SiteAI walks you through a structured, 7-step process each time you run a site plan. Here's what each step does and what to enter.
Step 1 — Development Type
Choose the type of development you're planning. Residential Subdivision is currently available; Residential Custom Home, Multifamily, Commercial, Industrial, and Additional Dwelling Unit (ADU) are marked Coming Soon.
Step 2 — Site Boundaries
SiteAI automatically detects environmental constraints on your parcel (or assemblage) and itemizes them so you can see exactly what's reducing your developable area — no analysis or configuration required to view this data.
Wetlands — Every wetland feature on the site is listed individually by type (e.g., Freshwater Pond, Estuarine and Marine Wetland) with its exact acreage and square footage, plus a running total. Check Remove Wetlands and set a setback (in feet) to exclude these areas — and the buffer around them — from your developable area.
FEMA Flood Zones — Flood zone designations (e.g., VE, AE) are listed individually with acreage, the same way wetlands are. Check Remove FEMA Flood Zones and set a setback to exclude them.
Power Transmission Lines — Detected automatically; the panel will note if none are found on the site.
At the bottom of this step, SiteAI shows a full breakdown: Total Parcel Acreage, Non-Developable Area (broken out by wetlands, flood zones, and power lines), and the resulting Net Developable Area.
This is the fastest way to get exact wetland or flood zone acreage for a parcel without running a full site plan — you can view and reference these figures from Step 2 without completing Steps 3–7.
Step 3 — Topography
Exclude areas with steep topography from development:
Slope Avoidance — Set a slope percentage threshold (e.g., avoid slopes greater than 10%) and click Generate Slope Exclusions to visualize and exclude those areas.
Additional Avoidance Area(s) — Draw custom avoidance polygons on the map for anything else you want excluded — a second project phase, an easement, or any other known constraint.
Step 4 — Zoning & Home Models
This step combines zoning review and product configuration side by side:
ZoneAI (left panel) — Shows the current zone for the parcel: zone code, type, subtype, zone name, a link to the code documentation, base requirements (minimum lot area, lot width/depth ratio, density), and detailed zoning line items. If the parcel spans multiple zones, use the arrows to review each one. A Re-zone option is available if you're modeling a rezoning scenario.
Home Model Configuration (right panel) — Define your home model(s): lot size (by width × depth or area), and a goal % of units for that model. Click + Insert New Home Model to add additional lot sizes/product types to the same run (e.g., a mix of 50-ft and 65-ft lots).
A completion indicator (e.g., "100%") confirms your home model goal percentages add up correctly before you can proceed.
Step 5 — Stormwater
Define stormwater retention for the yield study. Set pond size as a percentage of site area (or in acres/sqft), then click Generate to auto-place ponds, or use Draw Stormwater Pond to place them manually. The panel shows Total Parcel Area, Net Developable Area, and your Total Stormwater as both a % of parcel and % of net developable area.
Step 6 — Open Space
Define community open space the same way — as a % of site area, in acres, or in square feet. Click Generate or draw it manually. This step also checks your input against any Open Space Requirements from zoning, and shows the running Total Open Space against parcel and net developable area. Leave blank if no community open space is planned.
Step 7 — Roads
Set your Road Width and Sidewalk Width, then place Road Entry Points by clicking along the parcel boundary (up to 10 points; points snap to the nearest parcel edge as you hover). Once entry points are set, click Generate SiteAI Yield Study to produce your final plan.
Reviewing Your Output
Once generated, the site plan displays on the map with all lots placed and roads drawn. Zoom in closely to see each lot's frontage width, side depth, and area labeled directly on the map. The right panel shows your total yield count, net developable area, road area, and density. You can save the plan, export a PDF report, or go back and adjust any step to regenerate.
SiteAI is available on Expert and Enterprise plans. Not on Expert or Enterprise yet? Talk to your account team.