Short answer: build five separate drainage evidence lanes
Start with the exact property and decision deadline, then separate what was approved or supplied, what is represented as built, what can be safely observed, what has been maintained or reported, and what a qualified person concludes. Preserve the source, date, location, scope, limitation, contradiction, follow-up owner, deadline, and written outcome for each lane. A strong file does not turn one plan, status, map, dry day, past statement, or maintenance record into a finding about construction, condition, capacity, responsibility, flood risk, compliance, or future performance.
| Lane | Preserve | Do not infer |
|---|---|---|
| Approved or supplied | Exact application, plan, revision, condition, permit, review, inspection, final or occupancy record, source, date, identifier, scope, and missing item. | That every property required a drainage plan, the file is complete, the work was built as drawn, or the system currently performs as intended. |
| Represented and observed | Named feature and location, speaker or observer, date, weather, lawful viewpoint, media, access limit, maintenance or incident record, and contradiction. | Cause, capacity, defect, safety, compliance, responsibility, future flooding, insurance treatment, repair scope, or cost. |
| Qualified conclusion | Professional discipline, exact instruction, evidence reviewed, site access, tests if any, assumptions, exclusions, conclusion, recommendation, date, and unresolved dependency. | A conclusion beyond the supplied scope or a substitute for separate survey, civil, Planning, legal, insurance, strata, landlord, or property advice. |
Confirm the exact property, interfaces, decision, and deadline
Open a control sheet before comparing records. Record the island, block and parcel, unit or lease interest, verified address, site and building scope, private and common areas represented, road and neighbouring interfaces, intended purchase, lease, finance, insurance, renovation or move-in decision, evidence controller, professional owners, condition deadline, and principal decision-maker. Keep title, boundary, Planning, drainage, roof, plumbing, wastewater, road, neighbour, maintenance, insurance, and cost questions separate so an answer prepared for one purpose is not silently reused for another.
| Control | Capture exactly | Keep open |
|---|---|---|
| Property identity | Island, block/parcel, strata or lease context, address, site limits, building or lot scope, plans supplied, base parcel, related road and neighbouring land represented. | Ownership, boundary, easement, common-property, drainage-responsibility, or right-of-entry conclusions. |
| Decision context | Purchase, lease, finance, insurance, renovation or move-in stage; intended use; named gap; deadline; requested evidence; completion standard; and principal owner. | Whether to proceed, waive a condition, renegotiate, occupy, alter the site, accept a representation, or rely on a particular professional answer. |
Build the approved and supplied drainage record stack
Planning's stormwater guideline supplies a useful evidence vocabulary: finished levels, pre- and post-development flow arrows, detention or retention areas, swales and ditches, deep wells, roof drains, impervious surfaces, curbs or walls, nearby drainage facilities, ownership and maintenance statements, and revisions or as-builts. Use that vocabulary to index the exact records supplied for the property. The guideline is a dated design and submission document—not an inspection report, flood forecast, existing-property diagnosis, or proof that every property required a Stormwater Management Plan or Drainage Management Plan.
| Record | Index | Boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Proposal and approval | Application and permit identifiers, plan title and revision, author, date, Planning status, conditions, levels and flow arrows represented, facilities shown, and source custody. | Do not copy the guideline's old thresholds or calculations as current requirements or assume the plan applies to every later alteration. |
| Revision, variation, and as-built | Later drawings, approved or supplied changes, inspection or completion records, date, reason, feature affected, superseded document, and unresolved mismatch. | A revised drawing or inspection marker does not prove the exact current construction, condition, maintenance, code position, or performance. |
Read levels, flow arrows, and facilities without designing the system
For each exact supplied plan, extract only what the document represents: datum or benchmark if stated, finished levels, high and low points, pre- and post-development flow arrows, catchment or impervious areas, basins, swales, ditches, drains, wells, channels, outlets, curbs, walls, barriers, roof-water paths, nearby facilities, maintenance statements, and revision references. Preserve the author, date, scale, assumptions, approval stage, and limitation. Do not calculate rainfall, runoff, storage, infiltration, pipe or well capacity, slopes, levels, freeboard, discharge, or code compliance; those are bounded professional questions.
