Title: How to Read a Land Survey Plat in North Carolina | FOUND Description: How to read a recorded survey plat: the title block, north arrow, line and curve tables, monuments found and set, easements, notes, and the certificates. Canonical: https://lotsfound.com/insights/how-to-read-a-land-survey/ # How to read a land survey You read a land survey from the outside in: the title block and certificates first, then the north arrow and scale, then the lines, corners, and notes. North Carolina law sets what a recorded survey plat must show, so you know where to look for each item. [Order a parcel brief](/services/parcel-brief/) In this article 1. [What a land survey plat is](#what-a-land-survey-plat-is) 2. [Start with the title block](#start-with-the-title-block) 3. [Read the certificates and the seal](#read-the-certificates-and-the-seal) 4. [Orient the drawing](#orient-the-drawing) 5. [Read the lines, the line table, and the curve table](#read-the-lines-the-line-table-and-the-curve-table) 6. [Find the corners and monuments](#find-the-corners-and-monuments) 7. [Read the adjoiners, easements, and notes](#read-the-adjoiners-easements-and-notes) 8. [Who answers what the survey cannot](#who-answers-what-the-survey-cannot) 9. [Key recap](#key-recap) 10. [Questions](#questions) 11. [References](#references) > **Quick summary:** This guide walks through a recorded North Carolina survey plat, block by block: the title block, the certificates, the north arrow and scale, the line and curve tables, the corners, and the notes. It is for buyers, owners, and builders who hold a survey and want to know what it says. The key takeaway: the certificates and notes tell you what the surveyor measured, what was copied from records, and what the plat does not settle. ## What a land survey plat is A land survey plat is the sealed drawing a licensed land surveyor makes from an actual survey of a tract. It shows the boundary lines, the corners, and the features along the lines. Under [the board's surveying rule](http://reports.oah.state.nc.us/ncac/title%2021%20-%20occupational%20licensing%20boards%20and%20commissions/chapter%2056%20-%20engineers%20and%20surveyors/21%20ncac%2056%20.1602.pdf), the results of a survey go to the user as a map or a written report of survey. A plat recorded at the register of deeds must meet [G.S. 47-30](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_47/GS_47-30.html). A plat that is not recorded still must meet the board's [mapping rule](http://reports.oah.state.nc.us/ncac/title%2021%20-%20occupational%20licensing%20boards%20and%20commissions/chapter%2056%20-%20engineers%20and%20surveyors/21%20ncac%2056%20.1604.pdf). For the difference between a recorded plat, a tax map, and a survey, see [Plat map: what it is and how to read one](/insights/plat-map/). ## Start with the title block The title block tells you which land the plat shows and when the surveyor measured it. G.S. 47-30 requires it to list these items prominently, not in the notes: - **Property designation.** The tract, lot, or subdivision name. - **Owner.** The owner's name, shown for indexing only. The statute says it is not a title certification. - **Location.** The county, the State, and the township or city. - **Survey dates.** The date or dates of the field survey. - **Scale.** The scale in words or figures, and a bar graph. - **Surveyor.** The name and address of the surveyor, with the firm name and license number. - **Revisions.** The dates and descriptions of changes made after the original signing. Check the survey date first. A plat shows the land on the date of the survey. A fence, a house, or an easement that came later is not on it. ## Read the certificates and the seal The certificates tell you how far to trust each line. Read them before the drawing. **The surveyor's certificate.** It names the deed and plat sources for the boundary by book and page. It states which lines were not surveyed and where their information came from. It states the ratio of precision before adjustments. The surveyor's seal and signature certify that the map meets the state's standards of practice. **The subdivision certificate.** Under G.S. 47-30(f)(11), the surveyor certifies one of five statements: 1. The survey creates a subdivision where an ordinance regulates parcels. 2. The survey lies in an area no such ordinance regulates. 3. The survey shows an existing parcel, an existing feature, a control survey, or a proposed utility easement. 