Easements in Wake County, NC
Wake County's growth pushes new subdivisions into former farmland, mixing modern platted easements with long-standing farm access rights.
Wake County Register of Deeds
The county publishes a free public parcel viewer showing platted easement strips.
About 20 years of open, continuous, adverse use is generally required.
N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 1-40, 1-38
Read the North Carolina rulesEasements you'll see most often here
- Public utility easements on the recorded plat
- Stormwater control measure easements
- Greenway and trail easements
- Farm access easements on converted parcels
Local things to watch for
- Greenway easements are often dedicated at subdivision and cross the rear of several lots.
- Stormwater device easements come with recorded maintenance obligations.
Check your own lot
Upload your title commitment and we'll translate Schedule B into plain English, then map the easements against your parcel boundary — free.
Common questions
How do I find out if my Wake County property has an easement?
Start with the title commitment or owner's policy from your purchase — easements are listed in Schedule B. Recorded easements are also indexed by the Wake County Register of Deeds, and the county's free public parcel viewer usually shows platted easement strips. A current survey catches anything used on the ground but never recorded.
What easements are most common in Wake County?
Public utility easements on the recorded plat, Stormwater control measure easements, Greenway and trail easements, among others. Greenway easements are often dedicated at subdivision and cross the rear of several lots.
Can a neighbor gain a permanent right to cross my Wake County land?
In North Carolina, open, continuous, and adverse use generally has to run for about 20 years before a prescriptive easement can be claimed. Permission given in writing usually stops the clock, because the use is then no longer adverse.
Does an easement lower property value in Raleigh?
It depends on where it sits and what it prohibits. A narrow utility strip along a rear lot line rarely affects value. An easement that crosses the buildable area, bars fences and structures, or gives someone else a driveway through the yard can meaningfully limit what the property can become.
Know your easements before you close
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General educational reference only. Prescription periods and their exceptions change, and several states set the period by case law rather than by statute. Read the linked official code and consult a licensed attorney in that state before relying on any of it.