| Plan feature | Record | Do not decide |
|---|---|---|
| Levels and arrows | Exact plan, datum or benchmark represented, level or arrow label, location, revision, date, author, approval stage, and survey or civil question. | Current ground level, exact flow in a storm, elevation certificate, topographic accuracy, flood depth, capacity, or adequacy. |
| Facility or barrier | Named basin, swale, ditch, drain, well, channel, outlet, curb, wall or other feature; plan location; role represented; ownership or maintenance note; and later record. | Presence, construction, condition, obstruction, capacity, safety, responsibility, approval, code compliance, or future performance. |
Inventory the represented current site-water system
Create a plan-indexed register for every drainage or runoff feature represented as serving the exact property. Record the name, location, private, common, road or neighbouring interface represented, source, installation or alteration record supplied, ordinary lawful observation if available, access restriction, maintenance controller represented, last service record, incident or recurrence history, and qualified question. Do not open a drain, well or chamber; probe, rod, flush, pump, dye or smoke test; excavate; enter floodwater; climb; operate equipment; divert discharge; cross a boundary; or attempt a repair.
| Feature register | Evidence | Safety and inference boundary |
|---|---|---|
| On-site feature | Exact location, plan/revision, role represented, installation or alteration record, neutral observation, access limit, maintenance record, issue history, and professional owner. | No opening, testing, entry, diagnosis, capacity finding, code interpretation, repair instruction, or safe-to-use conclusion. |
| Road, common, or neighbouring interface | Feature and location represented, relevant plan or agreement, road or parcel relationship, responsible party claimed, maintenance and incident records, access permission, and conflict. | No right of entry, diversion, discharge, encroachment, nuisance, trespass, responsibility, liability, remedy, or neighbour-impact opinion. |
Keep roof water, plumbing, wastewater, and site drainage separate
A roof drain or downpipe can be an interface between the roof system and site drainage, but it does not merge all disciplines. Keep roof covering and flashing condition, gutters or downpipes, potable-water supply, internal or sanitary plumbing, septic or aerobic treatment and effluent disposal, and external site-water routing in separate evidence lanes. Record where one system is represented as handing water to another, which drawing or report covers the interface, who maintains it, what was observed or reported, and which qualified discipline owns the unresolved question.
- Use the roof and hurricane guide for the roof envelope, fixings, openings, shutters, and storm-readiness records.
- Use the plumbing guide for supply pressure, visible leaks, fixtures, internal pipework, and plumbing-service evidence.
- Use the onsite-wastewater guide for septic, ATU, tanks, disposal fields, effluent, service, and environmental records.
- Do not diagnose a roof, plumbing, wastewater, or site-drainage cause from one damp area, stain, overflow, smell, pond, or verbal explanation.
Compare proposed, approved, as-built, and current representations
Use separate columns for the proposal, approved drawing and conditions, later variation or as-built record, inspection or final evidence, seller, landlord, strata or manager representation, lawful ordinary observation, and qualified conclusion. A difference is a question—not proof of unauthorized work, defect, obstruction, non-compliance, negligence, or liability. Preserve the exact feature, source, date, plan revision, location, words used, unavailable evidence, contradiction, professional owner, deadline, and written closure record.
| Comparison | Capture | Do not infer |
|---|---|---|
| Approved vs later record | Feature, plan and revision, approval or condition, later drawing or report, inspection/final marker, date, scope, difference, and Planning or professional question. | That later work was required, permitted, inspected, final, built correctly, maintained, safe, or performing. |
| Record vs represented current site | Exact source, date, location, neutral observation or statement, access limit, media custody, conflict, unavailable item, and bounded follow-up. | Cause, age, material, capacity, compliance, concealment, responsibility, cost, future flooding, or transaction outcome. |
Record rain, ponding, and runoff observations safely
Hazard Management says flood risk is not based on history alone and can involve rainfall, topography, and changes from construction and development. That supports collecting both dated history and current evidence; it does not create a property-specific risk rating or future-storm promise. Record dry-weather observations and safely available past rain-event evidence with the exact date, source, location, weather or event context if known, water direction or extent represented, duration, media, access and visibility limits, damage or service records supplied, and unresolved question. Never enter floodwater, observe during an active storm, touch electrical equipment while wet, obstruct a road, or create a test discharge.
