Property Information

Wake County provides a wide range of property information through the IMAPS website. Property owner information, tax records, aerial views, demographics, planning jurisdictions, voting precincts, environmental data, links to deeds and plats, and much more are accessible through this web-based mapping system, which is updated and maintained by Wake County.

Easements

An easement is a right to cross or otherwise use someone else’s land for a specified purpose. The property’s recorded plat will display easements that may apply. Some of the more common easements that affect homeowners are:

• Public Utility Easements
  • In North Carolina, the state allows telecommunications/broadband infrastructure to be installed in public right of ways.  State law limits what municipalities in North Carolina can do regarding telecommunications companies working in the right of ways. The town does not have the authority to prohibit the installation of this infrastructure.  
  • Public agencies and utility companies like Spectrum and Google Fiber have the right to work in front of a resident’s yard provided the work stays within the public right-of-way and all permits are approved by the Town.
  • The Town has no legal authority to repair/replace damage to personal property or a homeowner’s individual utility services such as cable, phone, internet, water, or sewer caused as a direct result of construction. It is the full responsibility of the utility providers.  
  • Should you experience property damage or an outage to any other utility service, please contact the responsible utility company to address the concern. 
    • For Google Fiber, call 877-454-6959 or visit the following webpages:
      • General Contact: https://gfiber.com/support/en/answer/1831/
      • Construction Damage Escalations: https://support.google.com/fiber/contact/construction_escalations
    • For Duke Energy, call the Public Engagement Hotline at 866-297-5886. 
    • For more information about digging in North Carolina, visit: NC 811: https://nc811.org/
    • For complaints, contact NC Attorney General’s Office Consumer Protection Division via mail or phone.
      • Consumer Protection Division Attorney General's Office

        Mail Service Center 9001, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001

      • Toll-free within North Carolina: 1-877-5-NO-SCAM

  • Irrigation, electric fencing, or landscaping in the public right-of-way is “at risk” meaning homeowners may install these items in the right of way but would be responsible for any repair or replacement. The town has no legal authority to repair/replace irrigation, electric fencing, or landscaping caused as a direct result of construction. The town has no legal authority to require the utility providers to repair/replace damaged irrigation, electric fencing, or landscaping that was in the right of way caused as a direct result of construction.  
• Private Drainage Easements
  • For preserving an area for stormwater to flow. Types of stormwater runoff may include an area for stormwater to flow over land, channel flow (ditches or swales), and underground piped conveyances.  
  • If not specifically listed on the plat, all drainage easements outside of the right-of-way are considered private. The Town does not perform maintenance on private drainage easements.
  • Some improvements (fences, landscaping, etc.) may be allowed at the discretion of the entity the easement serves (HOA, landowners, etc.). The Town will not grant permission for installation of structures on these easements. See Engineering Design and Construction Standards Section 8.06 for more information.
• Stormwater Maintenance Access Easements
  • Most commonly used for preserving access for routine maintenance and inspection to structural stormwater control measures, such as basins or retention areas.  
  • Some improvements (fences, landscaping, etc.) may be allowed at the discretion of the entity the easement serves (HOA, landowners, etc.) The Town will not grant permission for installation of structures on these easements.

Impervious Surfaces

Impervious surfaces (also called built-upon areas) are any hard surface that does not allow rain to soak into the ground. Some examples are driveways, patios, roofs, buildings, etc. Depending on your development, your property may be subject to impervious surface restrictions. Unlike some other municipalities, the Town of Holly Springs does not limit impervious areas based on zoning or percentages of built-upon areas. Rather, impervious restrictions are placed on lots based on the development’s stormwater management plan. Impervious limits will be listed on the plat and can be located on the IMAPS website.

The Town will not grant approval for exceeding impervious limits.

The Town does not consider permeable materials (like permeable pavers, etc.) on private lots as exempt from impervious calculations unless a stormwater management plan that meets the NC DEQ Minimum Design Criteria and the Town’s Post-Construction Stormwater Ordinance is submitted and approved.

Drainage Improvements to Your Property 

The Town of Holly Springs does not regulate drainage from private lots. Storm drainage issues between property owners is a civil matter. If you plan improvements or modifications to your landscape that impact the flow of water, please take your neighbor’s property into consideration. Any land-disturbing activity that causes sediment or erosion must be controlled on site.