Services
Land Development & Mapping
Know what a parcel can hold, pursue the approvals it needs, and end with new or adjusted lots on record.
What is land development?
Land development is the work of turning raw or underused land into legal lots and building sites: testing what a property can hold, securing city or county approvals, and preparing the maps, plats, and legal descriptions that create or change property lines.
In California, the Subdivision Map Act (Government Code §66410 and following) and local ordinances control how land is divided; the general plan and zoning control what may be built. Mapping is the surveying side: retracing existing lines and drawing new ones.
Land Development & Mapping services
Four services, often combined, that take a property from first question to recorded lots.
-
Parcel & Subdivision Maps
Tentative, parcel, and final (tract) maps that take a lot split or subdivision from first layout to recorded, sellable lots.
-
Lot Line Adjustments & Mergers
Move shared lines among four or fewer adjoining parcels, or combine lots, with a boundary survey, plat, and sealed legal descriptions. No new lot is created.
-
Feasibility Studies
Check zoning, title, hazards, and utilities, then test a concept layout with a cost opinion and fee estimate before you commit to buying or designing.
-
Planning & Entitlements
Zoning research, site and utility exhibits, fee estimates, and agency processing for use permits, variances, rezonings, and tentative maps, through to a decision.
Process
How the services fit together
A typical path from a parcel you are weighing to lots you can sell or build on; not every project needs every step.
Test the site
A feasibility study checks legal lot status, zoning, hazards, utilities, and likely costs, ideally during escrow.
Confirm the lines
A boundary survey retraces the existing property lines and monuments that every later map and plat depends on.
Secure approvals
Planning and entitlements work carries the application through agency review; where a tentative map is required, the city or county decides on it, usually attaching conditions of approval.
Create or adjust the lots
A parcel or final map creates new lots when recorded, once conditions such as improvement plans are met or secured. A lot line adjustment moves existing lines by recorded deed.
Land Development & Mapping FAQs
Do I need a subdivision map or a lot line adjustment?
A lot line adjustment moves the lines between four or fewer existing adjoining parcels without creating a new parcel, and it is reflected in a recorded deed rather than a map (Government Code §66412(d)). A subdivision map creates new lots: generally a parcel map for four or fewer parcels, and a tentative and final (tract) map for five or more (§66426).
Should I get a feasibility study before buying land?
A feasibility study is worth ordering before you close whenever the price depends on what you can build. It checks whether the parcel is a legal lot, what zoning and hazard zones allow, whether water and sewer are available, and what site work and fees may cost. Scheduling it inside the escrow contingency period keeps the option to renegotiate or walk away.
Who can prepare parcel maps and lot line adjustments in California?
Parcel and final maps in California must be prepared by, or under the direction of, a registered civil engineer or licensed land surveyor (Government Code §66434, §66445). The boundary survey behind a map, and the plats and legal descriptions for a lot line adjustment, are land surveying: they need a licensed land surveyor or a civil engineer registered before January 1, 1982 (Business and Professions Code §8726, §8731).
How long does an approved tentative map last in California?
An approved tentative map for a final (tract) map lasts 24 months, plus up to 24 more by local ordinance, and the agency can grant extensions of up to six years on timely application (Government Code §66452.6). SB 1169 raises that to 48 months plus up to 36 starting January 1, 2027, for maps not expired by December 31, 2026. A tentative map for a parcel map stays at 24 months plus up to 12 (§66463.5).
What affects the cost and schedule of land development work?
The cost and schedule of land development work depend on the number of parcels and the type of map or approval, the title and boundary history, terrain and utilities, whether a hearing or environmental review is required, and the conditions the agency attaches. Share the address or assessor's parcel number, a title report, and what you plan to build; the proposal then sets scope and timing.
Further reading
Sources & references
- Government Code §66412, lot line adjustments (California Legislative Information)
- Government Code §66426: when a tentative and final map is required (California Legislative Information)
- SB 1169 (Stats. 2026, ch. 423): tentative map expiration, effective January 1, 2027 (California Legislative Information)
- Government Code §66434: final map preparation and form (California Legislative Information)
- Business and Professions Code §8731: civil engineers and land surveying (California Legislative Information)
Last reviewed .