4. The survey is another category, such as a recombination or a court-ordered survey. 5. The surveyor could not make a determination. Statements 1, 4, and 5 also need a local approval certificate, or a no-approval-required certificate, on the plat. **The review officer's certificate.** A plat goes to the county [Review Officer](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_47/GS_47-30.2.html) before recording, unless an exception applies, such as a survey of an existing parcel. The officer certifies that the plat meets the statutory requirements for recording. The certificate is not a zoning approval. **A preliminary label.** A plat marked "Preliminary Plat - Not for recordation, conveyances, or sales" is a draft. The mapping rule's seal and content requirements do not apply to it, and you cannot rely on it as a final survey. ### The class of survey The ratio of precision tells you how tightly the survey closed. The [classification rule](http://reports.oah.state.nc.us/ncac/title%2021%20-%20occupational%20licensing%20boards%20and%20commissions/chapter%2056%20-%20engineers%20and%20surveyors/21%20ncac%2056%20.1603.pdf) sets four classes of boundary survey, each with a maximum error of closure: | Class | Land it covers | Maximum error of closure | |---|---|---| | AA | Local control networks | 1 foot per 20,000 feet of perimeter | | A | Urban land, within a town or city | 1 foot per 10,000 feet | | B | Suburban land | 1 foot per 7,500 feet | | C | Rural and farmland | 1 foot per 5,000 feet | Each map must state its calculated ratio, or a statement of positional error, under the same rule. Compare the stated ratio with the class that fits the land. > **The short version:** Read the title block for the date, then the certificates for the sources and the unsurveyed lines. A line drawn from records is not a line measured on the ground, and the plat must tell you which is which. ## Orient the drawing The north arrow and the scale turn the drawing into directions and feet. **North arrow.** The plat must state whether north is true north, magnetic north, North Carolina grid north, or north from an old deed or plat. If it is magnetic or from an old deed, the plat gives the date and the source. Two plats with different north references show different bearings for the same line. **Scale and bar graph.** Every line must be plotted to the scale shown. An enlarged inset can break the scale, and the plat labels it. **Distances.** Distances are horizontal ground or grid measurements, in U.S. survey feet or meters. ## Read the lines, the line table, and the curve table Each surveyed line carries a bearing or azimuth and a distance. When there is no room on the drawing, the surveyor may number the short lines and list them in a line table, such as L1, L2, and L3. Match each label to its row. A curved boundary carries curve data in the same way, and the surveyor may list it in a curve table with labels such as C1 and C2. G.S. 47-30 requires actual survey data around the curve or standard curve data. Standard data must include the bearing and distance of the long chord, from the point of curvature to the point of tangency. For how a call reads, see [Metes and bounds: how to read a land description](/insights/metes-and-bounds/). Look for lines drawn differently from the rest, such as dashed lines. The [mapping rule](http://reports.oah.state.nc.us/ncac/title%2021%20-%20occupational%20licensing%20boards%20and%20commissions/chapter%2056%20-%20engineers%20and%20surveyors/21%20ncac%2056%20.1604.pdf) requires the plat to mark any line not actually surveyed and to state its source. ## Find the corners and monuments The legend tells you what each corner symbol means. Every corner marked by a monument or a natural object must be identified. - **Found or set.** The surveying rule requires reports to say whether each monument was found in place or set by the surveyor. A found iron pipe ties this survey to an older one. A set rod is new. - **Corners in a tree or stream.** When a corner falls in a right-of-way, a tree, a stream, or a similar object, the surveyor places one or more monuments in the line so the corner can be found. - **Adjoiners' corners.** The plat shows the marked corners of adjacent owners along the boundary. - **Area.