How to Find Property Lines

Property lines offer important insight into your land use and protect you and your relationship with your neighbors. Knowing property lines before purchasing a property can ensure there's no encroachment on the land and that you're not unintentionally encroaching on a neighbor's land. If you're already a property owner, you likely know more or less where your property boundaries lie. But an accurate understanding can be essential to protect your property or plan for new construction. Read on to understand how to find property lines.

What Are Property Lines?

Property lines are the physical boundaries of a piece of real estate. They represent the legally designated borders of your property, serving as a precise demarcation of land ownership and dividing one piece of land from another. Although property lines are usually straight lines between two boundary points, in some cases they can be wavy or another shape. Property lines connect to form the property's boundary. For example, the property may be square, rectangular, triangular or any other unusual shape. 

Why Is It Important to Know Property Lines?

Property lines are essential to understanding what you own or are planning to purchase. Locating property boundaries through the county or local municipality or hiring a surveyor can ensure a precise understanding of the land you're acquiring during the home purchase process. Mortgage lenders and title insurance companies generally require verified property lines to facilitate your mortgage qualification.

Knowing property lines can help prevent boundary disputes with neighbors, ensure accuracy when building or making changes to your property and maintain legal compliance. Even a small mistake or document discrepancy can lead to costly issues if you and a neighbor disagree over the location of your property line. 

Likewise, familiarity with your property lines is especially valuable if you plan to make home improvements or extensive landscaping. Knowing and marking the precise boundaries of your property can help prevent you from unintentionally extending your home or other construction to infringe on your neighbor's land. 

Knowing your property lines is both a protection for your property and a consideration for neighboring properties. Knowing property boundaries can be the first step toward friendly relationships with neighbors. 

How to Find Property Lines

Knowing property lines is important, but many property owners don't know their precise boundaries. Here is how to find property lines.

1. Homeowners Deed

The property deed should have a legal description of your property, with boundaries and coordinates or other defining factors. If your deed doesn't describe the property, you can check an older property deed that does have an accurate description. An older property deed may include landmarks or other references that no longer exist. For that reason, after checking the property deed, you can verify or double-check the information with other information. 

2. Property Line Surveys

You can look for existing property line surveys from the mortgage company, title company, and county or local municipality. In some cases, the previous owners will include a property line survey with the deed or title. A property line survey delineates the precise measurement of a land’s legal boundaries. In many cases, the surveyor will physically mark the property boundaries during the survey process. 

Alternatively, you can hire a professional surveyor to perform a property survey. Land surveyors will research the property’s history regarding subdivisions, easements and ecological restrictions so you have a complete picture of the property and any encumbrances. A mortgage lender may request a new survey for the property upon purchase.

3. Plat or Property Line Map

A property line base map, sometimes called a plat, maps out your property’s boundary lines and includes details such as elevations, bodies of water and structures. These maps will often include neighboring properties if you have shared property lines. You can request a plat with your property’s paperwork. These are also usually available at your local assessor’s office or online.

4. Property Line Markers

Newer properties might include property line markers like stakes that were placed by a surveyor when the property was first divided. You can walk what you believe is the property line to see whether you can find stakes or markers. Stakes may be placed stick up or flush with the ground and are often painted bright colors like orange to make them easier to spot. 

5. Buried Survey Pins

Even a property without visible corner markers might have buried survey pins. Usually, these survey pins are metal poles, often made of rebar. They can be buried up to 10 inches below the ground's surface, so you can use a metal detector to locate the pins. When the metal detector picks up something, you'll need to dig to confirm that it's a property marker. 

Keep in mind that can present additional risk. Check the location of buried wires, water pipes or irrigation systems before digging to avoid causing damage. U.S. homeowners can request buried utility information by calling 811. If you call this number, someone from your local utility company should be able to mark county wires or pipes with spray paint within a few days of the request. 

6. Use a Tape Measure

While this is the least precise option on the list, you can always measure property lines by hand with a tape measure. You’ll also need a compass and perhaps an assistant. To start, you can retrace the surveyor’s steps by locating the starting point labeled on the plat. This will be labeled common point or point of beginning (POB). From the starting point, use the measuring tape to follow the plat, recording measurements as you go. The plat measurements should correspond with the ones you record yourself, and the approximate end points of the plot should match the plat or other survey information you have. If not, you may need to hire a surveyor. 

7. Use an App

A number of apps are available for homeowners to use to find property lines. These include Google Maps or Google Earth. In addition, there are now interactive apps that use parcel data to find property lines with precision. 

Depending on the app, you may have to make a one-time purchase or pay for a subscription. Higher-priced apps often come with enhanced features and accuracy to help homeowners get precise property boundary information.

What to Do When Property Lines Are Contested

Property lines can be contested if there is a disagreement between neighbors or if discrepancies are found during a survey. Usually, the first step in resolving the dispute is to hire a professional surveyor to confirm property boundaries. If there is still a dispute between neighbors, you can consider working with the neighbor to come up with a reasonable compromise. If that doesn't work, consider seeking legal advice, conducting a new survey or involving local authorities or mediation services to find a peaceful resolution.

Final Tips on Locating Property Lines

Whether you're planning to purchase your first home or investing in rental properties, finding your property lines can protect your home and asset value. It can also give you peace of mind and improve communication with neighbors in case of any disputes. 

In addition to other necessary steps like a property inspection, a property survey can ensure you know what you own. You can work with the county clerk, a surveyor or use apps to get an idea of your property boundaries. Ready to purchase a new property? Learn more about how to invest in real estate here. 

Frequently Asked Questions