Those online mapping tools are handy for a quick glance, but honestly, they're nowhere near reliable enough for anything serious. I've seen plenty of folks get burned by trusting them too much—especially in older neighborhoods where property lines can be all over the place. Always worth the hassle to double-check with city records or even hire a surveyor if you're planning something permanent. Better safe than sorry...and cheaper than rebuilding your shed after the city bulldozes it, haha.
Totally agree about online tools being sketchy sometimes, but they're still decent for initial research. My usual checklist:
- Quick online map glance first (just to get oriented)
- Pull official plat maps or city records next
- Surveyor if anything looks off or stakes are missing
Saves headaches down the road...
"Surveyor if anything looks off or stakes are missing"
Good call on that. Had a situation last year where the online map showed a clean boundary, but the official plat revealed an old utility easement cutting right through the backyard... glad I double-checked.
Had a similar experience myself, but honestly, I'm not totally sold on always hiring a surveyor right away. Last spring, when we were looking at a property, the online maps were definitely confusing—lines overlapping, weird shading, the whole nine yards. I figured I'd bite the bullet and get a surveyor out there, but the quotes I got were pretty steep for something I wasn't even sure would pan out.
Instead, I ended up going straight to the county office and chatting with someone there. Turns out they had detailed plats and easement records that weren't fully digitized yet. Took me maybe an hour of digging through old files, but I found exactly what I needed. Saved me a chunk of change and gave me peace of mind without shelling out for a full survey.
Not saying surveyors aren't valuable—they definitely are, especially if you're about to build or put up fences—but sometimes just doing a little legwork yourself can clear things up. Online tools are handy, but they're not always accurate or complete. And honestly, some of these mapping sites seem to make things more confusing than they need to be. I swear, half the time I'm squinting at blurry lines wondering if that's my property line or just a random glitch...
Anyway, just my two cents. Always good to double-check, but sometimes you can find what you need without immediately opening your wallet.
Totally agree about the county records route—it's underrated. One thing I'd add: sometimes older deeds have handwritten notes or sketches tucked in the margins. Found one once that clarified a driveway easement issue perfectly...saved me some headaches for sure.