** The plat states how the surveyor computed the area. Estimation, planimeter, scaling, and copying from another source are not acceptable, except for inaccessible areas. > **Take action:** Send the deed book and page or the recorded plat reference, and get the survey read against the deed and the county record. Start with [One parcel. Everything the record says, in order.](/services/parcel-brief/) ## Read the adjoiners, easements, and notes The edges of the plat show who and what touches the tract. **Adjoiners.** The plat shows the names of adjacent owners, or the lot, block, or other legal reference, or notes that it could not be determined. Compare those names with the deed calls. **Easements and rights-of-way.** All visible and apparent rights-of-way, easements, watercourses, utilities, and roadways must be located where they cross or form a boundary line. A recorded easement with no visible sign may not appear. The title search finds those. **Encroachments.** The surveying rule requires the surveyor to look for encroachments, gaps, and lappages along each line surveyed, and to locate any found. A building or fence over a line deserves a question to the attorney. See [Adverse possession in North Carolina](/insights/adverse-possession-north-carolina/). **Flood note.** A plat may carry a note on the flood zone and the flood map panel. Check the note's map date against the current maps at [flood.nc.gov](https://flood.nc.gov/ncflood/). See [Floodplain vs floodway: why the difference matters](/insights/floodplain-vs-floodway/) for what the zones mean. ## Who answers what the survey cannot The licensed land surveyor who sealed the plat answers questions about the lines and corners. A North Carolina real estate attorney answers whether an encroachment, a gap, or an easement affects title. Planning staff answer whether the lots meet the zoning. Some questions need another survey. An ALTA survey maps recorded title matters on the ground. See [ALTA survey vs boundary survey: what each one shows](/insights/alta-survey/). A topographic survey maps the shape of the ground for design. See [Topographic survey: what it shows and when you need one](/insights/topographic-survey/). ## Key recap - Read the title block and the survey date first. A plat shows the land on that date only. - The surveyor's certificate names the deed sources, the unsurveyed lines, and the ratio of precision. - State rules set four survey classes, from 1 foot in 20,000 to 1 foot in 5,000 of perimeter. - Line and curve tables carry the data for short lines and curves. Dashed or marked lines may come from records, not from the field. - The legend separates monuments found from monuments set. Encroachments, easements, and a flood note sit at the edges and in the notes. - A surveyor answers for the lines, an attorney for title, and planning staff for zoning. ## Questions ### How do you read the bearings on a land survey? Each bearing starts at north or south and turns toward east or west, such as N 45°30'00" E, followed by a distance in feet. Check the north arrow to see which north the bearings use. ### What does "found" and "set" mean on a survey? "Found" means the surveyor located an existing monument in place. "Set" means the surveyor placed a new one. North Carolina's surveying rule requires reports to say which. ### What is a line table on a survey? A line table lists short lines by label, such as L1, with the bearing and distance of each. The surveyor uses it when the drawing has no room for the full call. ### Does a survey show every easement on the land? No. A survey shows visible and apparent easements and the recorded easements the surveyor was given. A title search by a North Carolina real estate attorney finds recorded easements the drawing may not show. ## References Primary sources cited on this page, in APA style. - 21 N.C. Admin. Code 56 .1602 (2026). [http://reports.oah.state.nc.us/ncac/title%2021%20-%20occupational%20licensing%20boards%20and%20commissions/chapter%2056%20-%20engineers%20and%20surveyors/21%20ncac%2056%20.1602.pdf](http://reports.oah.state.nc.us/ncac/title%2021%20-%20occupational%20licensing%20boards%20and%20commissions/chapter%2056%20-%20engineers%20and%20surveyors/21%20ncac%2056%20.1602.pdf) - 21 N.C. Admin. Code 56 .1603 (2026). [http://reports.oah.state.nc.us/ncac/title%2021%20-%20occupational%20licensing%20boards%20and%20commissions/chapter%2056%20-%20engineers%20and%20surveyors/21%20ncac%2056%20.1603.pdf](http://reports.oah.state.nc.us/ncac/title%2021%20-%20occupational%20licensing%20boards%20and%20commissions/chapter%2056%20-%20engineers%20and%20surveyors/21%20ncac%2056%20.1603.pdf) - 