It’s wild how often people assume those GIS lines are gospel. I’ve lost count of the times folks have shown me a printout and said, “Here’s my property line,” only for us to find out it’s nowhere close. The accuracy just isn’t there for anything critical. Even with easements—sometimes they’re missing entirely, or the map doesn’t match the recorded plat. I get wishing for a cheaper middle option, but there’s so much liability in getting it wrong... I’d rather see someone spend the money upfront than risk a legal mess or having to tear out work later.
Title: Digging into property easements—anyone else find online tools confusing?
- Totally agree, those GIS maps are just a rough guide.
- I’ve seen folks get burned thinking a digital line is the real deal—one guy almost poured a driveway over a utility easement because of it.
- Even the “official” county sites can be off by several feet.
- If you’re building anything permanent, a survey is just non-negotiable.
- Wish there was a cheaper way too, but the risk just isn’t worth it.
Even the “official” county sites can be off by several feet.
That’s the part that gets me every time. You’d think with all the tech we have, those lines would be spot on, but nope—my neighbor’s fence is a living testament to how “off” those maps can be. He swore up and down he was in the clear until a surveyor came out and, well... let’s just say there was some awkward shuffling and a lot of measuring tape.
I get why people want to trust the online stuff—it’s free, it looks official, and it’s way easier than tracking down old paper plats. But man, I’ve seen too many folks get tripped up by that shortcut. Still, I wish surveys weren’t so pricey. Feels like you need a small loan just to put in a shed these days.
Guess it comes down to how much you’re willing to gamble. For anything more permanent than a birdhouse, I’m not rolling those dice.
Honestly, I feel you on the survey costs—they’re brutal, especially for smaller projects. But you’re right, those online maps are more like rough sketches than blueprints. I’ve seen people dig up half their yard for a rain garden, only to find out later it was technically on the neighbor’s side. It’s wild that with all the satellite tech, we still have to rely on old-school surveyors and their tape measures. Still, I guess it’s better to be safe than to have to move a fence (or worse, a shed) down the road.
DIGGING INTO PROPERTY EASEMENTS—ANYONE ELSE FIND ONLINE TOOLS CONFUSING?
It’s kind of wild, isn’t it? All this tech and we’re still trusting those little wooden stakes more than a satellite map. I totally get the frustration with survey costs, but honestly, I’ve seen folks try to “eyeball” their property lines using county GIS tools and end up way off. Is it just me, or do those maps always seem to be a few feet off from reality? I wonder if we’ll ever get a truly reliable digital solution, or if there’s just too much nuance—like old fences, weird lot shapes, or even trees that got planted in the wrong spot decades ago... It does make you think twice before starting anything permanent.
