Five Ways to Find Your Property Boundaries
If you are building a new structure, such as a shed or fence, it is important to have an accurate understanding of the boundaries of your property to ensure you are in compliance with local ordinances and building codes. You may also need this information if you are planning to sell your home or want to do major landscaping work. Luckily, there are a few easy ways to find your property line, and it’s easier than ever.
Use Google
The easiest way to find your property boundaries is on your smartphone. This information can often be found on Google Maps by going to the satellite view and then clicking the button labeled “layers” to go to the satellite view. Then use the plus sign at the bottom left of the screen or zoom in with your fingers until light gray lines appear on the screen. Although this is the easiest way to do this, Google does not always have access to all the information needed to provide this service everywhere. If you don’t see these lines, or if they run through existing structures, you’ll have to use a different method to find the edges of your property.
View your document online
Finding your property deed is another easy way to find the boundaries of your property. In many municipalities, your document will be available online in your state records office. Once you locate the deed, you will be able to find a description of the property boundaries included in the deed for tax purposes. If little has changed in the surrounding landscape recently, you may be able to determine the location of your property boundaries based on this description. Keep in mind that deeds often include descriptions of the original sale of the property or the first recorded property line when your area was incorporated. This means that visual cues used to locate certain property boundary features may no longer exist or may be obscured by overgrowth or the addition of new buildings to the property.
Find your “platform map”
When you bought a home, you may have received a document known as a “plan map.” The map will show the location of your property boundaries. If you do not have a copy of your map, you can request one from your county clerk’s office. You can often find them online, saving you a trip to the clerk’s office. The map will show you where your property line is in relation to other local landmarks such as roads, utility poles or natural features such as streams. You can also find markers left by utility workers and other infrastructure on sidewalks, curbs, or telephone poles to help you find your way around the map.
Look for survey marks and markers.
Finding survey marks added by builders who once worked on the property is a good way to find your property line if you have an idea of where it might be nearby. Finding a piece of rebar or a small strip of iron driven into the soil near where you think the property line is can give you the exact location of the boundary. On the new property, you will still be able to find other markers that delineate the property line. These could be stakes made of metal or wood, or even small spikes with a colored piece of vinyl tape or flag attached to them. If you find that they are in a row, you can derive the property line from there.
Request a survey or order one
If all else fails, you can request a survey from your mortgage company or hire a professional surveyor to carry out a new survey. Having a professional check the boundaries of your property is a good way to avoid costly fixes after the fact if you plan to do any construction. Using one of the available official documents, where possible, will help ensure an accurate result. Getting the most up-to-date map may be important if there has been a lot of construction in your area since your home was built, or if lots in the area have been subdivided over the years. Because the markers used to measure lot boundaries may have changed since the lot was originally recorded, the POB (or “place of origin”), also known as the common point, may have changed. It’s best to use something as relevant as possible to locate the measurement when searching for the boundary.