Unlocking the Potential of ArcGIS with ParcelQuest
If you work in any field that requires georeferencing data, chances are you’re already intimately familiar with ArcGIS. Whether you’re a GIS specialist creating maps with ArcGIS Pro, or a city planner cross-referencing layers of data in a map shared on ArcGIS Online, you know the value of this rockstar tool and the Esri community.
But as powerful and robust as ArcGIS is for creating, analyzing, and visualizing geographic information, it’s only as good as the data it operates on.
Let’s talk about parcels, for example. What if you need to know the owner name and mailing address for a certain set of California properties? What if you need to know all the details on a freshly subdivided set of parcels? Could you find that information in ArcGIS? Would you know it was accurate and up to date if you did?
What you need is a reliable partner. Somebody who’s enthusiastically done all the hard work of sourcing, cleaning, aggregating, and publishing parcel data into a statewide feature layer that you can access directly into your ArcGIS environment. For example.
If only there were a service that did that…oh, wait. There is!
How to Use ArcGIS with ParcelQuest
ParcelQuest is the world’s only authoritative source of California parcel data, updated daily, available online through our platform and now in your Esri ecosystem. We get our information directly from the county assessors, and our team of dedicated mappers ensures the parcel layer stays current and accurate.
There are two ways to use ParcelQuest in your ArcGIS workflow. You can download shapefiles and exports from our online platform and import them into ArcGIS yourself, or you can use ParcelQuest Gateway, which makes all of our data available in a convenient feature layer already.
In either case, you get the same data:
- Parcel boundaries
- Property characteristics
- APN
- Ownership information
…and other vital bits of parcel data you need to make important decisions. We’re here to make your day easier, so we strive to offer only the most accurate information in whatever way is most convenient for you to access.
How to Import a Shapefile into ArcGIS Pro
Suppose you only need a parcel layer of a specific set of parcels. In that case, our custom clipping service can provide a shapefile of the relevant parcels within the boundaries you request, matched with the corresponding assessor data you need.
Once you have this shapefile, you can add it to your web maps. In ArcGIS Pro, use the Catalog pane to add a connection to the appropriate folder. Then, browse to the location of the shapefile in that connected folder, right-click the file, and choose “Add to Current Map.” Or, on the map tab, you can click “Add Data” and load in the shapefile that way.
How to Access ParcelQuest Gateway
ParcelQuest Gateway is our feature service, allowing you to use our maps as a base layer in ArcGIS. After you’ve spoken with a member of our team to set up your subscription, there are two ways to load our data.
As an ArcGIS Online user, you’ll need to invite a PQ user admin to a group you’ve created. We’ll then be able to share the feature service so that all Esri users within that group will be able to access the data.
For ArcGIS Enterprise users, we will set up a server user with the appropriate level of permission in an ArcGIS server. The credentials will then be stored within that connection so that the people who need access can easily get what they need.
Your Gateway to a Parcel Utopia
When you sign up with ParcelQuest Gateway, we’ll walk you through this process and answer any questions you may have so that you can feel confident accessing information and sharing it with your team. Call us today at 888-217-8999 to get started today.