If you are planning an extension, changing your garden layout or simply getting to know your plot, a free map is a useful place to start. Search below to explore your property and view an indicative boundary without paying.
When you need a document for a planning application, you can move on to our site location plan builder. The boundary search is free; a scaled, OS-licensed PDF is a separate paid download.
What can I see for free?
Enter your address or postcode, select a result and check the highlighted plot on the map. You can also click another point to look up a nearby boundary. If no outline appears, try a point inside the property: boundary coverage and address matches vary.
The search uses available property boundary data, with HM Land Registry INSPIRE polygons preferred where available and Ordnance Survey parcels as a fallback. The backdrop uses overview mapping and satellite imagery at closer zoom levels where available. It is useful for understanding the shape of a site and its surroundings.
A mapped outline may differ from the land you need to include in an application. For example, your application site may include an access route or only part of a larger property. Check the outline before using it as a starting point.
How to check you have found the right plot
Start with the building, then work outwards. Compare the front entrance, the road beside the property, the garden shape and any detached garage. A postcode result is a way to reach the area; it is worth checking the individual plot rather than assuming the first outline is the one you need.
For a corner house, look at both road frontages. For a home with a garage in a separate block, check that area separately. For a rural property, distinguish the house and garden from surrounding fields before deciding what your plan needs to cover.
If the result looks unexpected, try clicking inside the relevant building or garden. Keep a note of anything that needs checking against your documents. A missing or unusual result on this map is not, by itself, evidence about who owns the land.
From a free property map to a site location plan
Once you have found your plot, select Create a plan for this location to open the same area in our builder. You can then check the mapping, draw your application boundary and preview the layout before buying a download.
Choose the plan that matches your application checklist:
- A site location plan shows the site in its wider surroundings, typically at 1:1250 or 1:2500.
- A site or block plan shows the site in more detail, commonly at 1:200 or 1:500. You may also need to add details of your proposed works.
The Planning Portal explains the difference between location and site plans. Check your council’s own checklist before choosing your scale and drawing the boundary.
What do 1:200, 1:500 and 1:1250 mean?
A scale tells you how a distance on the printed plan relates to the same distance on the ground. At 1:500, one unit on paper represents 500 of the same units in real life. That means 1 centimetre on the plan represents 5 metres on the ground.
| Printed scale | 1 cm represents | A 10 m distance on paper |
|---|---|---|
| 1:200 | 2 m | 5 cm |
| 1:500 | 5 m | 2 cm |
| 1:1250 | 12.5 m | 8 mm |
| 1:2500 | 25 m | 4 mm |
These are scale conversions, not claims about the accuracy of a particular map. A larger-looking feature on paper is easier to label, but enlarging a map does not add detail that was absent from the source.
For example, a 20-metre-long garden occupies 4 cm at 1:500 and 10 cm at 1:200. The latter leaves more room to show a proposed patio or extension, while the former fits more surrounding land on the same sheet. Our guide to 1:500 and 1:200 site plans explores that choice in more detail.
Keep the scale when printing
Select the paper size stated on the PDF and print at 100% or actual size. A printer’s “fit to page” setting may shrink the drawing to fit its printable margins, changing the relationship between paper and ground distances. Check a labelled scale bar with a ruler after printing, where one is provided.
As a simple check, a 20 m scale bar at 1:500 should measure 4 cm on paper. If it measures less, revisit the print settings before taking measurements from the sheet. Measuring a PDF displayed on a monitor with a physical ruler will not give a reliable result because the display zoom changes its apparent size.
Other places to look for a free site plan
Your existing property documents
Check the documents you received when you bought your home, along with any drawings from an architect or a previous extension. You may already have a useful starting point. Confirm that the plan reflects the current site and that you have permission to reuse it.
Your council’s planning register
Search your address on your local council’s planning website. Previous applications may include location plans, block plans and drawings. These can help you understand the property’s planning history, although availability and reuse terms vary. An old drawing may need updating for a new proposal.
A useful way to search an earlier application is to:
- Search by postcode, then try the house number or property name if there are many results.
- Open the application’s document list and look for location plans, site plans or block plans.
- Check the drawing title, date and revision. “Existing” and “proposed” drawings describe different stages of a project.
- Compare the drawing with the property as it stands today. A proposal on an old application is not proof that the work was built.
- Read the register’s document-use terms and check with the drawing’s author if you intend to reuse it.
Record the application reference and drawing number if you find something useful. This makes it easier to find the document again or discuss it with a designer. A publicly viewable drawing can be useful research even when it is unsuitable for reuse in your own submission.
HM Land Registry title plans
If you already have a title plan in your purchase paperwork, it can help you understand the registered extent. Read it alongside the register: colours and letters may refer to rights or restrictions explained there.
One useful detail is that the underlying map is not refreshed every time Ordnance Survey updates its mapping. A newer extension may therefore be absent from a title plan without the document necessarily being wrong about the registered land. HM Land Registry also explains that a flat’s title plan may outline the building rather than the individual apartment; the lease provides further detail. See its guide to reading a title plan.
