Lot Boundary Adjustment in Seattle, WA

Moving a Line Without Creating a Lot

A lot boundary adjustment relocates the common line between two or more existing parcels. Nothing new is created: the lot count before and after is the same, and each resulting parcel still has to meet the zoning standards that apply to it. Washington exempts these adjustments from the full subdivision process under RCW 58.17, which is why they tend to be quicker and involve less public process than a short plat. The trade-off is that the scope is narrow. If the plan really amounts to making a new building site, the reviewing city will treat it as a subdivision regardless of what the application is called.

Why Owners Ask for One

The typical reasons are practical. A garage or a deck was built a few feet over the line decades ago, and two neighbors agree to move the line rather than the structure. A driveway serving one house crosses the corner of the next lot. A narrow strip left over from an old plat belongs to nobody who uses it. A pair of adjoining lots under one owner needs reshaping so a house, an addition or a backyard cottage fits within setbacks. Each of these begins with a boundary survey showing exactly where the existing line and the structures near it are, since every proposed change is measured against that.

Every City Runs Its Own Version

In Seattle the application goes to the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections, which reviews it with input from other city departments but without public notice or appeal. Bellevue, Redmond, Renton, Mercer Island and the other cities in the area each administer their own process, with their own forms, drawing requirements and fees, and review times vary. Our part of the package is typically the survey drawing of existing and proposed parcels, the legal description of each parcel as it will exist afterward, and, once approved, setting the new corners.

The Deeds Still Have to Follow

City approval changes what the code allows; it does not by itself move ownership. Once the adjustment is recorded with King County, the owners typically exchange deeds describing the new parcels, and any lender holding a mortgage on the affected land may need to consent to the change. That paperwork belongs to an attorney or escrow officer, and it is worth involving one early, because an approved adjustment that never reaches the deeds leaves the old line in place on the title. If the new layout is intended for construction, a topographic survey of the combined area is often ordered at the same time.

How long does it take? Set by the city review and the recording, not the survey. The survey part is typically finished well before approval.

Frequently Asked Questions