How to Find Your Property Lines in Guadalupe County, TX

Looking forward to installing a brand new pool in your backyard this summer? You might want to wait to break ground until you know the exact location of your property lines. Property lines are crucial in determining if and where you can build your new pool or any other structure. It’s important you know exactly where your property ends and your neighbors’ begins. Otherwise, you could be forced to remove your new addition or face steep legal fees if it were to accidentally encroach on someone else’s land.

Luckily, determining property lines doesn’t have to be too difficult. Making the effort to locate your property lines in Guadalupe County, TX is well worth the time and financial investment to save yourself from both stress and unnecessary expenses in the long run:

• Check the deed: A deed will include a written description of the boundaries of the property. Ideally, this should give you the best picture of the boundaries. Unfortunately, the description on deeds for older houses might rely on landmarks that disappeared long ago to indicate the property lines, such as a large boulder that was later removed or a tree that has since been cut down.
• Look at the sidewalk and streetlights: Oftentimes, the contractor who built your home will pour the concrete for the sidewalk or place streetlights in a location coinciding with the edge of your property, or where the two separate properties meet. This isn’t the most official way, but it can work to give you a general idea of where the property lines are. It would be best to seek a second confirmation if you’re planning to build something, though.
• Consult the property survey: The property survey, also known as a plat, can provide further insight into the property lines. It’s an exact record of the outline of the piece of land in question. It may or may not include the location of your home or other buildings, depending on when the survey was conducted. Generally, the plat is one of the many pieces of paperwork given when a home or piece of property is purchased. If you don’t have it on hand, your local clerk’s office will likely have one in the city records.
• Bring in a professional surveyor: If you hit a dead end, then it’s time to bring in a professional surveyor to determine your property lines in Guadalupe County, TX. A professional can identify the property lines before making them official in a legally binding document you can keep for future reference. Typically, this can cost anywhere from $100 to more than $1,000 based on the size of the property and the terrain.

Opting to build without knowing your exact property lines can be risky. If you were to make a mistake, your neighbor could take legal action to regain their land. Then, you would be forced to pay to remove the structure you just built and then have it reconstructed again—but on your own property his time. You can easily avoid all of this struggle by hiring the professional experts at Bettersworth & Associates, Inc. Call us today to learn more about how we can help you determine what is rightfully yours.

Categorised in: Property Lines