Really rough estimate for road extension? (+ Q on selling a lot)

9 years ago

Hi folks! Although we are long-time GW-ers, I am a newbie on the building forum.

We're barely done with our whole-house renovation/remodel and hadn't planned to put this house on the market for another year, but a very interesting opportunity has presented itself. We've long had a dream to buy a large parcel of land and live in the existing home while building our Forever Home.
A great situation to do that has presented itself, and we're trying to figure out some really rough numbers to see how do-able it is.

There is currently a dirt road leading from the town road to the existing home on the 50+ acre parcel. There's a great home site few more acres back where we'd want to build. We'd need to extend the existing gravel road by about 650 feet, through wooded area. Does anyone have any sense of how much that costs? (ie is it more like $5,000 or $20,000?) This is in Maine, if it matters.

Secondly, on a large parcel like that, what would be involved in carving off a couple of building lots to sell to raise capital for our future build? I've already checked and the zoning restrictions are minimum 3 acres with 200 feet road frontage. I was thinking we might sell 2 lots along the road near the existing house. Does that count as "subdivision" or is that just selling part of your property? I don't understand the distinction, and I noticed there are separate zoning laws for "subdivision".

Also one other thing: I am not sure if the existing gravel road is a town road or a private road. I'm guessing private since it's not paved. Does that change the situation? Does the "200 ft of road frontage" rule apply to private roads?

Thank you for your input!

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Comments (6)

dekeoboe
9 years ago
You need to go to your county offices and ask them these questions. What applies where I live may not apply where you live.
nostalgicfarm
9 years ago
Private roads (roads without names) are not going to count as your 200 ft. Does this property butt up to this other dirt road? You can't just link up to another persons driveway when the driveway is contained in their property. Maybe if you can upload a Google map or the property map?

You really need to go talk to somebody in the zoning office with a list of every possible question you can think of. You also need to know if you do divide smaller parcels like that, if you keep the same zoning. We are residential age, can divide down to 3 acres , but doing so more than once (all the rest is a minimum of 20 acres) , changes our zoning to residential...which is Not what we want!
Gravel for a driveway the length you are talking is going to be pricey, you can get an estimate for that by calling a gravel and rock supplier. You really need to call for some estimates on bulldozing 650 ft of trees. You also need to find put how much it will cost to get electricity there. Contact the electric company for that area, give them the site info, and they can give you a good idea. If there is natural gas, find that out too, but you will probably be on propane. Then you need to find out how much it will cost to get either a water line or a well to the property.
Another consideration is funding the land...as dar as I know, it is very hard to get land with any less than 50% down.
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Stacey Collins
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks folks, all good points. Clearly I need to go to the town office on Monday.

The dirt road right now is a named "private way" with a town street sign... not just a driveway. Two other houses have THEIR driveways coming off of it before "my" property begins. Then the named dirt road ends near where "my" driveway comes off it.

I'll go and get some more specific information when the office is open. Thanks!
nostalgicfarm
9 years ago
What town road (or county road) does this 50 acres sit adjacent to? If it is like the standard 60surrounded completely by corn field like we have in Nebraska, it doesn't sound like you could break off 3 acre sections.
The county is a wealth of info. Ask them about all the fees included in building a home there also. You also need to find out if you can break off the parcel you want your house on, as it is hard to get q Hoke loannkn anything over 10 acres. Also find out about well water quality....would be a big bummer to find out ground water is nearly undrinkable and you have to pay to run city or county water an additional 650 ft.
Iowacommute
9 years ago
We have lived in rural areas the last ten years and the counties have had plenty of 'no maintenance' roads. That means dirt, incredibly bumpy, and if it rains a lot you have to find another way home or need a giant 4x4 truck.

Also our last town was discouraging people from splitting off any more property to keep large acreages and farmland in tact. So keep an open mind when talking to the office because you have no idea what you may run into. Good luck because you may get lucky and everything could go as smooth as silk.
robin0919
9 years ago
Call several loggers and see what they will give you for trees that need to be removed for the exten of the road.