Adams County, WA zoning map, flood zone and property lines by address
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Towns in Adams County: Othello, Ritzville.
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 Adams County has 70 FIRM panels, the newest effective January 2009; 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 an Adams 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 Washington Technology Solutions (WaTech), statewide parcels from the counties, so an Adams lot shows the same lines the county assessor draws. Adams County covers about 1,231,993 acres of land and 3,080 acres of water.
Mapped lines are approximate. The Adams County assessor keeps the parcel record (Adams County website); a licensed surveyor sets the true corners.
Zoning
Adams County zones its unincorporated land, and Othello, Ritzville each zone the land inside their 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 Washington's Planning Enabling Act and Growth Management Act (Revised Code of Washington Chapters 36.70 and 36.70A), local governments can allow an accessory dwelling unit on a lot with a house. Whether an Adams 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. Adams County is soil survey area WA001, Adams County, Washington, last updated September 2026, on Web Soil Survey.
A new or changed septic system in Adams County needs a permit from the Adams County health department (local health jurisdiction, under Washington State Department of Health on site sewage rules).
Setbacks
Setbacks in Adams 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 Othello and Ritzville for land inside their limits.
Hazards that apply
- Wetlands and wildfire. ParcelSheet shows the National Wetlands Inventory near an Adams lot and the Forest Service wildfire hazard rating at it.
Questions
Is my house in a flood zone in Adams 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 Adams County has 70 panels, the newest effective January 2009. A lender or insurer uses the official FIRM panel; FEMA's Map Service Center has it.
How do I find property lines in Adams County?
Open the Washington map, type the address, and the parcel outline from the Adams 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 Adams County?
Zoning in Adams County is set by the county for unincorporated land and by each city (such as Othello, Ritzville) 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 Adams County?
Under Washington's Planning Enabling Act and Growth Management Act (Revised Code of Washington Chapters 36.70 and 36.70A), counties and cities can allow an accessory dwelling unit, and each sets its own rules. In Adams 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 Adams County?
Yes. A new or changed septic system in Adams County needs a permit from the Adams County health department (local health jurisdiction, under Washington State Department of Health on site sewage rules). ParcelSheet shows the USDA soil survey's septic rating at the lot, from survey area WA001 (Adams County, Washington).
What can I build on 5 acres in Adams County?
Zoning in Adams County is set by the county for unincorporated land and each city inside its own limits (such as Othello, Ritzville). 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 Adams County website.
What are the residential setbacks in Adams County (2026)?
Setbacks in Adams 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 Adams County website.
Next to Adams County: Franklin County, Grant County, Lincoln County, Whitman County.
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