DIGGING INTO PROPERTY EASEMENTS—ANYONE ELSE FIND ONLINE TOOLS CONFUSING?
Those online maps aren’t perfect, but they’re usually close enough for small projects.
I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve actually seen those “close enough” maps cause headaches. A friend thought he was safe using the county GIS for a shed, only to find out later there was a utility easement he’d missed. Had to move the whole thing—cost him way more than a quick survey would have. For anything near an easement or if you’re unsure, I’d rather pay upfront than risk a bigger bill down the line.
A friend thought he was safe using the county GIS for a shed, only to find out later there was a utility easement he’d missed.
That’s exactly the risk—those GIS layers can be outdated or missing info. I’ve seen property lines off by several feet, too. For anything permanent or close to a boundary, I always recommend a proper survey. It’s not cheap, but neither is moving a structure after the fact.
Yeah, I’ve run into the same thing. The first time I tried to map out my fence line, I trusted the online parcel map—looked super official, right? Ended up being almost two feet off compared to the survey stakes I found later. Not saying you always need a full survey for every little thing, but for sheds or anything near a lot line, I’d never just trust those maps again. It’s wild how much they can miss or just plain get wrong.
DIGGING INTO PROPERTY EASEMENTS—ANYONE ELSE FIND ONLINE TOOLS CONFUSING?
That’s exactly the kind of thing that makes me nervous about relying on those online parcel maps. I remember when I was planning a rain garden near the back of my lot, I figured the county GIS map would be “good enough” for figuring out where the easement started. Looked official, had all the lines and numbers… but when I actually walked it with a tape measure and found some old iron pins, it was off by more than a foot. Not huge, but enough to make me second-guess everything.
I get why people want to use those tools—they’re free, easy, and you don’t have to wait weeks for a surveyor. But there’s just so much room for error. Sometimes the aerial photos are outdated or the lines are just “approximate.” And if you’re trying to do anything even remotely close to a boundary or easement, that “approximate” can turn into a real headache down the line.
One thing I’ve learned: if you’re building anything permanent or even planting trees near an easement, it’s worth tracking down those old survey stakes or pins if you can find them. Sometimes they’re buried under years of leaves or grass, but they tell a much more accurate story than any online map. And if you can’t find them—or if things still look fuzzy—it might be worth springing for a proper survey, even though it’s not cheap.
Funny thing is, I’ve seen neighbors get into arguments over fences that were built based on those digital maps. Turns out both sides were wrong because neither bothered to check the actual markers in the ground. It’s wild how much faith we put in these digital tools when sometimes good old-fashioned boots-on-the-ground is what really matters.
Anyway, I’m all for using tech as a starting point, but when it comes to property lines and easements? Trust but verify… and maybe bring a shovel just in case you need to dig up some history.
DIGGING INTO PROPERTY EASEMENTS—ANYONE ELSE FIND ONLINE TOOLS CONFUSING?
I get where you’re coming from, but I’m not sure the old pins are always the gold standard either. I’ve run into situations where those markers were moved (sometimes by accident, sometimes not so much), or they just disappeared over time. Plus, if the original survey was off, then even the “boots-on-the-ground” approach can lead you astray.
Honestly, I think the bigger issue is that none of these methods—online maps, old stakes, even some surveys—are perfect on their own. The digital tools have gotten a lot better in recent years, especially with higher-res aerials and updated parcel data. Sure, they’re not 100% precise, but for a lot of projects, they’re a decent starting point. If you’re doing something major or there’s a dispute brewing, yeah, you need a pro survey. But for basic planning? Sometimes it’s about balancing cost and risk.
Ever notice how even surveyors will sometimes disagree by a few inches? Makes you wonder if “exact” is ever really possible...
