BuildabilityGlossary7 terms
Parcel & Legal
Easement, Right-of-way, CCR / deed restriction and 4 more, each with its own link.
- Easement
- A legal right granted to a third party (utility company, neighbor, government) to use a portion of a property for a specific purpose. Common easements: utility (water, sewer, power lines), access (driveway across a neighbor's land), drainage (stormwater flow). Easements typically reduce the buildable area of a lot and must be respected by any new construction.
- Right-of-way
- The strip of land owned or controlled by a public agency for streets, sidewalks, utilities, and public access. Right-of-way is excluded from the buildable area of a parcel. Some properties have private rights-of-way (e.g., shared driveways) that function similarly. Always verify right-of-way boundaries before designing site improvements near a property line.
- CCR / deed restriction
- Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions recorded on a parcel's deed that bind every future owner. Common CCRs control exterior design, landscaping, ADU prohibition, short-term rental prohibition, architectural style, materials, and paint colors. In cities without zoning (Houston is the canonical example), CCRs perform the function of zoning. CCRs are typically enforced by an HOA or the originating developer and can survive long after the HOA dissolves.
- Plat
- A legal map of a subdivision showing parcel boundaries, lot dimensions, easements, rights-of-way, and dedicated public spaces. Plats are recorded with the county and govern the legal description of every lot in the subdivision. New subdivisions require plat approval from the local planning agency before lots can be sold or developed.
- APN (Assessor's Parcel Number)
- The unique identifier assigned by a county assessor to every parcel of real property. Used for tax rolls, permit lookups, title searches, and every form of property data lookup. Format varies by county — California typically uses XXX-XXX-XX-XX, Texas uses a ten-digit sequence, Florida uses parcel ID with sub-designations. APN is the primary key Buildability uses to join parcel geometry, zoning, tax records, and permits. Also called Parcel ID, Parcel Number, or AIN (Assessor's Identification Number).
- Non-conforming use
- A land use or building that was legal under prior zoning but no longer complies with current zoning rules. Non-conforming uses are typically allowed to continue (grandfathered) but cannot be expanded, rebuilt after destruction beyond a percentage threshold, or changed to a different non-conforming use. Buying a non-conforming property carries significant rebuild and resale risk.
- Buildable envelope
- The three-dimensional area of a lot where construction is legally permitted, computed by subtracting setback requirements, height limits, FAR, and lot coverage from the parcel dimensions. Buildability computes it in the Property Report where the district’s code has been read (see /atlas).
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