Need to find somebody who knows zoning in my area

[Jay Ben]

Hello BP fam, Can anybody recommend a good way to find somebody who knows zoning regulations and what is possible on a specific property. Or does everybody physically go to building and safety department each time? 

[Andrew Postell]

@Jay Ben so yes, you can go to the city....and get a very "formal" definition of something.  But sometimes we need to know the things that the city WON'T tell us. So in addition to speaking with them I would highly recommend to visit your local REI groups. Local investors will be able to tell you things that might be hard to find out unless you actually go through the process. There are many groups that meet across the country and specifically several in Orange County. Some post here on the Bigger Pockets Marketplace. Many post on meetup.com. Even facebook will have some. Networking is always a great practice and you never know who you might meet there and what good information they have to share. Would certainly recommend visiting if one is close to you.