How to Read a Property Survey

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: September 19, 2022 References

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. Learning to read a property survey will help you understand your rights as a landowner.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Getting Your Bearings

1
Identify the survey parts. The property survey consists of two parts: the illustration and the written report. The illustration is basically a map of the area surveyed.^{[1]
X
Research source} Place the survey illustration on a large flat surface, as property surveys can be quite large. Keep the written report on hand for easy reference.
2
Familiarize yourself with the legend. The legend is usually set in the corner of a survey illustration. It contains icons which indicate important property attributes such as wells, borders, structures, or utility lines.^{[2]
X
Research source} If any elements of the legend are unclear or need explanation, contact your surveyor.

Advertisement
3
Locate the surveyor's certificate. The surveyor's certificate should be signed and dated with an embossed seal. This certificate provides a legal foundation for the survey's validity. If absent, the survey will not provide you with legal protection in a court of law.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Digging Into the Details

1
Orient yourself in the survey illustration. The illustration should include a compass indicating which way is north. This is often located near the legend, or separately in a corner of the illustration. A good survey will distinguish between magnetic north and astronomical north. If the survey does not distinguish between the two, it's probably based on magnetic north, but you should check with your surveyor to be sure.^{[3]
X
Research source}
2
Understand the property boundaries. Property boundaries are denoted with both bearing and distance. 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. You can measure this angle from a central point with a protractor. For instance, you might have a bearing of N 38° 03' 09" E. If you measured an angle of 38° 03' 09" from the north to the east on the survey illustration, you could then trace that northeasterly line to identify one of your property's boundaries.^{[4]
  X
  Research source}
- Degrees, minutes, and seconds are the units of measure for property survey bearings. For example, N 38° 03' 09" E would translate as 38 degrees, 3 minutes, 9 seconds from the north to the east.
- The boundary lines, or "legs," are often denoted in feet and listed directly below or after the bearing.
3
Find important features. The illustration and accompanying written report should include the following, where present:
- Physical and overlapping boundaries
- Water structures such as a lake or stream
- Shared fencing, driveways or sidewalks with a neighboring property
- Roadways or driveways that are nearby
- Existing property points of entry or egress
- Buildings, repairs, modifications or structural improvements on the property
- Locations of utilities, including water pipes and other plumbing, electrical, cable and/or telephone lines, gas lines, and utility poles ^{[5]
  X
  Research source}
4
Note the scale and scope of the survey illustration. There should be a scale near the legend which indicates how distances are represented on the survey illustration. The scale will help you gauge distances on the property in question, including distances between it and nearby landmarks. For instance, one inch might correspond to one mile on the land survey illustration.^{[6]
X
Research source} The illustration might also orient the reader by providing a vicinity map -- also called a location map -- to indicate where the property lies in relation to the larger locality. The vicinity map is a small square inset usually located in a corner of the survey illustration.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Putting the Survey In Context

1
Read the notes. Notes are found on the survey illustration and provide information pertaining to former ownership of the land being surveyed or nearby properties.^{[7]
X
Research source} A more thorough account of the property can be found in the written report.
2
Read the written survey report carefully. The report includes legal information and additional comments provided by the surveyor. This document may also contain:
- Official property measurements.
- Any easements that may exist on the 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. The report will also indicate if these improvements meet the code standards set up by the local building department.
- An indication as to whether the property is zoned for residential or commercial use.
3
Write down any points of confusion or concern. It might be good to have a friend or family member read the property survey with you so that they can offer suggestions or identify potential issues you might have missed. After reading the survey, contact your surveyor to clear up any misunderstanding. Remember, understanding your survey is crucial for establishing full control over your property.
4
Put your survey to use. Whether you are buying a new property, looking to build on your land, or trying to sell some or all of your land, your property survey will help move the process along. If the boundaries of your property are ever in question, consult your property survey to settle the matter.

Community Q&A

Question

What does a figure like 1160:144 mean? Is that a measurement? I have a really old plan I'm trying to figure out.

Community Answer

That Property Line is what is recorded in the book of records. Based on the numbers you have stated, that would be the page number and then book number.
Question

How do I find square footage?

Community Answer

The way to calculate a rectangular area is by measuring the length and width of your area then multiplying those two numbers together to get the area in feet squared.
Question

How many links are equal to one foot?

Community Answer

A link is exactly 66⁄100 of a foot, or exactly 7.92 inches. The unit is based on Gunter's chain, a metal chain 66 feet long with 100 links, that was formerly used in land surveying.

Warnings

Note any unclaimed gaps of land between properties. This may affect future development of the property.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 8 Not Helpful 0
Verify that the survey is signed, dated, and embossed with the surveyor's official seal. If any of these items are missing, the survey may be viewed as legally invalid.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 10 Not Helpful 1
Determine whether there are any buildings, additions, or improvements that encroach onto adjacent properties. An encroachment agreement may be required to avoid future litigation issues.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0