24 How to Lay Out 



point where the Hne of sight strikes the pole and the ground 

 will be the elevation to be placed upon the plan. For conven- 

 ience it is a good plan to assume the top of the level at 100, and 

 every measurement down as the land varies in height will be 

 below 100, as 96 feet inches or 91 feet 7 inches. These meas- 

 urements must then be placed upon the plan in a position to 

 agree with the point in which they were taken upon the ground. 

 The land can be divided into squares of 10 feet or 20 feet for 

 convenience of locating the measurements. See Plan VII. 



Locate also the street, curb, grass strip, and sidewalk and 

 the proper heights on the property line to which it will be 

 necessary to grade. If there are poles, trees, hydrants, or 

 sewer manholes between the street and sidewalk they should 

 also be located that they may be taken into consideration in 

 designing the approaches to the house. If the site is too diffi- 

 cult for this simple home-made method a surveyor can be 

 secured to get the information. The one foot contours of ele- 

 vation with all the natural and artificial features should be 

 shown upon the plan. See Plans II, X, XIII, and XIV. 



Surveyors usually make the plans on the 10 foot, 20 foot, or 

 40 foot scale according to the size or detail of the lot reciuired. 

 On all plans be sure and place a north point. The north point 

 may be obtained by taking the direction of the shadow cast 

 by a pole at 12 o'clock at noon from some known point on the 

 ground and drawing the line upon the plan. This is especially 

 useful in th(* study of the house and the grounds. Thc^ plan 

 mad(; should represent the lot. 



The next step is to make a rough preliminary outline of the 

 house showing the location of the rooms desired in their rela- 

 tion one to the other. 



With the preliminary outline of the house and the survey 

 plot the process of development can begin. Place the outline 

 of the house on the survey in the position thought of on the 

 ground, whether 25 feet or more from the street line and the 

 supposed position from the side line. Then study th(> loca- 



