Title: Digging into property easements—anyone else find online tools confusing?
I totally get what you mean about digital maps sometimes catching things that paperwork misses. I had a project last year where the county’s online GIS map actually showed an old utility easement that wasn’t in any of the closing docs. It looked like it ran right through where we wanted to put a rain garden. At first, I thought, “No way, this has to be a glitch.” But when I double checked with the city, turns out the easement was real—just never recorded properly on the deed. If I’d just trusted the paper trail, we’d have been digging up pipes before we even realized.
But then again, there’s been times where those same maps have led me down a rabbit hole. One property line looked totally straightforward online, but when we got out there with tape measures and flagged it out, it was off by almost six feet. Not a small difference when you’re planning for solar orientation or trying to keep mature trees intact.
Do you ever wonder how much of this is just old data not getting updated? Or maybe some of these tools are just pulling from different sources that don’t always sync up? I’ve noticed some counties are way better than others about keeping their maps current.
I guess for me, it’s kind of like using energy modeling software—it’s super helpful for getting a sense of what’s possible, but you still have to walk the site and see how things actually line up. Otherwise you end up designing around stuff that doesn’t even exist or missing something obvious because it wasn’t on the screen.
Curious if anyone else has had luck with those newer apps that overlay parcel data on live satellite images? Sometimes they seem more accurate, but other times it feels like just another layer of confusion...
I guess for me, it’s kind of like using energy modeling software—it’s super helpful for getting a sense of what’s possible, but you still have to walk the site and see how things actually line up. Otherwise you end up designing around stuff that doesn’t even exist or missing something obvious because it wasn’t on the screen.
That’s exactly it. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had to explain to clients that the “official” map isn’t gospel. I mean, those GIS layers are great for a first look, but I’ve seen everything from phantom driveways to mystery easements pop up. Sometimes it feels like the digital stuff is just as much folklore as the old paper plats.
Had a job last spring where the online parcel map showed a straight property line, but when we got the surveyor out, it zig-zagged right through a stand of old oaks the owners wanted to keep. Turns out the county map hadn’t been updated since the ‘90s, and nobody bothered to fix it when the neighbor bought a sliver of land years back. If we’d trusted the online version, we’d have been clearing trees that weren’t even on our side.
I do think some of these newer apps with live overlays are getting better, but they’re still only as good as the data behind them. Sometimes you get lucky and everything lines up, but other times it’s just another layer of confusion—especially in rural areas where records are spotty. I’ve noticed city parcels tend to be more accurate, probably because they get updated more often.
Honestly, nothing beats boots on the ground. I always tell folks: trust but verify. Walk the lot, flag the lines, talk to neighbors if you can. The tech is handy, but it’s not a substitute for actually seeing what’s out there. And yeah, sometimes you find stuff that nobody knew about—old fences, buried pipes, even random concrete pads from who-knows-when.
Funny thing is, I’ve had more luck with old-school survey stakes than any app. At least those don’t glitch out when your phone loses signal...
Yeah, I’ve run into that too—sometimes the “official” data is just way out of date or missing whole features. I’m curious, has anyone actually had luck getting a county to update their GIS info after finding a big error? Or is it just wishful thinking?
I’ve actually managed to get a county to fix a GIS error, but it took some persistence. Here’s what worked for me: I documented the issue with screenshots, emailed the planning department, and followed up after a couple weeks. It wasn’t quick, but eventually they updated the map. It helps if you can point out why it matters—like if it’s affecting permits or property lines. Not always speedy, but not totally wishful thinking either... just takes patience.
Definitely feel you on the persistence part. I once had to chase down a weird easement line that was showing up on three different parcels—totally threw off our site plan. The online map was just plain wrong, but it took a couple phone calls and a hand-drawn sketch to get someone’s attention. It’s wild how much depends on those little lines most folks never see. Sometimes, I wonder if the digital tools make things clearer or just add another layer of confusion...
