Lots that were created before the zoning ordinance was enacted or were created by recordation of a plat or deed without county approval may be “validated” by the county. If the legality of a lot is unclear, a lot validation can determine whether the lot meets certain requirements and can be validated so that a building permit may then be issued for the development of that lot. County Code Sections 101-1-12, 101-1-13, and 101-1-14 describe the process for validating a lot. Once the review is complete, the county will issue a written determination as to whether a land parcel is a valid lot or unbuildable outlot.
Additionally, The Department of Tax Administration (DTA) allows for an administrative process to consolidate tax map numbers to receive one tax bill. The process, known as a lot split, requires the request be submitted through PLUS and routed to DTA and the zoning permits branch for approval.
ON THIS PAGE
This information is the most common for how to obtain the necessary approval for your project and is not representative of all the conditions you may encounter.
WHO SHOULD APPLY?
Property owners or their duly authorized agents may submit lot validation applications.
PLAN AHEAD
Before submitting, ensure you are aware of all applicable regulations and conditions that could affect your project to avoid surprises during the review process. Some of those factors include:
- Zoning Information
- Design Codes and Standards
- Do I Need to Hire a Design Professional?
- Floodplains
- Resource Protection Areas (RPA)
- Grading/Site Plans
- Parking Tabulation
- Types of Soils and Problem Soils
- Researching Site Conditions
To get a detailed description about each regulation and condition, visit our Plan Ahead page.
HOW DO I SUBMIT MY RECORD?
PLUS Application
Apply for your lot validation online in PLUS under the Site tab. If you are a first-time user, you must first register for an account.
Tutorial on Uploading Plans and Documents in PLUS
Requirements
To complete the Lot Validation Request you will need to first obtain the following information about the lot or lots that you are requesting be validated:
- Property address
- Tax map and parcel number
- Current zoning district designation
- Magisterial (supervisor) district where the lot is located
- Subdivision name (if within an existing subdivision)
- The deed book and page number (if known) where the document that created the lot is filed among the county land records
- Review fee
To submit a lot split request, select the “lot split” Request Type option under General Information in PLUS and complete the Owner Request to Split Tax Map Numbers form.
What's Next?
To get a step-by-step guide on PLUS statuses and what they mean, see our What is My PLUS Status? Site Plans Infographic.
Review Process
Staff from the Site Application Center and Site Development and Inspections Division will review your package for completeness and compliance with submission requirements. Lot Validations are also reviewed by the County Surveyor’s Office, and the Department of Planning and Development. Once the review is complete, staff will issue a determination as to whether the requested lot is a validated lot (e.g., a building permit may be issued for work on the lot) or an outlot (no building permit may be issued on the lot).
Issuance of Determination
Once all reviews are approved and fees have been paid, your lot validation determination will be available to download from PLUS.
Helpful Video:
Access Approved Plans in PLUS - YouTube Video
