Knowing city zoning can mean more than meets the eye. While getting to this important piece of information, people often skip the hard work and instead rely upon their eyes or county data.

Here's why you shouldn't.

Existing building

The existing building may, or may not, match the current zoning.

The land gets zoned, not the building. When cities start to sense growth, changing their zoning is a way to encourage more development to meeting their needs.

County data

The county assessor collects data for taxation purposes. They tax the land and existing building but do not focus on the zoning. Why not? Often it is because a county has several cities and each has its own zoning. Also, the city zoning isn't standardized so it isn't easy to use.

The county will, however, include "land use" which is meant to reflect the current building or use such as a farm.