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If you want to build a fence, take down a tree, put up a shed, or anything else on the periphery of your property, you’ll need to determine exactly where your property lines are.
If you want to build a fence, take down a tree, put up a shed, or anything else on the periphery of your property, you’ll need to determine exactly where your property lines are.
A property line (sometimes known as a boundary line) is the legal boundary that separates your property from your neighbor’s. It’s where your property begins and ends.
There are four main reasons it’s important to know the precise location of property lines:
1. If you plan to buy a property, mortgage lenders and title insurance companies typically require a current survey specifying property lines.
2. If you plan to sell a property, you’ll need to know the size and boundaries of the parcel to correctly describe and price it.
3. If you want to build a fence, home addition, pool, shed, landscaping or anything else on your property, knowing the property lines will dictate where they can and cannot go and prevent you from infringing on your neighbor’s land. Additionally, many towns and municipalities have rules and regulations prohibiting property owners from erecting structures too close to a property line. Build without checking where your property lines are and what the required distance is and you risk hefty fines, frustrated neighbors, and a large bill to remove or relocate whatever you’ve added.
4. The inverse is also true: If your neighbor wants to add a structure or landscape to their property, knowing where their property ends and yours begins will ensure they don’t encroach on your property lines.
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When it comes to finding the exact location of your property lines for free, there are a few ways to do it:
Search the perimeter of your property for stakes or pins.
When land is surveyed, a land surveyor will “stake the property.” This involves burying markers along property lines and at the corners to indicate the exact location of its edges. These buried pins are steel bars with marked caps, so you can find them by walking the perimeter of your property with a metal detector.
Check your property’s deed.
This legal document is a written description of a property’s exact lines.
Consult a plat map.
A plat map is a diagram that shows boundary lines, elevations, structures, and bodies of water within your county, city/town, or neighborhood. It’s drawn to scale to illustrate plots of land and property boundaries. This document should be provided when you purchase a property, but if you don’t have it you can get a copy from your local tax accessor or land record office.
If you can't find your property lines via one of the free routes listed above, you will likely have to hire a licensed property surveyor. A professional property surveyor will research your property's history, measure and mark exact property lines, and create a property line survey.
Before digging or building, reach out to your local building or zoning department to see whether you must first apply for a building permit and get permission from your neighbors. The same department can tell you how far structures and plantings need to be from property lines. If you live in a development, don’t forget to check with your homeowners’ association (HOA).
Though exact guidelines will depend on your municipality and HOA, here are some general rules:
Changing a property line requires hiring a real estate attorney, who can handle boundary line adjustments or agreements. For instance, you may decide to cede (or sell) part of your property to a neighbor, in which case property lines need to be officially, legally updated.
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