\u00a9 2023 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. The official Assessor tax parcel maps. Consulting the plat map before you make an offer on a property can help you avoid making a purchase that youll later regret. area's high point, and I wanted to know exactly where it was. Since no unnecessary information is included in a plat map, they should never be too difficult to read. "A township measures the north/south distance from its parallel base line. The image below this large map shows an enlargement of such a division along the top edge of the map (where the orange township boundary intersects the map edge). There's also pictures and examples of the coordinates; also very helpful. They also have importance and affect legal rights to the focused land. 4 degrees of error down one side of your parcel equates to about a 460' error in where you think the property corner should be. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. Site Map. Thanks wikiHow!". Ben Fry created an basic application called zipdecode that shows the location of all the ZIP codes in the United States. This way, locations can be found using easting/northing (or x, y) pairs. Learn more A property survey -- also known as a boundary survey, plat survey, or land survey -- is an essential document if you are purchasing a residential or commercial building or land parcel. Depending on the scale of your map, the graticules may mark fractions of degrees rather than whole degrees. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Office of the recorder of deeds. FileViewer provides access to scanned indexes and image of (handwritten and typed) Real Property, Plats and Oil and Gas Records all over Texas and New Mexico. First, find out if you canfind your plat map online. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. If you want to construct a new building on your current property, you can address this map to guide the development process. How do you use a plat map? Select the appropriate file format from the file type menu at the bottom, select the file you want to import, and click Open. Although the plat map can appear daunting at first, it can prove invaluable if you know how to decipher it. However, parcel boundaries and corners will only appear in street mode. Nicki & Karen | Southern California Luxury Real Estate | Copyright 20082022, How to Read a Plat Map: The Basics You Need to Know, How to Buy an Investment Property with No Money Down, What to Consider When Building Wrap-around Porches, A Step-By-Step Guide on How to Build an Outdoor Kitchen, Nicki & Karen Southern California Luxury Real Estate, 9 Nightlife Hotspots for Ventura Residents and Visitors, Provides a precise description of a portion of land, Ensures that public land continues to be used by the public, Allows property owners to have access to necessary utilities, Prevents trespass onto your private property by anyone who isnt authorized to be on the property, Makes sure that all lots adhere to zoning guidelines and restrictions. To find a location of the map, complete the following steps: In Map Viewer, open the map you want to view. For instance, the tract orientation will be listed, which displays the directional orientation of the property in question. The large number in the middle of the property, the one underlined, bolded, and/or italicized, is the parcel number. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. How to find a coordinate. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Establish the physical address on the your deed and compare it to the address on the survey illustration. Latitude graticules are marked along the east and west edges of the map. The most common APN format would be a number like 025-132-005. These maps are used in a wide range of different real estate transactions. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. A plat map is an essential tool for homeowners, realtors, and land developers because of the exhaustive amount of information that it provides. Not just anyone can come up with a plat map. A plat of subdivision, for example, might have information about the parcel as well as the division of land. Each lot of land thats located in the subdivision will have a house number thats assigned to it along with a parcel number. They are meant to prevent trespass of private property by unauthorized persons. County assessor. An easement allows a third party legal access to a property. Understanding Bearing Coordinates Introduction These techniques apply to basic CAD programs such as AutoCAD. Part 1 Understanding Latitude and Longitude 1 If there are any easements on the land for utility or public use, a plat map will show them to you. As a homeowner, knowing where these easements are located may be able to put your mind at ease if you spot someone else on your property. With a property survey in hand, you can discover the boundary lines, zoning information, and underground utilities on and around your property. Enjoy! You can input and search maps by gps coordinates on the iphone easily by using the apple maps or google maps applications, as we'll demonstrate in this walkthrough. Move the pointer to a location on the map and view the coordinates in the Location window. The first quadrant N-E is from 0-90, the second quadrant N-W from 90-180, the third quadrant S-W from 180-270 and the fourth quadrant S-E from 270-360. The APN is a number the assessor assigns out of the Assessors Book Number. The coordinates are along the edges of the map. Open the tool from the toolbar, then select a coordinate format. If your longitude line falls about 2/10 to the left of the 12014E line, then the longitude is roughly 1201412E. These cookies do not store any personal information. Next, find the survey legend. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. You can use the search bar to find a general location or use the map view to locate it manually. You might also see the assessors parcel number (APN) in the middle of the property. While a plat map can give you a wealth of information about your property, it might not be hyper-accurate or the latest version of events on your land. SW: Add angle to 180. Right-click the place or area on the map. Find the location you're measuring on the map. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. I just purchased some land (about a year ago) and have a plat map of my property (it's in a subdivision). Any easements that may exist on the property. Locate the evenly-spaced horizontal (latitude) and vertical (longitude) lines on a map. The physical features that are commonly included on plat maps extend to streets, alleyways, and parks. Works well, but requires some computer skill. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Each township is divided into 36 one-square-mile sections. To get a more in-depth look at a property, hire a land surveyor. The reflections are recorded as millions of individual points, collectively called a "point cloud," that represent the 3D positions of objects on the surface including buildings, vegetation, and the ground. So you could get a rough idea where the corners are and then get ballpark coordinates to use in your GPS. But first I want to . wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. The Go To XY tool also keeps a record of recent locations, which you can return to by clicking the Recent . Reading the Land Survey Plat Step 1 Find the point of beginning if the land is described by metes and bounds. Start by finding the parcel map for your county. This . - Search for properties by owner, address, or parcel numbers. A map is easier to understand. How to read plat map coordinates it's really amazing, a very helpful site for studying. Verify that the survey is signed, dated, and embossed with the surveyor's official seal. You might even be able to find property maps of neighboring properties if you have shared property lines. To find the GPS coordinates of an address or a place, simply use our latitude and longitude finder. Not just anyone can come up with a plat map. If you want your kitchen to be positioned to the east so that the sunrise can be viewed from the window each morning, this information will be available to you on a plat map. ", my locations. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Here's a fun post to close out the year. I wish I was eligible for the Egyptology courses. The following will talk about what a plat map is, how to properly read one, and why you should know how to read one. Be careful with that. The book numbers and page numbers are located at the corner of the map. Degrees, minutes, and seconds are the units of measure for property survey bearings. That Property Line is what is recorded in the book of records. I have a really old plan I'm trying to figure out. In the Search box in the left-hand panel, enter coordinates using one of these formats: Decimal Degrees: such as 37.7, -122.2 Degrees, Minutes, Seconds: such as. Use the map server to download a copy of a lease: If youre trying to understand what a plat map is, this type of map: Whether youre looking to buy a home or place your property on the market, having a plat map on hand can prove useful for a wide variety of scenarios that could arise. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/4\/46\/Read-a-Property-Survey-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Read-a-Property-Survey-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/4\/46\/Read-a-Property-Survey-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/aid1406944-v4-728px-Read-a-Property-Survey-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"