How to use the Plot Checker

1. What this tool does

You show us where your land is. We check it against the Lagos planning rules and give you a report. The report tells you what the land is zoned for, how far you must build from the road, and whether there is anything nearby you should worry about.

This is advice, not approval. Only LASPPPA can approve a building plan. Use this report to spot problems early, then confirm everything with them.

2. The four steps

Figure 1. Four steps, about two minutes.

3. Step 1 - Find your land

Type the address in the box at the top, for example Afolabi Brown Street, Akoka, Yaba. Press Find.
The map jumps to that place.
If it cannot find it, you will see a message. Add the area name and try again, or just scroll and zoom the map by hand until you see your land.

Tip: street names in Lagos repeat. Always add the area, like "Akoka, Yaba", so the map finds the right one.

4. Step 2 - Trace your land

Tap once on each corner of your land. Three taps is the minimum; four is normal for a rectangle. A yellow shape appears as you go.

Figure 2. Tap each corner. Go round in one direction.

The orange warning bar

Sometimes a bar appears saying "Outside searchable boundary". This means we do not yet hold the zoning map for that area. You can still run a check, but the zoning part of your report will say no data. That is honest, not a fault: we would rather tell you we do not know than guess.

5. Step 3 - Run the check

Press Run compliance check. It takes about ten seconds.

Credits: your first check is free. After that, each check uses one credit. If you run out, you will see a message with a link to buy more.

6. Step 4 - Read your result

A coloured bar appears at the top with one of these words:

Colour	Word	What it means
GREEN	COMPLIANT	Nothing broke a rule we could check. Still confirm with LASPPPA.
AMBER	REVIEW NEEDED	Something needs a human to look at it, or we are missing data for that area.
RED	NON-COMPLIANT	A rule is broken. Read the findings table to see which one.

Below the bar is a table of findings, one row per rule. Each row shows what we measured, what the rule requires, and a note explaining it in plain words.

Always read the notes. The verdict word is short. The note is where the useful detail is - which road, which zone, how far, and what to do next.

7. What the report checks

Check	What it is asking
Zoning	What is this land officially meant for - houses, shops, industry, or nothing at all?
Plot size	Is the land big enough for the smallest house the rules allow?
Road setback	How far must the building sit back from the road?
Water setback	Is there a river, lagoon or drainage channel too close?
Power lines	Is a high-voltage transmission line nearby?
Enforcement history	Has LASBCA demolished or sealed anything near here recently?
Built-up context	Is the area already developed, or still empty bush?
Neighbourhood	What shops, schools, banks and clinics are within 250 metres?

8. Getting your PDF

After a check, a Download report button appears. The PDF has a satellite picture of your plot, the full findings table, and the next steps to take. You can email it to your architect or your lawyer.

Tick Detailed area intel before you run the check to get every nearby place listed with its distance, plus the addresses of the three government offices you should visit.

9. If something goes wrong

Problem	What to do
"Couldn't pinpoint that address"	Add the area name. Or scroll the map by hand and trace the plot by eye.
Sent back to the sign-in page	Your session ended. Sign in again; your plots are saved.
"You have used your free check"	Buy credits from the Buy credits link at the top.
The check button will not press	You need at least three corners tapped on the map.
Zoning says "no data"	We do not hold the map for that area yet. Ask LASPPPA directly for the zoning of that parcel.

10. Words you will see

Word	What it means
Setback	Empty space you must leave between your building and the road or boundary.
Zoning	What the government says this land may be used for.
Centroid	The middle point of your traced plot.
LASPPPA	Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority - they approve plans.
LASBCA	Lagos State Building Control Agency - they enforce the rules on site.
Charting	Taking your survey plan to the Surveyor-General to check the land is not under government acquisition.
C of O	Certificate of Occupancy - the main land title document in Nigeria.

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