Site plan template for AutoCAD (DWT)
A drawing template for site plans: 17 layers for property lines, setbacks, buildings, roads, parking, paths, fences, contours, trees, water and utilities, text and dimension styles for site scales, and sheet layouts with a locked viewport, a north arrow, a graphic scale bar and a title block with client, site and phase fields. The metric version plots A4 to A1 at 1:500; the imperial one plots ARCH C to E at 1 in = 20 ft.
Free to use and modify in your own projects, including commercial ones. The ZIP holds the template, a plot style table and a README; no add-in needed. Layer names, colours and styles are common practice, not a standard: check them against your office or client standard. Library terms (CXL-1.0)
Metric or imperial
This template comes in two versions, each with its own ZIP. Take the one that matches the units and sheets you work in.
Metric: A4 to A1 at 1:500
Millimetres, four layouts (A4, A3, A2, A1) with the viewport locked at 1:500, text and dimension styles for 1:500 and 1:1000.
Imperial: ARCH C to E at 1" = 20'
Architectural inches, three layouts (ARCH C, D, E) with the viewport locked at 1 in = 20 ft, text and dimension styles for 1 in = 20 ft and 1 in = 40 ft.
What is in the ZIP
- Site-Plan-Template-Metric.dwt / Site-Plan-Template-Imperial.dwt
Drawing template (DWT, AutoCAD 2018 format) - CADXChange-Monochrome.ctb
Plot style table (CTB) that prints every colour black - README.txt
README with the layer list and how to use the files
Sheet layouts
Every layout has a frame with centring marks, a title block with attributes and a locked viewport. Pick the tab of your sheet size and plot from it.
Metric: A4 to A1 at 1:500
| Layout | Sheet | Paper size | Viewport scale |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISO-A4 | A4 | 297 × 210 mm | 1:500 |
| ISO-A3 | A3 | 420 × 297 mm | 1:500 |
| ISO-A2 | A2 | 594 × 420 mm | 1:500 |
| ISO-A1 | A1 | 841 × 594 mm | 1:500 |
Imperial: ARCH C to E at 1" = 20'
| Layout | Sheet | Paper size | Viewport scale |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARCH-C | ARCH C | 24 × 18 in | 1" = 20' |
| ARCH-D | ARCH D | 36 × 24 in | 1" = 20' |
| ARCH-E | ARCH E | 48 × 36 in | 1" = 20' |
Layers
Every layer of the template with its colour, line weight and linetype. The colours show on screen; the plot style table in the ZIP prints everything black and keeps the line weights.
| Layer | Colour | Line weight | Linetype | Used for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Layers of this template | ||||
| SITE-PROP | 1 | 0.35 mm | DASHDOT | Property and boundary lines |
| SITE-SETBACK | 5 | 0.18 mm | DASHED | Setbacks and easements |
| SITE-BLDG | 7 | 0.50 mm | Continuous | Building footprints and roof outlines |
| SITE-ROAD | 7 | 0.35 mm | Continuous | Roads, kerbs and pavement edges |
| SITE-PARK | 8 | 0.25 mm | Continuous | Parking bays and paved areas |
| SITE-WALK | 8 | 0.18 mm | Continuous | Walks, paths and steps |
| SITE-FENCE | 6 | 0.25 mm | Continuous | Fences, gates and site walls |
| SITE-TOPO-MAJ | 30 | 0.25 mm | Continuous | Major (index) contours |
| SITE-TOPO-MIN | 30 | 0.13 mm | Continuous | Minor contours |
| SITE-TREE | 3 | 0.18 mm | Continuous | Trees and planting |
| SITE-WATER | 4 | 0.25 mm | Continuous | Water bodies, drainage and swales |
| SITE-UTIL | 2 | 0.25 mm | DASHED | Utilities: water, sewer, power and gas lines |
| SITE-GRID | 1 | 0.13 mm | DASHDOT | Survey grid and coordinates |
| SITE-TAG | 7 | 0.18 mm | Continuous | Tags: parcels, buildings, levels |
| SITE-DIM | 3 | 0.18 mm | Continuous | Dimensions |
| SITE-TEXT | 7 | 0.18 mm | Continuous | General text and tables |
| SITE-NOTES | 7 | 0.18 mm | Continuous | Notes and legends |
| Sheet and symbol layers | ||||
| 0 | 7 | default | Continuous | Default layer, keep it empty |
| FRAME | 7 | default | Continuous | Sheet frame and centring marks |
| TITLEBLOCK | 7 | default | Continuous | Title block, scale bar and north arrow |
| VIEWPORT | 8 | default | Continuous | Layout viewports (not plotted) |
| DRAWING-AREA | 8 | default | Continuous | Drawing area outlines (not plotted) |
| SYMBOL | 7 | 0.25 mm | Continuous | Symbols (the layer used by the CADXChange symbol libraries) |
Text and dimension styles
Defined in the template, so you do not have to set them up in every new drawing.
