I need some help from trustworthy Ags in the know...

I live in Katy, Tx. We have a house built on one lot and are wanting to build a pool on our back yard which is officialy another lot.

They are back to back lots and have one straight line separating them.... What is the least expensive option I have? Right now a replat (just erasing one line) will cost around $5.5k + another $750+tax for contour lines, + the HC and City filing fees ($1200)...

Just trying to find a way to not drop $8k to erase a b.s. line.

Howdy, as in "one lot" you mean a separate lot? So your house makes up one lot, and the land behind you makes up another lot? So you own two lots?

Hard to imagine that building a pool in the backyard of your house lot would actually be in the land area that constitutes another, separate lot.

What does your survey show?

If it truly is all one entire lot then survey should show that.

Did someone official tell you that you can't build a pool on the other lot? Are you in the city? If not, which county are you in?

I would attempt to build the pool on the other lot with no platting.

Otherwise, most jurisdictions don't require contours/topo work for minor replats like this and I'd find and read the regs to make sure you have to/don't have to have the topo.

That price is otherwise inexpensive for a boundary survey, drafted plat, and dealing with the client and City.

Good luck.

Is there access to the rear lot by any other means besides your front lot? Are you financing the pool? If you are the lender will probably want the two lots combined I suspect.

I've studied thousands of plats and I don't recall a platted lot of any vintage that did not have right-of-way frontage of some sort.

But it's probably out there.

If replat is what is necessary: No way a replat should cost that much so someone trying to take advantage of you IMO. I got a .6acre parcel replatted into 5 lots from one lot and had to do a 220' sewer extension and design, and it did not cost more than $5.5k total to do that entitlement, survey, and civil engineering design.

ChAg1799 said:

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I need some help from trustworthy Ags in the know...

I live in Katy, Tx. We have a house built on one lot and are wanting to build a pool on our back yard which is officialy another lot.

They are back to back lots and have one straight line separating them.... What is the least expensive option I have? Right now a replat (just erasing one line) will cost around $5.5k + another $750+tax for contour lines, + the HC and City filing fees ($1200)...

Just trying to find a way to not drop $8k to erase a b.s. line.

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As said by others, that price seems crazy steep.

Be sure to stay out of easements also since those typically adjoin lot lines. That can be tricky since they aren't always shown on the subdivision plat, ex. easement recorded after the subdivision was recorded (happens with CenterPoint, among others). You don't want to build your pool and then have a utility make you remove it.

Edit: just fyi- if you do replat the lots, the easements will still exist in their current location. So you might have to explore a release of easement from each utility (Goodluck) or you may have to enter into an encroachment agreement. Those also take time & $

without knowing the specifics of your property, I don't think a replat is neccessary, even if the pool ends up being on both lots. When you sell the deed will be for both lots. Ex. Block A, Lots 2 and 3.

agnerd said:

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Did someone official tell you that you can't build a pool on the other lot? Are you in the city? If not, which county are you in?

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Yes, the City of K-T will not allow the pool to move to permitting, because there is a zoning ordinance that will not allow a) the pool to be built across the property lines, and b) it can not be built alone on a lot by itself.

Deats99 said:

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ChAg1799 said:

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I need some help from trustworthy Ags in the know...

I live in Katy, Tx. We have a house built on one lot and are wanting to build a pool on our back yard which is officialy another lot.

They are back to back lots and have one straight line separating them.... What is the least expensive option I have? Right now a replat (just erasing one line) will cost around $5.5k + another $750+tax for contour lines, + the HC and City filing fees ($1200)...

Just trying to find a way to not drop $8k to erase a b.s. line.

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As said by others, that price seems crazy steep.

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I feel like it's the price either because I am in the City of Katy and they are massively difficult to deal with, or because we are trying to build a pool and they just want to bend us over... but we have quotes from 3 different companies and they are about all the same.

That number is a good bet of what it will actually cost the surveyor in staff time and equipment to do the work and still make money. There is probably some minimal fluff that allows for unknowns with the City's BS.

Have you pursued getting a variance from the P&Z Commission? This kind of situation is not what the platting process is designed to address and it seems to meet Katy's P&Z variance criteria. At the very least, attempting it may make you better understand the price from the surveyors.

We are applying for a variance, but will need to do it with both the Planning & Zoning folks and the Board of Adjustments.

that seems like a crazy expensive number. the beauty of the replat though will be bringing that second lot under your homestead exemption.

ChAg1799 said:

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+ another $750+tax for contour lines

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I keep forgetting to point out that topographic work does not fall under the scope of Tax Code 151.0048(a)(6) and should never include sales taxes.

More details at Comptroller's Rules.