21 N.C. Admin. Code 56 .1604 (2026). [http://reports.oah.state.nc.us/ncac/title%2021%20-%20occupational%20licensing%20boards%20and%20commissions/chapter%2056%20-%20engineers%20and%20surveyors/21%20ncac%2056%20.1604.pdf](http://reports.oah.state.nc.us/ncac/title%2021%20-%20occupational%20licensing%20boards%20and%20commissions/chapter%2056%20-%20engineers%20and%20surveyors/21%20ncac%2056%20.1604.pdf) - N.C. Gen. Stat. § 47-30 (2025). [https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_47/GS_47-30.html](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_47/GS_47-30.html) - N.C. Gen. Stat. § 47-30.2 (2025). [https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_47/GS_47-30.2.html](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_47/GS_47-30.2.html) - North Carolina Floodplain Mapping Program. (n.d.). *Flood.nc: North Carolina's flood information center*. Retrieved October 3, 2026, from [https://flood.nc.gov/ncflood/](https://flood.nc.gov/ncflood/) ## Buying land: records, survey, and title - [One parcel. Everything the record says, in order.](/services/parcel-brief/) - [Start with the right parcel](/what-we-check/parcels-and-boundaries/) - [Every search starts at the county tax office](/insights/county-records-first/) - [A land due diligence checklist for North Carolina](/insights/land-due-diligence-checklist/) - [ALTA survey vs boundary survey: what each one shows](/insights/alta-survey/) - [Plat map: what it is and how to read one](/insights/plat-map/) - [How to find property lines](/insights/how-to-find-property-lines/) - [Land survey cost: what drives the price](/insights/land-survey-cost/) - [How to find the owner of a property](/insights/find-owner-of-property/) - [Title search for land: what it finds and who does it](/insights/title-search-for-land/) - [Acreage that holds up after the survey](/services/land-and-acreage/) - [How to buy land](/insights/how-to-buy-land/) - [Land loans: how financing raw land works](/insights/land-loan/) - [Metes and bounds: how to read a land description](/insights/metes-and-bounds/) - [Topographic survey: what it shows and when you need one](/insights/topographic-survey/) - [What is a parcel number, and how do you find one](/insights/what-is-a-parcel-number/) - [Restrictive covenants: what they are and how to find them](/insights/restrictive-covenants/) - [Easement by necessity: access for landlocked land](/insights/easement-by-necessity/) - [Prescriptive easement: how long use becomes a right](/insights/prescriptive-easement/) - [Warranty deed vs quitclaim deed: what each one conveys](/insights/warranty-deed-vs-quitclaim-deed/) - [Adverse possession in North Carolina](/insights/adverse-possession-north-carolina/) - [Right-of-way vs easement: what the difference means for land](/insights/right-of-way-vs-easement/) - [Private road maintenance agreements: who pays for the road](/insights/private-road-maintenance-agreement/) - [Encroachment: when a fence, drive, or building crosses the line](/insights/encroachment/) - [Lis pendens: what a notice of a pending lawsuit does to land](/insights/lis-pendens/) - [Deed of trust: how a loan is secured by land in North Carolina](/insights/deed-of-trust/) - [Tenancy in common: owning land with other people](/insights/tenancy-in-common/) - [Quiet title action: how a court settles who owns land](/insights/quiet-title-action/) - [Chain of title: how ownership passes from deed to deed](/insights/chain-of-title/) - [Boundary line agreements between neighbors](/insights/boundary-line-agreement/) - [Selling land under a power of attorney in North Carolina](/insights/power-of-attorney-real-estate/) - [Boundary disputes in North Carolina: how a line gets settled](/insights/boundary-dispute-north-carolina/) - [Shared driveway agreements: access, upkeep, and recording](/insights/shared-driveway-agreement/) - [Trees on the property line: who owns them and who answers](/insights/tree-on-property-line/) - [Fences on the property line: permits, setbacks, and neighbors](/insights/fence-on-property-line/) Send the requirements. We reply with how we would run the search. [Order a parcel brief](/services/parcel-brief/) ## Tell us what the project needs Load, acreage, counties, and timeline. We reply with how we would run the search and where we would start. [Start a site search](/contact/) [Try the calculators](/tools/) Transactions are handled through a licensed North Carolina real estate brokerage.