Plumas County, CA zoning map, flood zone and property lines by address
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Towns in Plumas County: East Quincy, Chester, Portola.
Flood zone by address
ParcelSheet reads FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer at the lot: the zone, whether it is a high risk area where lenders ask for flood insurance, and the base flood elevation where FEMA lists one. FEMA's countywide study for Plumas County has 85 FIRM panels, the newest effective March 2005; no coastal V zones are mapped in it.
The official panel and any Letter of Map Amendment are at FEMA's Map Service Center. An elevation certificate for a Plumas house comes from a licensed surveyor and is often on file with the county or city building office.
Property lines
The parcel outline, parcel number and mapped size come from the California county parcel layers (each county publishes its own), so a Plumas lot shows the same lines the county assessor draws. Plumas County covers about 1,633,960 acres of land and 38,644 acres of water.
Mapped lines are approximate. The Plumas County assessor keeps the parcel record (Plumas County website); a licensed surveyor sets the true corners.
Zoning
Plumas County zones its unincorporated land, and Portola zones the land inside its limits. ParcelSheet shows the use the county assessor lists for the lot and links the county planning department for the district, the uses it allows and the lot size it needs.
ADU and guest houses
Under California's Planning and Zoning Law (Government Code Title 7, Division 1, starting at section 65000), local governments can allow an accessory dwelling unit on a lot with a house. Whether a Plumas lot can add one depends on its district; the county planning department has the rule. ParcelSheet shows the mapped lot size and the ground's slope, the first two things the question turns on.
Septic and soil
ParcelSheet reads the USDA soil survey at the lot: the soil's name, its septic absorption rating and whether it is prime farmland. Plumas County is soil survey area CA608, Susanville Area, Parts of Lassen and Plumas Counties, California, last updated September 2026, on Web Soil Survey.
A new or changed septic system in Plumas County needs a permit from the Plumas County environmental health department (under the State Water Resources Control Board OWTS Policy).
Setbacks
Setbacks in Plumas County come from the zoning district: the front, side and rear distances a house must keep. ParcelSheet does not draw setback lines; the county zoning office gives them for the lot's district, and Portola for land inside its limits.
Hazards that apply
- Wetlands and wildfire. ParcelSheet shows the National Wetlands Inventory near a Plumas lot and the Forest Service wildfire hazard rating at it.
Questions
Is my house in a flood zone in Plumas County?
Type the address in the box above and ParcelSheet reads FEMA's flood zone at the lot's center. FEMA's countywide flood map for Plumas County has 85 panels, the newest effective March 2005. A lender or insurer uses the official FIRM panel; FEMA's Map Service Center has it.
How do I find property lines in Plumas County?
Open the California map, type the address, and the parcel outline from the Plumas County assessor shows on the map with its parcel number and mapped size. Mapped lines are approximate; only a licensed surveyor sets the true corners.
What is my property zoned in Plumas County?
Zoning in Plumas County is set by the county for unincorporated land and by each city (such as Portola) inside its own limits. ParcelSheet shows the use code the county assessor lists and links the office that sets the zoning; the planning office has the final word.
Can I build an ADU in Plumas County?
Under California's Planning and Zoning Law (Government Code Title 7, Division 1, starting at section 65000), counties and cities can allow an accessory dwelling unit, and each sets its own rules. In Plumas County ask the zoning office for the lot's district first; ParcelSheet shows the lot size as mapped so you can see the room you have.
Do I need a septic permit in Plumas County?
Yes. A new or changed septic system in Plumas County needs a permit from the Plumas County environmental health department (under the State Water Resources Control Board OWTS Policy). ParcelSheet shows the USDA soil survey's septic rating at the lot, from survey area CA608 (Susanville Area, Parts of Lassen and Plumas Counties, California).
What can I build on 5 acres in Plumas County?
Zoning in Plumas County is set by the county for unincorporated land and each city inside its own limits (such as Portola). The zoning district decides the uses, how many homes and the smallest lot it allows on 5 acres. ParcelSheet shows the lot size as mapped and the use code on the parcel record; the planning office has the district and its rules. See the Plumas County website.
What are the residential setbacks in Plumas County (2026)?
Setbacks in Plumas County come from the zoning code of the county, or of the city when the lot is inside city limits: the front, side and rear distances depend on the lot's district. ParcelSheet does not draw setback lines or give a number it did not read; the zoning office gives them for the district. See the Plumas County website.
Next to Plumas County: Butte County, Lassen County, Shasta County, Sierra County, Tehama County, Yuba County.
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