave. That affects the foundation approach, excavation, retaining walls, and slope stability during construction.
Finding out that a house needs caissons before schematic design is manageable. The architect can work with that requirement from the beginning. Finding it after detailed drawings are complete is different. The structure may need to change. Costs may move. Drawings may need to be revised.
The information is the same. The consequences are not.
At Crave, we commission this work before schematic design begins. We want the design team working from the actual site conditions rather than assumptions.
Professional engineering and geoscience work in BC is regulated by Engineers and Geoscientists BC, which also provides a public registrant directory.
Creek Corridors, DPAs, and Environmental Setbacks
Watercourses can change the shape of a project quickly.
Riparian requirements can create protected areas around creeks and other watercourses. Depending on the site and applicable requirements, a setback from the top of bank can leave a much smaller area for construction. District of North Vancouver material, for example, identifies streamside protection areas and notes that streamside setbacks can vary by site.
That matters before anyone starts drawing a floor plan.
Development Permit Areas add another layer. In the DNV, areas can fall within designations such as streamside protection, creek hazard, and slope hazard. Those designations can bring additional requirements before construction can proceed.
Trees matter too. On many North Shore properties, an arborist’s input affects what can be removed, where equipment can go, and how the site can be cleared. Tree work may also need municipal permits and environmental approvals.
We saw this clearly on the Dickinson project. Two creek corridors influenced the location of retaining walls and the building footprint. We mapped those conditions at the assessment stage, before the first drawing was developed.
The result was a design based on the real site rather than a design that had to be pulled back later. If your lot sits near a creek, our guide to building on a West Vancouver creek lot covers this in more detail.
Zoning, DPA, and the Municipal Layer
A North Shore lot does not come with one universal rulebook.
DNV, CNV and West Vancouver each have their own bylaws, planning requirements, and approval processes. That difference can affect the size, height, and position of the home.
A zoning review establishes the basics. Floor space ratio, setbacks, height limits, and permitted uses all play a part. A massing idea may look right on paper, but that does not mean the municipality will allow it on that particular lot.
West Vancouver can also involve another layer of review. Some projects are considered by the municipality’s Design Review Committee, where design issues may lead to revisions before a proposal can move forward.
That is why we want zoning and approval requirements understood early.
A requirement found during assessment becomes part of the design conversation. The same requirement discovered at permit submission can become a rejection, a redesign, and another round of work.
The District of West Vancouver’s building and development information provides the municipality’s current approval and development resources.
How Assessment Findings Shape the Design
This is where site assessment becomes part of the architecture.
At Crave, we do not look at site findings as problems for the design team to solve later. They help define the brief in the first place.
- If caissons are recommended, the foundation strategy is understood before schematic design develops.
- If a creek setback reduces the buildable area, the architect knows the actual envelope before working through the massing.
- If a Development Permit is required, the necessary consultant reports can move alongside the early design work.
That saves a project from becoming a chain of revisions.
It also gives the homeowner a clearer picture of what they are actually building.
Our Howe Sound project is a good example of this approach. Understanding the drainage conditions and sightlines early helped resolve the wellness patio layout in the first drawings rather than forcing a later redesign.
That early coordination is central to how we work with architects. Our architect collaboration process brings the builder into the conversation early, where construction, cost, and site realities can inform the design rather than interrupt it later.
What Happens When It’s Done Late
The problems are usually straightforward. The timing is what makes them expensive.
- A geotechnical surprise appears during excavation: structural drawings change, permits may need revision, and trades have to be rescheduled.
- A DPA is discovered at permit submission: the required Development Permit process can pause the project and add weeks to the approval timeline.
- A creek setback appears after design is complete: the architect revises the building, the structural engineer follows, and other models and drawings may need to be updated.
- Infrastructure costs were missed: a longer utility run or more complicated site servicing adds an unplanned cost to the budget.
None of these conditions are especially unusual on North Shore properties.
The point of a proper assessment is to find them before they become construction problems.
Should You Get a Site Assessment Before Buying a Lot?
If you can, yes. Before you buy is the cheapest time to find out what a lot can really hold.
A listing shows the lot size, the view, and the asking price. It won’t tell you how much of the lot sits inside a creek setback, whether the slope will need caissons, or how close bedrock is to the surface. Those are the things that decide how big the house can be and what it will cost to build.
Before you commit to a North Shore lot, it is worth checking:
- Whether the lot falls in a streamside, creek hazard, or slope hazard DPA
- Whether it sits in the DNV, the CNV, or West Vancouver, and what the zoning allows
- What a geotechnical engineer expects below the surface
- How services connect and how equipment will get onto the site
A lot that looks like a good deal can carry site costs that wipe out the savings. A review before you make an offer gives you a real picture of what you are buying.
Site Assessment Frequently Asked Questions
When should a site assessment happen?
Before schematic design, and ideally before the lot is purchased. On the North Shore, geotechnical and environmental findings can have a direct effect on what is possible. Assessment should be the first step in the custom home building process, not something running behind the design.
Who conducts a site assessment?
Several consultants may be involved. Depending on the property, that can include a geotechnical engineer, civil engineer, environmental consultant, and arborist. Crave coordinates the process and brings in the right consultants for the specific site.
Can a site assessment change the project significantly?
Yes. A foundation that requires caissons, a DPA that reduces the building footprint, or rock that requires blasting can all change the scope. When those findings come before design, they become inputs. When they appear during construction, they become change orders.
What is a DPA and why does it matter?
A Development Permit Area is an area where additional development requirements apply before certain work can proceed. In the DNV, these areas include streamside, creek hazard, and slope hazard designations. A site assessment helps identify whether the property is affected and what reports or approvals need to be planned from the start.
Start With the Site
The site assessment is one of the most useful conversations we have before a homeowner commits serious money to design.
It tells us what the land can support, what the approvals may require, and where the real costs are likely to sit.
If you’re looking at a lot in North Vancouver or West Vancouver or you have already purchased one and the assessment has not happened yet, that is where we start.
