Selecting a Lot and Siting the Building

Course Outline

Buildings located in coastal areas are susceptible to natural hazards such as storms, waves and flooding. Purchase and siting decisions should be based on the long-term considerations, not on present-day shoreline and conditions. Factors that constrain siting decision include parcel size, topography, location of roads and other infrastructure, regulatory constraints, and environmental constraints. This course reviews these factors and provides a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of course materials.

Learning Objective

At the conclusion of this course, the student will:

• Understand the risks involved in coastal construction;
• Be able to identify the factors constrain siting decisions;
• know how to avoid costly siting mistakes; and
• Be able to determine the required costal setback line.

Intended Audience

This course is intended for architects, engineers, builders and owners who want to learn how to properly select a lot and site the building in coastal areas.

Course Content

You will be directed to FEMA's website to study the content on the following webpages:

Selecting a Lot and Siting the Building (PDF)
Coastal Construction Fact Sheet Series (PDF, for information only - no quiz questions from this publication)

Course Summary

This course provides information on how to properly select a lot and site the building in coastal areas.

Related Links

For additional technical information related to this subject, please visit the following web pages:

Coastal Toolkit
A Guide to Building on the Coast

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

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DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.

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