FAQs

LAND PARCEL FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)

The following section contains frequently asked questions regarding land parcels, property addressing, and publicly accessible GIS maps. Please select a topic to expand and view the corresponding answer.


I want to request the GPS coordinates for my property's parcel corners.Plumas County does not maintain coordinates for locating property corners. Although this information could be generated from the computerized mapping data known as GIS that the County uses, the level of accuracy of the data is not sufficient to be used to definitively locate property boundaries. Even if absolutely accurate GPS coordinates could be provided, most commonly available lower cost GPS devices do not have sufficient positional accuracy for the purpose of locating property boundaries. They are generally designed only for navigational purposes. Accurate property ownership boundaries can be determined by a licensed professional land surveyor.


When I look at the satellite imagery of my property on your map it looks like my neighbor is on my property. Is this correct?The County uses publicly free satellite imagery (Bing) in their online maps.  Bing Maps imagery is a patchwork, stitched together like a quilt, of imagery from multiple image providers with different file formats, projections, and spectral characteristics. Per Bing, the horizontal positional accuracy of imagery is only approximations, and, therefore, their accuracy is not documented and should be used with caution. Further, the imagery should not be used for any navigation or other purpose requiring any accuracy whatsoever. 

Due to the nature of our rural area, Bing advised that there is often a tough judgement call in choosing fresher imagery that has less resolution and supporting higher resolution in urban environment over rural. This is why you will see varying imagery density in different regions.   Bing’s imagery team partners offer the best that they can get, balancing the costs, storage requirements and choices available.  

You may notice that parcel lines and road data may have varying degrees of accuracy and even changes from year to year depending on where the satellite is when the image is captured. Therefore, since the imagery and parcel lines do not have the level of accuracy to determine if one property owner is encroaching on another, it may be necessary for a licensed surveyor to make this determination.


How accurate are your maps?The maps are as accurate as available resources allow us to make them.  Plumas County Assessor and GIS office has no ability to field verify location information when conflicts exist with written source documents.  Many areas throughout the County have very limited information available that can be used to construct the maps.  This can cause the accuracy of the maps to vary depending on location. The tax parcel maps are not surveys and should not be used as a definitive source of property ownership boundaries. Accurate property ownership boundaries can be determined by a licensed professional land surveyor. 


If the maps and satellite imagery are not accurate enough to determine property boundaries, why do you allow them to be shown together?Viewing the parcel lines with the satellite imagery can be beneficial for many purposes. Among these uses are:
     1) Determining how to gain access to a parcel.
     2) Locating a parcel by its relationship to known structures
     3) Determining if a parcel has structures on it and determining if a parcel is cleared or wooded.
     4) Determining the zoning, snow load, fire district, voting precinct, evacuation zones, or other information.


I can’t find my address in an online mapping service, or it takes me to a place not even near where I live.Most of the online mapping services match the information the user enters against a theoretical address range and then place the location where the address might possibly exist. They generally do not verify that the address does, in fact, exist; only that it could possibly exist near the location shown on their map. Periodically, some GPS providers acquire address and street data from select counties, but they also gather data from other sources. The County has no control of the data these GPS companies use, or the frequency of their updates. For additional information, please see the topics below.


Why am I having trouble receiving mail services or packages at my physical address?It may be that your physical address has never been entered into the USPS National database, or is not set-up for route delivery.  Check with your local Post Office to determine if your address is in their database.  If not, then request that your address be added.  If the Post Office asks for verification from Plumas County, please complete the County's Address Request/Verification form located HERE.  Once processed by our office, you will receive a verification letter that you can present to USPS.  If accepted by USPS, they will enter it and upload your address into their system.  Contact USPS for any further questions regarding their process or any other mail concerns.


The utility company (such as Pacific Gas and Electric), local community service district, or other utility company, has a different service address than my physical address. How do I reconcile this?Please complete the County's Address Request/Verification form located HERE.  Once processed by our office, you will receive a verification letter that you can present to your utility company.


