Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find information about my
property?
The
easiest way to find information about a piece of property is to look it up
online. You can use an address, parcel
number, or street intersection combined with an interactive map to locate a
piece of property and view the public information on it.
King County Parcel Viewer
Snohomish County Parcel Viewer
What is a Record of Survey, and why do I
need one?
A
record of survey is map prepared by a licensed land surveyor and recorded with
the County Auditor. The record of survey is a report of the findings of the
surveyor. In most cases, state law
requires that a land surveyor file a record of survey when setting boundary
corners. For more information on
Records of Survey, see RCW 58.09.040 through
58.09.090.
Can I view Recorded Surveys On-Line?
Since
Records are filed with their associated county, it is the county's decision
whether to host records on-line. While
many of the smaller counties do not host an on-line records database, most of
the larger ones do.
King County Online Records
Snohomish County Online Records
Pierce County Online Records
What is an ALTA / ACSM Survey?
ALTA surveys are general needed for commercial
and multi-family properties and are normally required during the buy/sell of
the property. The lender requires that all encumbrances to the property are
shown and/or noted on a map. A licensed land surveyor certifies the map.
Residential properties seeking extended title insurance coverage will also
require an ALTA survey. American Land and Title Association and the American
Congress on Surveying and Mapping have set up minimum standards for Land Title
Surveys.
To learn more, visit the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping web site.
Why do Short Plats take so much time and
cost so much?
Short plats have become very similar to
plats in the last several years. Counties and municipalities generally require the same design standards
as with larger subdivisions. The
surveyor's involvement is often limited to the beginning and end of the
project. First the surveyor will
prepare a boundary / topographic map which an engineer will use as a base sheet
for design. When the county is
satisfied with the layout and design of the engineer's plans, they will grant
final short plat approval. Typically
all roads and utilities shown on the engineer's plans must be finished and
inspected prior to the map being recorded. The surveyor will draft the final map creating the legal lots, and set
the new property corners before the map is recorded.
What is Adverse Posession?
Click Here to find out more.
Additional Links
King County Assessor's Office
King County Recorders Office
Snohomish County Parcel Information
Snohomish County Assessor's Office
Snohomish County Auditor's Office
City of Seattle Maps
Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT)
Washington Council of County Surveyors Data Warehouse (WCCS)