The free boundary preview above is not a downloaded title plan or title register. If you need those documents, use the official property information service for England and Wales and check the current fees before ordering.
Satellite maps and free drawing tools
Satellite imagery can help you recognise buildings, gardens and access routes. Free drawing tools are useful for sketching ideas to discuss with a builder or designer. Before reusing any map or image, check its licence and whether the resulting drawing meets the requirements of its intended use.
What does a planning map need to show?
A useful preview and a submission document serve different purposes. For a location plan, check the scale, north direction, surrounding roads and buildings, and the red line identifying the application site. The red line should include land needed to carry out the development, including relevant access. Other nearby land in the same ownership may need a blue outline.
The Planning Portal’s location plan guide explains these checks. Our builder helps you prepare the map, but you should still review the boundary and your council’s requirements for your particular proposal.
What about the proposed extension itself?
A map base helps locate your property, but it cannot describe a design you have not added. The Planning Portal’s site-plan guidance calls for the existing building and proposed extension to be shown in relation to the boundary, along with other relevant buildings and adjacent streets.
For a rear extension, prepare the information needed to show its footprint, its relationship to the house and the space remaining to the garden boundaries. Keep existing and proposed features clearly distinguishable. Depending on the application, separate floor plans and elevations may also be needed; ordering a base map does not supply those architectural drawings.
Is a property boundary the same as a planning boundary?
They can overlap, but they describe different things. A registered title outline indicates the general extent of registered land; a planning red line identifies the land included in an application.
HM Land Registry explains that most title plans show general boundaries, rather than the exact legal line. The free search is a starting point for exploring your plot, not a way to decide fence ownership or resolve a boundary dispute.
A practical example: a garden project with a shared drive
Imagine a house reached by a shared driveway, with a proposed garden building at the rear. The preview helps you find the house and garden, but drawing a tight box around the garden building would leave out the wider site context.
For an application in England, government guidance says the red outline should include the land needed for the development, including relevant access, parking and landscaping. Where other owners’ land is involved, the ownership certificate and notice requirements need checking too. See the government’s guidance on making a planning application.
Use the map to identify the questions you need to answer: where does the driveway meet the road, which land forms part of the proposal, and which documents describe the access arrangements? Then settle those points before finalising the application boundary.
A checklist before you order or reuse a plan
Gather these details first so that you can review a preview with a clear purpose:
- The task: Are you exploring a garden layout, preparing a planning application or checking property documents? Choose the document for that purpose.
- The property: Confirm the address and the actual plot, including any separate garage or access area relevant to your project.
- The proposal: Note what will change and what will remain. Mark anything that needs a measured drawing rather than estimating it from satellite imagery.
- The council checklist: Save the requirements for your application type, including requested plans, scales and supporting documents.
- The sheet layout: Make sure the whole site is visible and labels remain readable at the intended print size.
- The current features: Check whether the map or older drawing shows the buildings now on site. Flag missing features for your designer.
- The final file: Check the address, boundary, scale, paper size and revision before uploading or printing it.
Keep a small project folder with the checklist, source documents and your latest drawings. Give revised files clear names so an earlier version does not accidentally get submitted.
One more free check: flood information
For a site in England, the government’s Flood Map for Planning is a useful separate check. Its flood risk assessment guidance explains when further assessment may be needed. The boundary preview on this page does not perform that assessment.
Planning processes and supporting information differ across the UK. The embedded search covers England, Scotland and Wales; the linked England-specific government guidance should be read alongside the requirements of the authority handling your application.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a free site plan of my property?
You can search and explore your property boundary for free using the map above. A downloadable, scaled planning PDF is a separate paid product.
Can I get a site plan from my local council?
Your council may have drawings from an earlier planning application on its public register. Check whether they are current, suitable for your proposal and permitted for reuse.
Does the boundary search show my exact legal boundary?
No. The map is an indicative starting point. HM Land Registry title plans usually show general boundaries, and mapped outlines do not establish the exact legal boundary.
Can I use the free preview for planning permission?
The embedded preview is for exploring your property. For submission, check your council’s requirements and prepare a plan at the required scale with the relevant site details.
Can I draw my own site plan?
You can prepare your own drawing, provided it meets the requirements for its intended use. For a planning application, check the required scale, site details and mapping permissions. If the design needs accurate dimensions or levels, arrange suitable measurements rather than tracing a satellite image.
Why does the boundary look different from my garden fence?
The outline and the visible fence may describe different things, and imagery and mapping may have been recorded at different times. Compare your title documents and the features on site. Do not move a fence or assume ownership from the preview alone.
Does buying a site location plan include extension drawings?
A site location plan provides the mapped context and application boundary. It does not automatically include architectural floor plans, elevations or a detailed design for your extension. Check which additional drawings your application needs.
Ready to prepare your plan?
Use the free search above to find your property, then create your site location plan when you need a scaled PDF. If your checklist asks for a more detailed drawing, create a site plan online or read our guide to buying maps for planning permission.