Blog · October 14, 2026 · California
Reading the Paradise Plat Map for a lot
A recorded plat shows how land near Oroville was divided into lots.
Main page: Butte County, CA GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
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When a listing near Chico mentions a lot number, look up the Paradise plat map it refers to. In this Paradise guide: where plats are filed, how a plat differs from a parcel map, and what to look for on the sheet.
Tracking down the Paradise plat map
For a lot in Paradise, look for the plat book reference on the parcel record; use it to request a copy.
The free map to start with
Lots and tracts near Gridley can be looked up on the Butte County parcel viewer, free to use and open without a login. When a rural tract has no street number, pan along the nearest road and click the parcel itself, and that holds around Biggs too. If you're looking near Biggs, a pop-up or side panel usually lists the owner of record, acreage on the tax roll, the parcel number and often a sale date.
Amended plats
Lots near Gridley can be combined or reconfigured by a replat, so check for later filings; street vacations near Oroville show up in the records too.
Paradise, CA: the basics
Paradise is part of Butte County, California, so its parcels are on the county's map. Out toward Oroville, the municipality handles things like zoning, permits and utilities within town limits, but the county runs assessment and recording. Land beyond the city limits near Biggs often follows county rules, not municipal ones.
Before you lean on the lines
Listed acreage is an estimate; only a licensed surveyor establishes the real corners for a parcel near Biggs. On ground around Gridley, owner names and values update on a schedule, so a deed recorded last month might lag behind.
Two different maps
The tax map on the Butte County parcel viewer is a summary, whereas the plat carries surveyed dimensions.
Neighboring parcel maps
Butte County touches Colusa County, Glenn County, Plumas County, Sutter County, and Tehama County, all with their own assessor records. Ground near Oroville that runs to the line can be split across two assessors' files, so look at the adjacent map as well. Out toward Gridley, the Platbookmapper state page lists each bordering county map for California.
Getting answers from the right desk
Anything recorded against property around Biggs come from the County Recorder, usually searchable by name or document number. Building or septic questions for a lot near Oroville go to planning, building or health offices, town or county, depending on location.
Land outside a subdivision
Acreage around Oroville outside a subdivision is often described by metes and bounds or survey description; the deed and any recorded survey describe it instead.
Sections, lots and bearings
California is laid out under the Public Land Survey System, which means a tract near Gridley is described by section, township and range. A standard section is about one square mile, roughly 640 acres, and a township holds 36 of them, though sections near Oroville can be irregular. Copy the legal description from the record for the parcel near Oroville when you talk to a surveyor.
What a plat shows
Out toward Biggs, the sheet usually includes lot and block numbers, dimensions and bearings, street rights-of-way and easements.
Getting a copy
For acreage around Oroville, some counties put plat images online, while others require a visit or a request; small fees are common.
Getting your bearings
Oroville is the county seat, home to the main records offices. You'll also find Chico, Biggs, and Gridley, each with its own cluster of lots. Roughly 207,172 people live in Butte County (Census Bureau estimate, 2023) across about 1,636 square miles. Places such as Butte Sink National Wildlife Refuge are easy to spot when you zoom out from Oroville.
Deeds, plats and who keeps them
For anything that matters, request the recorded deed from the County Recorder; the parcel map near Chico only summarizes it. Older tracts around Gridley may trace back through many deeds, so a title company earns its fee on a real sale.
Field tips
The parcel map usually runs in a mobile browser, which helps when you're standing on land near Gridley, though signal can drop in rural spots. A screenshot of the parcel near Oroville with its ID helps when you meet an owner or agent.
Questions about the Paradise plat map
What is a lot and block description for land near Gridley?
For property near Biggs, lot and block refer to a numbered lot within a block on a recorded subdivision plat; the deed names the subdivision.
Who has recorded plats for land near Chico?
It depends, but recorded plats near Gridley are filed with the County Recorder.
Is a plat map a survey in Paradise?
If you're looking near Gridley, GIS parcels are tax drawings, and the recorded plat is the legal document; trust the plat when they differ.
What is a replat for land near Biggs?
For most people, lot splits in Paradise go through the planning office.
How do I save a parcel from the viewer in Paradise?
Some viewers offer PDF export, and it's worth keeping the parcel ID visible for land near Biggs.
Open the official Butte County, CA 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.