Google does not have my address correct.Unfortunately, commercial GPS mapping data vendors, such as Google, do not receive authoritative data from the County on a regular basis.  Instead they rely on their users to provide edit suggestions. For this reason it is in the individual's best interest to keep their address information up-to-date with the data vendors.  If your address is not shown correctly on Google, there is a link at the bottom right-hand corner of Google Maps which says “Send feedback”. For direct steps on how to send Google feedback, refer to Google Maps Help documentation found here: https://support.google.com/maps/answer/3094088. If you are correcting an address be sure you are confident that you are using the correct address, otherwise you are contributing to the problem.  For additional information please visit www.GPS.gov 


There is an address discrepancy within your map.Every effort has been made to provide the most accurate information; however, it is possible that there may be inaccurate or missing information. The best way to resolve this is to contact the GIS Department with your concern. The address will be researched and then a determination and necessary updates will be made and reflected on the map(s).


Do the Assessor's tax parcel maps show my legal property ownership?Assessor Tax Parcel maps do not show ownership even though the terms owner and ownership are often used when talking about the maps. The parcel maps depict boundaries of legal descriptions of record in the assessment tax roll. These legal descriptions are not limited to legal ownership and may be for administrative purposes only and to identify who is paying taxes on the parcel. Accurate property ownership boundaries can be determined by a licensed professional land surveyor. More details about how the property is taxed, please contact the Assessor's office at (530) 283-6380.


Can you give me the exact dimensions of my property?No. The Assessor's and GIS office can provide estimated dimensions for many properties based on the legal descriptions contained in the Assessor’s assessment roll and parcel maps compiled from these legal descriptions. Accurate property ownership boundaries can be determined by a licensed professional land surveyor.


My neighbor has put up a fence that I think is on my property. What can you do to help me?Plumas County GIS's office has no ability to define, determine, or locate property boundaries. Staff cannot provide legal advice on how to resolve a boundary dispute. We can refer you to the Assessor’s office to ascertain any documentation that is generally available under applicable public disclosure laws such as their tax parcel maps and legal descriptions. You may need to seek legal counsel and a current survey of your property lines on the ground from a reputable, professional land surveyor. Plumas County GIS cannot provide referrals to specific attorneys or surveyors; however, we do have a list of all the surveyors working within our County.


How do I get a custom map made or GIS data that is not shown on your website?Our data is constantly being collected and worked on; therefore, it may exist, and not yet made available to the public, or it is still in progress. If there is specific data you hope to receive, simply request the map or data by completing the GIS Data Request form located HERE.


Who do I contact to report missing, damaged, or incorrect street signs?Street signs can be requested through the Public Works Department. Their contact number is (530) 283-6268. For more information about the services Public Works provides, please visit their website HERE.


How do I establish a new street name?Street names are typically established during the development or subdivision of land. Renaming streets can be initiated by Plumas County Planning Department, members of the public, or the Board of Supervisors.

If a member of the public initiates the request, they must present their request to the Planning Department. If the proposed name change affects a private street, the Home Owner’s Association (if applicable) may require pre-approval in accordance with their own by-laws.

Upon receipt of a request, the Planning Department will conduct a thorough review and investigation of the proposal, including but not limited to, mailing an inquiry to all owners of record on the street for an official response to the proposed name change, and soliciting comments from various county and relevant agencies. If all indicators are positive, a resolution will be prepared and submitted to the Board of Supervisors for consideration.

For more information on this process and associated fees, please contact Plumas County Planning Department at (530) 283-7011.


What is a plat map and how do I get a plat or recorded map of my property?A plat shows how a piece of land is divided into lots and usually shows information including setbacks, coordinates, and easements. Plats show the metes and bounds of multiple lots and do not typically show building footprints or other ground features.

When a plat of the property is recorded and archived at the Plumas County's Recorder's Office, these documents become public record. The Engineering Department has uploaded PDF copies of these recorded maps to the Engineering Department's website.  Not all parcels have recorded maps.  If you  are unable to locate a recorded map, please contact the Engineering Department using their contact list to verify.  Please have your Assessor Parcel Number (APN) available for records searching when contacting County Staff.

A site plan of the property showing the footprint of the house on the lot may be archived in the building permit files. A copy of the site plan can be requested by contacting the Building Department at (530) 283-7011.

Interactive maps of property within the County (such as zoning, snow load, etc.) can be found by accessing our GIS Maps  online through our website.