Had a similar experience when we put in our pool last summer. We thought we had plenty of room based on the online GIS maps, but when the official survey was done, turns out we were cutting it pretty close to a utility easement. Had to shift the whole layout around, which threw off the landscaping plans too—total headache. I get why online tools are handy for quick checks, but I've learned not to trust them fully anymore. Anyone know why there's such a big discrepancy? You'd think with all the tech we have now, they'd be more accurate...
Online GIS maps are handy for rough ideas, but they're usually stitched together from aerial imagery and public records, which can be outdated or off by a few feet. Utility easements especially can shift slightly over time or might've been recorded inaccurately to begin with. Learned this the hard way myself when building a fence—ended up having to redo part of it after the official survey came back. Definitely worth paying the extra for a proper survey upfront...cheaper than fixing it later.
Yeah, those online GIS maps are definitely hit or miss. When we were doing an addition a few years back, the online tool showed our property line about 5 feet off from where it actually was. Almost built into the neighbor's yard—would've been a nightmare. I'm usually skeptical about paying extra for surveys, but after that close call, gotta admit it's worth the peace of mind...especially if you're investing serious money into a project.
I get your point about surveys being reassuring, but honestly, online GIS tools aren't always that unreliable. I've worked on several projects where the online maps were pretty spot-on—within inches, actually. It really depends on how frequently your local jurisdiction updates their data and the quality of their mapping system. Still, I'd never fully trust them without verification, especially for something critical like an addition...but they're definitely useful as a preliminary tool before investing in a full survey.
I've seen online GIS maps be pretty accurate too, but have you ever run into older neighborhoods where property lines are all over the place? I've had a few projects where relying on GIS alone would've been a headache...always safer to double-check with a survey.
