Land records · Parcel maps · October 5, 2026
How to Find Property Corners: Pins, Plats, and Maps
How to find property corners: pull the plat or survey, look for iron pins or monuments, and use the county GIS viewer only as a rough guide—not a stakeout.
How to find property corners is a survey task that starts with records, then careful searching on the ground. Corners are often marked with iron pins, rebar with plastic caps, concrete monuments, or older stones. County GIS can point you to the right yard; it cannot replace a licensed survey when you are building, fencing, or disputing a line.
Step 1: Pull the plat or survey
- Get the recorded subdivision plat or your most recent boundary survey.
- Note distances and bearings from a known corner, plus any monument descriptions.
- If you only have a deed legal description, see lot and block vs metes and bounds and consider hiring a surveyor to mark it.
How to find a recorded plat and how to read a plat map cover the paper side.
Step 2: Search on the ground
- Start near where the plat says a corner should be—often near fence intersections, sidewalk edges, or offsets from the curb.
- Use a metal detector for iron pins; they may be buried under sod or driveway edge.
- Do not dig blindly near utilities—call 811 before you excavate.
Step 3: Use GIS only as a hint
Open the parcel from our county GIS map directory, zoom in, and note where the digital corner falls relative to fences and buildings. Expect offset. For fence disputes, read who owns the fence on a property line after you know where the record line is.
If pins are missing or conflict, hire a licensed surveyor. Setting or disturbing monuments is regulated in every state.
How to find property corners FAQ
Can I mark my own corners with GPS from my phone?
Consumer GPS is not survey-grade. Licensed surveyors use proper control and monumentation standards.
What do property corner pins look like?
Commonly iron rods or rebar, sometimes with colored plastic caps stamped with a surveyor number. Older corners may be stones or pipes.
Is it illegal to move a survey monument?
Disturbing or removing monuments is illegal or tightly regulated in every state. Leave found pins in place.
Why doesn’t the GIS corner match my pin?
GIS parcels are mapped for assessment and can be generalized. Ground monuments and surveys control boundaries.