Metric: A4 to A1 at 1:500
| Kind | Name | Settings |
|---|---|---|
| Text style | ISO | isocp.shx, variable height |
| Text style | ISO-2.5@500 | isocp.shx, height 1250 mm |
| Text style | ISO-3.5@500 | isocp.shx, height 1750 mm |
| Text style | ISO-5@500 | isocp.shx, height 2500 mm |
| Text style | ISO-2.5@1000 | isocp.shx, height 2500 mm |
| Text style | ISO-3.5@1000 | isocp.shx, height 3500 mm |
| Text style | ISO-5@1000 | isocp.shx, height 5000 mm |
| Dimension style | SITE@500 | Text 2.5 mm, arrows 2.5 mm, extension lines 1.25 mm beyond the dimension line and 0.625 mm from the object, dimension lines 3.75 mm apart, overall scale 1:500 |
| Dimension style | SITE@1000 | Text 2.5 mm, arrows 2.5 mm, extension lines 1.25 mm beyond the dimension line and 0.625 mm from the object, dimension lines 3.75 mm apart, overall scale 1:1000 |
The number before the @ sign is the printed text height, the number after it the drawing scale: ISO-2.5@100 prints 2.5 mm high at 1:100, so it is 250 units high in the model.
Imperial: ARCH C to E at 1" = 20'
| Kind | Name | Settings |
|---|---|---|
| Text style | ANSI | simplex.shx, variable height |
| Text style | ANSI-0.125@240 | simplex.shx, height 30 in |
| Text style | ANSI-0.1875@240 | simplex.shx, height 45 in |
| Text style | ANSI-0.25@240 | simplex.shx, height 60 in |
| Text style | ANSI-0.125@480 | simplex.shx, height 60 in |
| Text style | ANSI-0.1875@480 | simplex.shx, height 90 in |
| Text style | ANSI-0.25@480 | simplex.shx, height 120 in |
| Dimension style | SITE@240 | Text 0.125 in, arrows 0.125 in, extension lines 0.0625 in beyond the dimension line and 0.0625 in from the object, dimension lines 0.38 in apart, overall scale 1:240 |
| Dimension style | SITE@480 | Text 0.125 in, arrows 0.125 in, extension lines 0.0625 in beyond the dimension line and 0.0625 in from the object, dimension lines 0.38 in apart, overall scale 1:480 |
The number before the @ sign is the printed text height in inches, the number after it the drawing scale: ANSI-0.125@48 prints 1/8 in high at 1/4 in = 1 ft (1:48), so it is 6 units high in the model.
Blocks in the file
A north arrow and graphic scale bars, drawn on the title block layer. Each layout has the scale bar of its scale; the bar for the second scale is in the file for when you change it.
- SCALEBAR_1-500Scale bar 1:500
- SCALEBAR_1-1000Scale bar 1:1000
- NORTH_ARROWNorth arrow
- SCALEBAR_1-240Scale bar 1:240
- SCALEBAR_1-480Scale bar 1:480
Works with these resources
Draw on the template with these symbol libraries, and take the title block templates if you need another sheet size, style or label language.
How to use it
- Start a drawing from the DWT (NEW or QNEW) and copy the CTB to your Plot Styles folder. The outlines on layer DRAWING-AREA in the Model tab show how much ground each sheet covers at the site scale; start inside them and delete them when you are done.
- Draw the property boundary on SITE-PROP and the building footprint on SITE-BLDG. The layers for roads, parking, paths, contours, trees, water and utilities are ready.
- Dimension with the SITE style of your scale (SITE@500) and write text with the style of the same scale, for example ISO-2.5@500: the number after the @ sign is the drawing scale.
- Pick the layout tab of your sheet. The viewport is locked at the site scale, the north arrow and the scale bar are in place, and a double-click on the title block fills in client, site, phase and drawing number.
Frequently asked questions
- Which scale do the layouts use?
- Metric: 1:500, with styles for 1:1000 as well. Imperial: 1 in = 20 ft (1:240), with styles for 1 in = 40 ft. Large sites need a smaller scale: unlock the viewport, set it and replace the scale bar with the one in the file.
- Does it include a survey grid or a coordinate system?
- It has layers for a survey grid and for tags, and the content is yours. The template does not set a coordinate system: set it in your drawing before you attach survey data.
- Can I use my own layer names?
- The layer names are a common convention, not a standard. Rename or merge layers (RENAME, LAYMRG) to match your office standard and save the result as your own template.