Blog · October 14, 2026 · West Virginia
Reading the Dunbar Plat Map for a lot
A recorded plat shows how land near Belle was divided into lots.
Main page: Kanawha County, WV GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
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When a deed near Nitro says lot and block, you'll need the Dunbar plat map to make sense of it. This Dunbar guide covers: where plats are filed, plat versus tax map, and the details that matter to buyers.
The Dunbar plat map: start here
For land around Charleston, the deed or parcel record often names the subdivision and plat reference; bring that to the recorder's office or its online index.
Where the parcel data lives
Begin with the West Virginia Property Viewer; it includes every assessed parcel around Marmet and Belle. For a home near Nitro, type a street address, an owner's name or a parcel number, then pick the result to center the map on it. With a lot near St. Albans, the parcel card normally shows the owner of record, assessed acreage, a parcel ID and sometimes recent sales.
City limits and county records
Dunbar sits in Kanawha County, West Virginia, so its parcels are on the county's map. Out toward South Charleston, city or town hall handles matters such as zoning, permits and utilities inside its limits, while the county keeps the tax map. Land beyond the city limits toward Belle usually answers to county rules rather than the town's.
Two different maps
Where lines don't match in Dunbar, trust the recorded documents over the GIS layer.
Metes and bounds instead
Acreage around Charleston outside a subdivision is often described by metes and bounds or survey description; the deed and any recorded survey describe it instead.
The paper trail behind a parcel
The map is an index, not the title: recorded deeds, subdivision plats and easements covering ground around Marmet sit with the County Clerk. In and around Nitro, have ready the book and page listed on the parcel record to skip a name search.
How land is described here
Rural deeds near Nitro are often described by metes and bounds, a series of courses and distances from a starting point. Platted lots around St. Albans usually use lot and block from a recorded plat instead, making them easier to find. Copy the legal description from the record for the parcel near Belle when you talk to a surveyor.
Replats and vacations
Lots near Nitro can be combined or reconfigured by a replat, so check for later filings; vacated streets or alleys also get recorded.
Land on the county line
Kanawha County touches Boone County, Clay County, Fayette County, Jackson County, and Lincoln County, and each of those keeps its own parcel map. Acreage along the edge near Marmet can be split in two county records, so check the neighboring map before you assume the acreage. For land near Belle, our state page lists each bordering county map for West Virginia.
Limits of the parcel data
Acreage on the record is a tax-roll number; just a licensed surveyor can set the real boundary for a parcel near Nitro. Owner names and values update on a schedule, so a recent sale near St. Albans might lag behind.
Taking the map into the field
Most viewers work in a phone browser, useful out on a road near Marmet, but coverage can be spotty out of town. A printout of the tract near Marmet is a good backup.
Who handles what
If the acreage or value on a parcel near Marmet looks off belong with the County Assessor, the office behind the parcel record. Questions about what you can build around South Charleston are for the local planning and health departments, town or county, depending on location.
A quick look at the area
Charleston serves as the county seat, which is where the courthouse records live. You'll also find South Charleston, St. Albans, and Nitro. Roughly 174,805 people live in Kanawha County (Census Bureau estimate, 2023) spread over roughly 902 square miles. Kanawha County dates to 1789, and some chains of title near Nitro are long.
Reading the plat sheet
Recorded easements around South Charleston can block a shed or pool; read the notes on the sheet.
Ordering the Dunbar plat map
For property near South Charleston, some counties put plat images online, while others require a visit or a request; copy fees are usually small.
Dunbar: common questions
Are old plats online around South Charleston?
Closer to Marmet, it varies; some offices have scanned older plats and some haven't, including older subdivisions.
What is a lot and block description in Dunbar?
For acreage around St. Albans, lot and block refer to a numbered lot within a block on a recorded subdivision plat.
Where can I find the Dunbar plat map?
It depends, but recorded plats near Marmet are filed with the County Clerk.
Is the Dunbar plat map the same as the county GIS?
For land near St. Albans, GIS parcels are tax drawings, and the recorded plat is the legal document; trust the plat when they differ.
Can I settle a boundary dispute with the map near Marmet?
The map near St. Albans is approximate, so a fence may sit off the line
Open the official Kanawha County, WV parcel map See it in the Platbookmapper directory
Not a survey. County GIS and tax parcel maps are assessment and planning layers. They are not a substitute for a recorded plat, deed, or licensed survey, especially for fences, setbacks, or boundary disputes.