Or you can go to the county land records office or online or even city hall and ask a clerk to show you a map of the easement locations. If you want to know where any utility easements are located on your property, call the utility company. Easements are typically laid out on the subdivision maps to indicate where future improvements will go. Most commonly, easements are granted to utility companies to run power lines and cable lines, or for roads or drainage. When someone is granted an easement, they are granted the legal right to use the property, but the legal title to the land itself remains with the owner of the land. You can build under or over an easement if the work will not have a material interference with the easement. Typically this could be for an access way like a road or an easement for drainage or utilities. EasementĪn E asement gives someone the right to use a section of land for a specific purpose even though they are not the owner of that land. Local governments create setbacks through ordinances and Building Codes, usually for reasons of public policy such as safety, privacy, and environmental protection. Setbacks are building restrictions imposed on property owners. However, there is a difference. In simplest language, a Parcel is a quantity of land identified for taxation purposes, while a Lot is a recognized subdivision of property with a written legal description that addresses permissions or constraints upon its development. This written legal description appears on the deed describing what you own.Ī Setback is a distance from a curb, property line, or structure within which building is prohibited. Lot and Parcel are often used interchangeably. Lot lines or property lines are typically lines plotted on a map, plat or survey. Lots can be influenced by a variety of factors that include lot splits, agreements, court rulings, etc. A lot line is the boundary (perimeter) line of a lot or parcel of land. You may recognize that word, “subdivision.” When someone buys a large parcel of land and subdivides it into smaller parcels or lots that are approved by the county or city it becomes a subdivision, often with a catchy name for marketing purposes. Lot, Lot Line, SetbackĪ Lot is a recognized subdivision of property with a written legal description that addresses permissions or constraints upon its development. These are all important terms that we will attempt to explain.

Or maybe after buying a property you’ve encountered them on a plat or survey. Terms like lot line, setback, easement or zoning. as most people do and you run across one or more terms common to this type of real estate that you don’t fully understand. You begin searching the internet websites, like Landwatch, Zillow, Craigslist, etc. Let’s say you’ve decided that buying some land, or a lot sounds like a good idea.

Building setback line meaning