lawyer guide how to read a plat of survey

To read a plat, first locate the North arrow. This will orient you to the property’s actual location on the ground. Next, find the survey legend. You will see symbols indicating where pins from prior surveys were found (existing pin), where pins were placed by the surveyor who prepared the survey (pin placed), monuments, easements, structures and other information on the survey plat.

Full Answer

What is a survey plat and how does it work?

Oct 28, 2019 · A plat map displays how a large area of land is effectively separated into lots. The map will show the size of the land, any nearby streets, boundary locations, easements on the land, and possible flood zones. If a piece of land is going to be divided into separate lots for building homes, a plat map is required.

What do lawyers need to know about Survey maps?

Sep 15, 2021 · 3. Review your map’s scale and the legend provided. Your survey will display information based on a scale. A survey’s legend is typically presented on the right hand side of the survey, or along the bottom of the document. A map’s scale connects the distances listed on a map to their actual size.

How to read a land survey for a property?

Reference the parcel to the local political or municipal entities and/or boundaries (i.e. county, town, village, street lines, tax map parcel number); 9. Reference a datum and a specific benchmark or reference point when elevations are shown; 10. Identify the scale and any conversion factor necessary; 11.

How do I read a plat?

Flood plains. The survey should note whether the property is in a special flood hazard area as established by FEMA. If the property is in a special flood hazard area, a line showing the extent of the hazard area should be shown. In some cases the entire property may be in …

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What is the difference between a survey and plat?

Is a survey different than a plat?

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What is a radial line in surveying?

What is a property survey?

A property survey -- also known as a boundary survey, plat survey, or land survey -- is an essential document if you are purchasing a residential or commercial building or land parcel. With a property survey in hand, you can discover the boundary lines, zoning information, and underground utilities on and around your property.

What is easement in property?

An easement allows a third party legal access to a property. For example, when you give your neighbor permission to park in your driveway or allow a utility company to run electrical lines run through your property. Any other property improvements that may have occurred since the latest survey on file.

What is bearing in math?

The bearing is a series of degrees, minutes, and seconds with compass point letters before and after each element. The distance indicates how far from a given point a boundary line extends. The bearing represents the angle between north or south and east or west.

What is land survey plat?

In simple terms, a land survey plat is responsible for showing a map in which the whole measurement of a land is described so as to simplify other important tasks.

What is ALTA survey?

These surveys are of different types and depict different information, such as American Land Title Association (ALTA) surveys that represent property lines, improvements, easements and utilities. Furthermore, boundary line surveys are responsible for showing property lines and corners, and are used to obtain building permits.

What does the beginning point represent in metes and bounds?

Actually, this point represents the location of the point, from where the land legally begins.

What is the bearing of a 60 degree angle?

A direction that is expressed as a standard bearing is also based on a 360 degree circle but uses different points of reference. A bearing of N 60 degrees east means the direction is 60 degrees to the east of north. Likewise a bearing of S 15 degrees east means the direction is 15 degrees to the east of due south.

How many degrees are in a circle?

You may recall them articulating that a circle is composed of 360 degrees. You may have had a boy scout compass on which direction was expressed in an azimuth of anywhere from 0 to 360 degrees. While most of us are familiar with degrees, many are not familiar with bearings. Look at the figure below.

Who is Tice Brashear?

Tice Brashear is the President of Brashear Realty Corporation. He is a licensed real estate broker and has over 37 years experience in selling land, farms, acreage, commercial and investment properties. He is a past President of the Georgia Association of Realtors and a past President of the Augusta Board of Realtors.

What is plat map?

A plat map is a type of map that’s used to show the divisions of a parcel of land. It’s used for very specific pieces of property wherein the deed assigns a subdivision lot number to the property. Some deeds will instead use geographic references to detail the shape and size of a property, which means that it has yet to be platted.

Why is a plat map important?

A plat map is an essential tool for homeowners, realtors, and land developers because of the exhaustive amount of information that it provides. The information on a plat map serves as a legal description of the specific parcel of land, which can be helpful in a variety of situations.

What is a metes and bounds map?

Metes and bounds are used on plat maps to describe the land and the properties that are found on the land. These descriptions will include distances, directions, and various physical features of the overall geography. The physical features that are commonly included on plat maps extend to streets, alleyways, and parks.

What is a land survey?

Make sure you’re clear about the need for a survey. A land survey is a certification of a piece of land’s exact location. The survey identifies the boundaries of the property. If you’re buying or selling property, you need a land survey. The survey identifies the exact boundaries of the property in the transaction.

Is a land survey expensive?

A land survey can be expensive . You need an experienced surveyor to complete the work. Make sure you’re clear about the need for a survey. A land survey is a certification of a piece of land’s exact location. The survey identifies the boundaries of the property.

What is PLSS grid?

The PLSS is a grid system used by land surveyors to provide an exact location of a piece of property. If you understand the grid system, you’ll know where your land is located. The grid was created using two sets of lines. The principal meridian is a set of north and south lines.

How many miles are townships?

A township is 6 miles on each side. Once the grid is separated into townships, it can be further divided into sections that are one square mile. The square mile sections are divided into quarters. If needed, the grid system can use grids that are smaller than one quarter.

What is a known point?

The description must begin with one of the following: (1) a known point (a monument such as a street, a man-made monument or marker, or a natural object such as ^a stone wall); (2) a certain course and distance . WHAT EVERY ATTORNEY NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT SURVEY MAPS PAGE 13 OF 42 . from a monument.

What is a north arrow?

A north arrow (with north to the top of the drawing when practicable), a legend of symbols and abbreviations, and a vicinity map showing the property in reference to nearby highway(s) or major street intersection(s). ii. Supplementary or detail diagrams when necessary.

Do you have to mark the boundary line on a survey?

The property corners on your survey will be marked. If a property line is very long it may be difficult or impossible to determine where the boundary line is, on the ground, along the entire line. In such cases it is helpful to have the surveyor set stakes along the boundaries at intermediate, inter-visible points. This is an additional contract item that is not usually done unless you have made prior arrangements with the surveyor.

Do property corners need to be marked?

The property corners on your survey will be marked. If a property line is very long it may be difficult or impossible to determine where the boundary line is, on the ground, along the entire line. In such cases it is helpful to have the surveyor set stakes along the boundaries at intermediate, inter-visible points.

What do symbols on a drawing represent?

Symbols on a drawing can represent anything that the drafter chooses . There is no national standardization for property surveys so these symbols may vary from state to state and even by county or community. However, there should be a legend or text near the symbols on the drawing explaining what each symbol represents.

What are boundary lines?

Lines. The first lines one should notice on a properly drafted survey are boundary lines, since boundary lines usually are bolder than any other lines on the survey. The property boundaries, after all, are the primary data that a land survey communicates. One should be able to clearly identify the boundary lines and their corresponding measurements ...

Introduction

Review Land Transfer Document and Title Insurance Policy

Use The Survey Legend

• The next step is to find the survey legend. Different symbols are used in survey plats to indicate the elements of the land such as corners, water, streets, vegetation, etc. The survey legend is required to understand these symbols so as to read the survey plat easily.

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Understand The Scale Ratio

Find Out The Type of The Survey

References