| Observation | Record | Hard boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Dry weather | Date, observer and lawful viewpoint, recent weather context if known, named feature, neutral visible state, inaccessible areas, plan/report reference, media, and limitation. | A dry day does not prove no flooding, adequate capacity, clear drains, functioning wells, low risk, future access, or absence of hidden issues. |
| Past rain or flood event | Event date, source and capacity, rainfall or alert source if supplied, exact location, direction/extent/duration represented, media, incident, repair, insurance or maintenance record, and contradiction. | Do not invent history, infer cause or frequency, predict the next storm, enter floodwater, diagnose a system, or promise insurance or repair outcomes. |
Track maintenance, access, obstruction, and recurrence evidence
For each named basin, swale, ditch, drain, well, channel, outlet, curb, wall, barrier, pump or other represented feature, request the maintenance and access file. Preserve who arranged work, provider and scope represented, date, invoice or service record, access authority, finding or recommendation supplied, completion evidence, photographs, obstruction or recurrence report, planned work, budget or cost representation, and unresolved dependency. A service invoice does not prove the feature was required, fully inspected, competently maintained, clear, functional, compliant, adequate, or safe; absence of a record does not prove no work occurred.
| Maintenance lane | Evidence file | Question |
|---|---|---|
| Routine or reactive work | Feature and location, controller represented, provider, scope/date, work order, report, invoice, media, access limit, recommendation, completion proof, and next action. | What did the provider actually inspect or do, and what condition, performance, access, design, code, or recurrence question remains outside that scope? |
| Obstruction or recurrence | Exact event, source/date, weather context, location, reported effect, response, temporary or permanent work represented, later event, unresolved pattern, and qualified owner. | Do not decide cause, negligence, responsibility, frequency, adequacy of past work, future recurrence, repair scope, or liability. |
Separate private, common, road, landlord, and neighbour claims
Drainage assets and runoff routes may cross or affect private property, strata or other common areas, a landlord's retained structure, a road or public interface, and neighbouring land. Preserve each responsibility or cost claim with the exact register, instrument, plan, strata material, lease, contract, policy, approval condition, invoice, minute, letter, official response, professional report, or other supplied record relied on. Keep ownership, access, operation, maintenance, repair, cost, discharge, nuisance, trespass, insurance, and remedy as separate questions. This guide does not allocate legal responsibility, decide a boundary or easement, draft a notice, calculate a contribution, or recommend self-help.
| Interface | Preserve | Do not decide |
|---|---|---|
| Private, strata, or landlord | Feature and location, governing record, controller and responsibility represented, access process, budget/invoice, service history, incident, planned work, dispute or gap, and attorney/property answer. | Ownership, common-property status, duty, breach, contribution, negligence, waiver, repair responsibility, or enforceability. |
| Road, public, or neighbouring | Exact feature and interface, plan/map/survey source, road or parcel relationship, representation, official or professional response, maintenance/incident record, access authority, and unresolved question. | Right of entry, public duty, permission, discharge right, diversion, encroachment, nuisance, trespass, liability, remedy, or future protection. |
Use maps, contours, and survey evidence within their limits
Lands & Survey's current map-request service can provide products with aerial imagery, contours, streets, buildings, rights of way, road names, parcel labels, and topographic views. Treat each map as a dated reference layer with a stated purpose and limitation. Record the exact product, publisher, date, layers, parcel or area, scale or precision statement, source custody, relationship to the drainage plan, and mismatch. A map contour is not an elevation certificate, current topographic or boundary survey, drainage design, flow model, flood map, facility inspection, or ground-condition report.
| Evidence | Safe use | Do not substitute |
|---|---|---|
| Official map product | Exact product, selected layers, date, parcel/area, purpose, scale or precision statement, plan relationship, export custody, limitation, and question raised. | A current level, boundary, legal route, built feature, flood history, flow path, capacity, condition, risk rating, or design conclusion. |
| Qualified survey or civil scope | Instruction, professional, exact property and feature scope, records reviewed, fieldwork date, datum/benchmark if relevant, output, assumptions, exclusions, discrepancy, and conclusion. | Move to Cayman does not commission, verify, extend, or interpret the result beyond the supplied professional scope. |
Reconcile Planning stages and current law and code versions
Planning's current public sources distinguish planning permission, discipline permits and plan reviews, inspections, and final or certificate-of-occupancy stages. The Online Planning System can expose permit-related status information, while the physical-file route has separate owner and owner-permission controls. Preserve every stage, identifier, date, document actually reviewed, unavailable record, and authority or professional question without collapsing one status into another. Maintain a dated version register: Planning lists the Development and Planning Regulations (2024 Revision), a separate May 2026 amendment, the Building Code Regulations (2022 Revision), and the Development and Planning Act (2021 Revision). Do not treat the 2024 consolidated file as exhaustive after the later amendment or use the amendment—which concerns regulation 8, subdivision roads, and transitional applications—as a lay drainage rule.
