LotDecodr

LOT LINES · ZONING · SETBACKS · EASEMENTS

Know your lot before you build, buy, or fence.

Where does your property actually end? What can you build there? Who else has rights to it? LotDecodr points you to the official sources and explains them in plain English.

1 · Look up your lot

Zoning

ZoLa — NYC Zoning Map ↗

Type your address to see the zoning district, lot lines, lot size, and the BBL (Borough-Block-Lot) number.

Rules

NYC Zoning Resolution ↗

The actual rulebook. Look up your zoning district for setbacks, height, lot coverage, and FAR.

Lot lines

NYC Property Information Portal (Digital Tax Map) ↗

Official tax-lot maps with lot dimensions and neighboring lots.

Easements

ACRIS — City Register ↗

Deeds, mortgages, and recorded easements for your property (search by address or BBL).

Permits

DOB BIS — Building Information ↗

Permits, violations, and the certificate of occupancy history for the building.

Pro tip

Start in ZoLa, grab the BBL

Copy your BBL from ZoLa, then use it to search ACRIS and DOB. Every NYC system speaks BBL.

2 · Decode the jargon

Lot lines
The legal boundaries of your parcel, as described in the deed and shown on a survey. Also called property lines.
Survey
A drawing by a licensed land surveyor that measures your boundaries and shows buildings, fences, easements, and encroachments.
Plat
A recorded map that divides land into numbered lots and blocks, often showing easements and streets.
Setback
The minimum distance a building must stay from a lot line (front, side, rear), set by zoning.
Easement
A legal right for someone else — a utility company, a neighbor — to use part of your land for a specific purpose.
Encroachment
When something (fence, shed, driveway, overhang) crosses onto a neighbor's land or into an easement.
Right-of-way
Land reserved for public use — streets, sidewalks, utilities. Part of what looks like "your yard" may be right-of-way.
Zoning district
The set of rules for your area: allowed uses, building height, density, setbacks.
FAR (Floor Area Ratio)
Total allowed building floor area divided by lot area. FAR 2.0 on a 2,000 sq ft lot = 4,000 sq ft of building.
Lot coverage
The maximum percentage of your lot a building may cover.
Variance
Official permission to break a zoning rule, granted by a zoning board (in NYC: the Board of Standards and Appeals).
Title search
A review of recorded ownership history that reveals easements, liens, and other claims before you buy.
BBL
NYC's Borough-Block-Lot number — the ID for every tax lot. Use it to search ZoLa, ACRIS, and DOB.

3 · Before-you-build checklist

0 / 7 done

  • I know my zoning district
  • I found my lot size and lot lines (GIS / tax map)
  • I checked my setbacks for the project
  • I looked for recorded easements (deed / plat / ACRIS)
  • I checked HOA or co-op/condo rules
  • I know whether my project needs a permit
  • I have (or ordered) a current survey if building near a lot line
Not legal or surveying advice. Online maps are approximate. For boundary disputes, construction near a lot line, or a purchase, use a licensed land surveyor and, when needed, a real estate attorney.