If you're ready to add some landscaping features to your property, or if you are thinking of planting a large garden or small farm, you want to begin with a site analysis. This type of analysis is often done for builders, before any construction begins, but it can also be beneficial for homeowners, especially those planning a major renovation to their property for the landscaping they have in mind. Note a few things that are included in a site analysis and why this examination can be beneficial for you.

Easements

An easement refers to someone else having the right to access your property to get to their own, or to cross over your property. For example, a sidewalk in front of your home is technically an easement, as it allows pedestrians to legally walk through your yard.

Since an easement allows someone the legal right to cross over your property, you don't want to plant anything that may get in the way of that easement, as you may eventually be required to remove that particular landscaping feature to keep the easement accessible. You also may not want to plant certain landscaping features near the easement so they won't get damaged or vandalized; flowers near a public alley are easy for strangers to pick, as an example. A site analysis can note any easements on your property so that you can work your landscaping plans around them.

Hydrozones

Hydrozones refers to how water behaves on your property; this can include where water collects, in what direction it flows, and so on. Knowing the hydrozones of your property can allow you to plant your landscaping features, garden or other vegetation in an area where it will get plenty of water without being washed away. You will also know if you should erect a retaining wall or other structure to better control the water under the soil.

Topography

A site analysis can provide you with the topography of your property, meaning an inventory of hills, slopes, swails and so on. These features are important to note, as disrupting certain areas of land may cause small landslides on the property. Hills may cut off sunlight to the soil below them, and  they may also stop the growth of tree roots, so landscaping trees planted there would then struggle to grow or would outright wither. Understanding the topography of your land, if it's not a flat and level lot, can then help you determine if the site should be graded or if you should adjust your landscaping plans.