| Version or stage | Record | Hard boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Planning record stage | Application, permission, condition, discipline permit, reviewed drawing, inspection, variation/as-built, final or occupancy record, identifier, date, source, and scope. | One stage or status does not prove another, exact construction, current condition, maintenance, performance, compliance, safety, or legal effect. |
| Law and code register | Official source, title, revision or publication date, access date, later amendment listed, consolidation limit, provision or code question, and qualified interpretation owner. | No lay consolidation, code reconstruction, section selection, applicability, commencement, approval, breach, responsibility, liability, or transaction conclusion. |
Turn material gaps into bounded professional questions
Choose the discipline from the unanswered question, not from a generic provider label. A licensed land surveyor may own current levels or cadastral scope; a civil or drainage professional may own facility, flow, condition or design questions; Planning owns its records and process; a property inspector may document only the agreed inspection scope; an insurer or lender owns its evidence requirements; a strata, landlord or property manager owns operational records and representations; and a Cayman attorney owns title, easement, responsibility, nuisance, liability, conditions, notices and remedies. Preserve the exact instruction, evidence set, exclusions, answer, recommendation, dependency, deadline, and written closeout. Do not imply endorsement, availability, competence, result, or that one discipline replaces another.
- Ask the survey or civil professional what current levels, topographic information, facility inspection, testing, modelling, or design scope is actually required for this decision—without the reader performing it.
- Ask Planning which exact application, plan, condition, permit, inspection, variation, as-built, final, or physical-file record answers the identified question and what remains outside its answer.
- Ask the attorney to separate title, boundary, access, private or common responsibility, discharge, nuisance, liability, condition wording, notice, and remedy questions.
- Ask the insurer, lender, strata, landlord, manager, inspector, and property party for their own written requirements or representations rather than treating another party's answer as universal.
Close with a controlled drainage-evidence decision register
Before money, a condition, lease commitment, finance or insurance dependency, renovation, move-in, or another material decision changes, issue one register showing the exact property and site scope, records requested and received, plan and law/code versions, facilities and interfaces represented, lawful observations, maintenance and incident chronology, responsibility claims, professional scopes and conclusions, contradictions, inaccessible or unverified items, owner, deadline, adviser-defined completion evidence, condition status, and principal decision-maker. Move to Cayman can help organize a privacy-safe question set; it does not clear drainage or flood risk, inspect the site, accept evidence, choose a provider, prescribe a repair, price risk, waive a condition, or recommend proceeding, renegotiating, occupying, altering the site, using self-help, or withdrawing.
| Closeout lane | Written evidence | Final control |
|---|---|---|
| Records and current site | Approved/supplied stack, revisions or as-builts, facility register, maps/surveys, observations, maintenance/incidents, Planning stages, law/code register, and contradictions. | Did every record keep its source, date, scope, limitation, and relationship to the exact property without becoming a performance conclusion? |
| Professional and decision | Exact questions, discipline and instruction, evidence reviewed, conclusion and exclusion, unresolved dependency, owner, deadline, completion proof, condition status, and principal action. | Did the authorized principal act on completed written evidence rather than a dry viewing, old plan, map contour, permit status, invoice, or verbal assurance? |
Trust note
Last updated August 2026. This guide is written for relocation planning and should be verified with licensed Cayman professionals for legal, tax, immigration, medical, insurance, or financial decisions.
Reference points: Planning — Guidelines for Stormwater Management, Planning — Building Control Unit, Planning — Online Planning System, Planning — File Request, Planning — Process, Planning — Laws & Regulations, Cayman legislation — Current History by Tag, Development and Planning Regulations (2024 Revision), Development and Planning (Amendment) Regulations, 2026, Building Code Regulations (2022 Revision), Development and Planning Act (2021 Revision), Cayman Land Info — Map Request, Hazard Management Cayman Islands — Flooding.