how to find property markers

How to Find Your Property Pins and Determine Property Lines

Find Property Lines Pins MN All cities and jurisdictions in the Minneapolis St. Paul, MN area require that fences be built inside of your property lines and do not encroach on neighboring properties. It is the property owner's responsibility to ensure proper fence location. When your home was built, a surveyor marked your lot's corners with property pins or other markers at each corner. Property pins are metal stakes that will sometimes have a round top and a plastic colored cap on them. Over the years, they often get buried beneath sod or other landscaping and are generally found just a few inches below the surface.

We strongly encourage you to find the official property pins or markers to locate your property lines prior to any fence installation. Don't assume that you know where your property lines are. You can't rely on where a current fence is located, where you and or your neighbors mow their lawns or where your sprinkler heads are located. It can be very costly for you if you have to move your new fence after installation.

Determine Property Lines MN If your property pins are not marked or visible and you have a document called a "Certificate of Survey," you may be able to use that survey to locate the property pins yourself. You may have been given this document when you purchased and closed on your home. Check your mortgage and deed paperwork. If you don't have a copy, this Certificate of Survey is usually available from the city or county in which you live. Another option is to ask your real estate agent or your mortgage company. They may have a copy of this document on file.

Use the Certificate of Survey's information and dimensions to find one pin on the property. You can then measure from that pin to the next pin to find all of the property pins. A "Plat Survey" or "Property Deed" document may also have enough information to help you. Uncover or flag each pin to mark its location.

If you are not able find and uncover the pins, you may be able to locate the pins by renting a metal detector. Another option is to use a GPS application on your cell phone or tablet to get you "close" by using some of the coordinates you have on your deed or other property documents. If you cannot find the pins yourself or think that a pin may have been moved, contact a professional surveyor to locate, expose and stake your property pins for you.

For your safety, always call (651) 454-8388 to contact Gopher State One before digging in your yard. At no charge, they'll locate and mark all buried utilities so you can avoid them when you or the contractor you hire dig in the area.

Trusted Fence Contractor and Fence Products Supplier – Minneapolis St. Paul, MN

If you are planning a fence installation for your Minnesota home, there are many things to think about. From choosing materials and laying out your enclosure to planning its construction and installing the fence, there's a lot to manage. Locating your property lines is just one more task that is required. As the leading fence contractor and materials supplier in the Twin Cities metro area, we encourage you to contact us as soon as you start thinking about your new fence. Our expert consultants will be happy to assist you with every aspect of planning, materials and construction. Whether your build your own fence as a DIY project or hire us to install it, we'll be there for you.