How Best to Edit Parcels in Desktop Basic?

[GISAdministrator14]

Our subscription is to ArcGIS for Desktop Basic, so I don't have access to the Parcel Editor tool. To change the geometry of parcels, e.g. a parcel gets split and I have to turn it into multiple, different-shaped parcels, should I just be editing the polygon with the Cut Polygons Tool and moving the vertices of the polygons to reach the right measurements, or is there a better way?

[AdamZiegler1]

Hello there - How do your parcel changes get to you? The Parcel Editor tools work specifically with a Parcel Fabric. Assuming you can edit your parcels would indicate your parcels are not in the Parcel Fabric. The next option is the COGO tools...but they require a minimum of a Standard license. I would strongly consider an upgrade to Standard to take advantage of the COGO tools, otherwise the manual effort is going to be difficult. You can use sketch options that are available in the right-click context menu to go a certain direction and length.

-Adam Z

[GISAdministrator14]

They just come to me as copies of survey plans to look at and make the adjustments. I don't think my city has plans to upgrade to Standard, but I am indeed finding I have to do a lot of things the hard way without it. The Replace Sketch option seems useful, because I can just re-sketch the parcel without having to re-enter any attributes.   

-Evelyn S

[NormandMarchand]

yea, after you edit the parcels is there a way to display the lengths of each line in the polygon?  i have to create a plat and lot map book for inspections and cannot seem to figure this out 

[AdamZiegler1]

Hi Normand - In the Parcel Fabric there are lines with attributes for length that are labeled. If you are not in the Parcel Fabric, you could either use annotation or convert your polygons to lines, calculate lengths and then label (even take those labels and convert to annotation). The tricky part is getting the Deed frontage versus mapped frontage, typically they rarely match exactly.

Adam Z

[NormandMarchand]

Adam,

Thanks for response, at the moment I am only operating on a basic license and dont have the polygon to line feature (yet fingers crossed for upgrade).  I am holding off a couple more days to see if we get the upgrade.  If we do upgrade will that tool will break down each line of the polygons with measurements?  

Onto the disparity between deed and map footage.  What is the general variance with those?  Some plans that have come across my desk say a 10 FT variance.  

What do you do for determination to use deed footage or map footage?

[AdamZiegler1]

Hi Normand - The polygon to line will only break the polygon up into lines (in a new feature class). You would need to add an attribute field for length and calculate it from the geometry of the line.

http://desktop.arcgis.com/en/arcmap/latest/tools/data-management-toolbox/polygon-to-line.htm 

In regards to mapped length versus deed length....that is more of an internal question for your organization. In my experience working with parcel mapping, we used the recorded deed values for frontages....which didn't always match actual geometry length (i.e. 50 foot on deed, measures 49.25 as mapped). It's probably best to show deed data, but also good to compare that with what's mapped so that you can identify data that is incorrect. In the parcel fabric, the recorded deed length is shown.

Adam Z