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State guides · Pennsylvania · Property

How to find your property line in central PA

Before a fence, wall, driveway or patio goes in near the edge of your lot, you need to know where the edge is. Here’s how to find your line from records you can pull yourself in Clinton, Lycoming, Centre and Union counties, and when it’s time to call a surveyor.

Quick answer

Find your parcel on the county parcel map, pull the deed and any recorded plan from the Recorder of Deeds, then look for the iron pins at your corners. The county map is a tax map, not a survey. If you’re building on or near the line, or the pins are missing, hire a licensed land surveyor. Links checked Nov. 13, 2026.

Property line finder

Your county—Pick your county

    County links go to the official county or city sites. Parcel maps are for finding records, not for locating a line on the ground.

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    County parcel maps and deed offices

    CountyParcel mapDeeds and plans
    Clinton County
    Lock Haven, Renovo, Mill Hall    		Clinton County Online Parcel MapClinton County Recorder of Deeds
    Lycoming County
    Williamsport, Montoursville, Jersey Shore, Muncy    		LycoMap gallery (Parcel Viewer)Lycoming County Register and Recorder
    Centre County
    State College, Bellefonte, Philipsburg    		Centre County Public Parcel ViewerCentre County Recorder of Deeds
    Union County
    Lewisburg, Mifflinburg, New Berlin    		Union County Online MapsUnion County Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds

    Clinton County’s parcel map is linked from the City of Lock Haven’s GIS page. Lycoming’s is in the county’s LycoMap gallery. Centre’s is on the county GIS page, and Union’s on the county home page.

    Step by step

    1. Find the parcel. Search your address on the county parcel map. Note the parcel number and, if shown, the deed book and page or instrument number.
    2. Pull the deed. The Recorder of Deeds has every recorded deed. Older deeds describe the lot in metes and bounds: bearings and distances from corner to corner.
    3. Look for a recorded plan. Lots in a subdivision usually have a recorded plan with dimensions and pins shown. It’s the easiest document to work from.
    4. Find the pins. Corners are often marked with iron pins or pipes, sometimes a few inches underground. A metal detector helps. Call 811 before you dig.
    5. String it. With two pins found and matching the plan, a string between them shows the line.
    6. Call a surveyor when it matters. Missing pins, a deed that doesn’t close, a neighbor who disagrees, or anything permanent going near the line.

    What each record can and can’t tell you

    County parcel map

    Good for finding your parcel, its number and the deed reference. Not good for where to put a fence.

    Deed

    The legal description. Can be hard to follow, and older ones may call out trees, stones or neighbors that are long gone.

    Recorded plan or survey

    Dimensions, bearings and pin locations drawn by a surveyor. The best thing you can find on your own.

    Boundary survey

    A licensed surveyor finds or sets the corners on the ground. The only one that settles where the line is.

    More on hiring one: land surveyors in central PA. Building near the line? See Pennsylvania fence law and neighbor tree law.

    Not legal advice. Boundary disputes are legal questions. If you and a neighbor disagree on the line, get a survey and talk to a real estate attorney before anything gets built or torn out.

    Questions

    How do I find my property line for free?

    Start with the county parcel map to find your parcel and its deed reference, then pull the deed and any recorded subdivision plan from the Recorder of Deeds. The deed’s metes and bounds, or the plan’s dimensions, tell you where the corners should be. Then look for the iron pins or monuments at those corners.

    Is the county GIS map accurate enough to build a fence?

    No. County parcel maps are drawn for tax assessment and mapping, not surveyed in the field. Use them to find your parcel and deed, not to place a fence, wall or driveway on the line.

    What are property pins?

    Survey markers, usually iron pins or pipes, set at property corners when the land was surveyed. They’re often a few inches below the surface. A recorded plan or survey shows where they should be.

    Who can mark my property line in Pennsylvania?

    A licensed Professional Land Surveyor. A contractor, the township or the county can’t set or certify your corners. If the pins are missing, disturbed or disputed, get a boundary survey before you build near the line.

    Where do I get a copy of my deed?

    From the county Recorder of Deeds where the property sits. The parcel map or assessment record usually lists the deed book and page or instrument number to ask for.

    Sources: Clinton County parcel map link source; Lycoming County parcel map link source; Centre County parcel map link source; Union County parcel map link source; Clinton County Recorder of Deeds; Lycoming County Register and Recorder; Centre County Recorder of Deeds; Union County Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds. Checked Nov. 13, 2026.

    Muthler Landscaping & Construction · Lock Haven, PA

    Line figured out? Let’s build.

    Patios, walls, driveways and drainage across central PA, laid out from your survey so nothing ends up on the neighbor’s side.

    Get a quotePA permit lookup

    Also: do I need a stormwater plan?, PA fence law, flood zone lookup.

    Muthler Landscaping & Construction LLC · 913 Bellefonte Ave, Lock Haven, PA 17745 · (570) 397-9800 · PA HIC #PA212584.

    Using this guide? Link to it or cite it. It’s free to use with a link back, and we keep it updated against official sources.

    Cite as: Muthler Landscaping & Construction, “How to Find Your Property Line in Central PA,” https://muthlerlandscaping.com/state-guides/pennsylvania/find-property-line/ (last checked November 13, 2026).