{"id":22038,"date":"2021-02-26T08:37:26","date_gmt":"2021-02-26T16:37:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=22038"},"modified":"2021-02-26T08:37:26","modified_gmt":"2021-02-26T16:37:26","slug":"buyer-what-is-a-plat-map","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-what-is-a-plat-map\/","title":{"rendered":"The Proof is in the Plat Map: Your Neighborhood, Divided"},"content":{"rendered":"

Plat map: file under \u201cthings you would never know about unless you were buying a house, and maybe not even then.\u201d A plat map is one of many documents in what seems like a deluge of paperwork<\/a> a buyer encounters in the homebuying process.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re wondering what on earth a plat map is and what it\u2019s used for, you\u2019re not alone. According to the National Association of Realtors\u00ae, a plat map is \u201ca map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of the piece of land\u201d \u2014 that piece of land being where your home is located.<\/p>\n

Plat, not to be confused with plot, shows more than the layout of a single property. If a plot is micro, then a plat is macro. It\u2019s a parceled-out map of a defined area, like a neighborhood or subdivision. Essentially, a plat map is a bird\u2019s-eye-view of your property and the surrounding area.<\/p>\n

Typically, a plat map can be found somewhere in the pile of papers your title company presents to you at closing. It\u2019s also something you or your agent can seek out ahead of time.<\/p>\n

For those of us new to plat maps, which are probably all first-time homebuyers<\/a> and even experienced homebuyers, what looks like a jumble of shapes and numbers can be hard to decipher.<\/p>\n

Not to mention, you\u2019ve surely had a site visit and walkthrough of your home before making an offer, unless purchasing it sight-unseen<\/a> \u2014 not an uncommon practice during the pandemic. At this point, you know the location and have some sense of the area. So the question remains: What\u2019s the purpose and benefit of a plat map?<\/p>\n

Once you understand exactly what\u2019s on a plat map and how to read one, it can offer a lot of useful information. We\u2019ve done the research and talked to the experts to give you the critical insight on all things plat maps.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
Source: (ghs1922 \/ flickr)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Plat maps: The what and the why<\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s dig in further into what all a plat map shows and why it should matter to you, starting with a little history.<\/p>\n

The origins of plat maps<\/a> \u2014 also called cadastral maps, survey plats, or plat books \u2014 can be traced back to the 1850s as the first maps to document rural land ownership in the United States. Plat maps have evolved with the times, and it wasn\u2019t until fairly recently that you could see a digital plat map.<\/p>\n

The first plat map publisher was J.Q. Cummings, who founded Rockford Map Publishers in 1944. He meticulously researched and drew his plat maps by hand. Beginning in the early 21st century, with the help of Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping technology and computer software, plat maps were created digitally and eventually developed for smartphone and Google Earth compatibility.<\/p>\n

Not all homes are platted. If the land around the house hasn\u2019t been fully surveyed, or divided into different lots, then your house might not be found anywhere on a plat map until there\u2019s more development around it.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s on a plat map and why it matters<\/h3>\n

A plat map outlines how your property is divided, the boundaries of the property, and all the surrounding property in the designated area, including other houses, residential land, streets, and any public land, like parks and playgrounds.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, notes will accompany a plat map. The notes section can identify details like who is permitted to use certain tracts, who is responsible for maintaining public spaces, if there are any reserved areas for future development, and the locations of any protected trees or wetlands.<\/p>\n

So, why is a plat map important? For starters, it provides an indisputable legal description of the property you own. Sellers don\u2019t always list lot sizes and parameters accurately, so this is a valuable tool if there are any questions or discrepancies.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, plat maps can confirm a lot of features and details about your future home-base, like trespassing lines, if the home is located in a flood zone, what direction each side of the house faces, any restricted areas of the property, and more.<\/p>\n

These small details can have big implications. Some ways that analyzing the different components of a plat map could inform your purchasing and lifestyle decisions include:<\/p>\n